Greg and Colin Strause

Last updated
Greg and Colin Strause
Brothers Strause.jpg
Greg (l.) and Colin Strause
BornGreg: (1975-01-16) January 16, 1975 (age 49)
Colin: (1976-11-08) November 8, 1976 (age 47)
Other namesThe Brothers Strause
Occupation(s) Film directors, producers

Greg and Colin Strause, known professionally as The Brothers Strause, are American film directors, producers and special effects artists. They are known for directing the 2007 film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem and the 2010 film Skyline. The brother duo are also founders of Hydraulx, a special effects company. [1] [2]

Contents

Life and career

They began experimenting with visual effects in their early teens using Amiga computers. [3] In 1995, they moved to Los Angeles and started working on the special effects for films such as The Nutty Professor (1996) and The X-Files . In 1996, they formed a digital effects company with partners Edson Williams and Mat Beck that was called Pixel Envy, which they worked on until 2002.

They began working on big-budget films such as Volcano and the iceberg sequence of James Cameron's Academy Award-winning Titanic . They shifted again and began working on music videos and commercials, handling the special effects for artists such as U2, Britney Spears, Godsmack, Tool, Powerman 5000 and Aerosmith as well as spots for Nike, Jeep and Pepsi.

In 2000, Colin won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' video, "Californication." This led the brothers to start directing under the moniker "The Brothers Strause," and their Linkin Park clip "Crawling" was nominated for Best Direction and Best Rock Video at the 2001 VMA's. Other artists they have directed for include A Perfect Circle, Nickelback, Paulina Rubio, Opeth, Flyleaf, Disturbed, Staind, Taproot and Abandoned Pools. Their music video for A Perfect Circle's "Passive" marked their second collaboration with the band. The video was shot almost entirely with thermal cameras [4] and featured on the Constantine soundtrack and DVD.

The Strause's have performed special effects work on such films as 300 , X-Men: The Last Stand , Fantastic Four , Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines , and The Day After Tomorrow , for which Greg won a British Academy Award (BAFTA).

The Brothers have directed spots for Coca-Cola, World of Warcraft , Gatorade, Ford Motor Company, the United States Marine Corps, Toyota, Fresca, Universal Studios and Sony PlayStation's God of War .

The Brothers Strause made their film directing debut by directing Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem , a sequel to Paul W. S. Anderson's Alien vs. Predator . The film was released on Christmas 2007 to extremely negative reviews.

In the fall of 2008, the Brothers directed 50 Cent's music video "Get Up" as well as commercials for Pennzoil and Shell, in addition to supplying some visual effects for Avatar . [5]

In 2010, the Brothers directed and produced the science fiction thriller Skyline , written by Joshua Cordes and Liam O'Donnell, starring Scottie Thompson, Eric Balfour, Donald Faison and David Zayas. The film was met with poor reviews [6] but given its budget was US$10–$20 million, it performed well commercially, grossing a total of nearly US$79 million worldwide. Sony Pictures Entertainment filed a lawsuit against the brothers and Hydralux, who had been hired to provide visual effects for Battle: Los Angeles. Sony alleged that they had used time and resources meant for Battle: Los Angeles, and instead used them on Skyline, which was accused of being too similar by Sony. However, Sony dropped the lawsuit in 2011, shortly before Skyline's home video debut, satisfied that their concerns about the competing film proved to be unfounded. [7]

Filmography

Short films

Feature films

YearTitleDirectorProducer
2007 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem YesNo
2010 Skyline YesYes
2017 Beyond Skyline NoYes
2020 Skylines NoYes

Executive producers

Videography

Related Research Articles

<i>Alien vs. Predator</i> Science fiction action franchise

Alien vs. Predator is a science fiction action and horror media franchise created by comic book writers Randy Stradley and Chris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, the larger Alien and Predator franchises, depicting the two species — Xenomorph (Alien) and Yautja (Predator) — as being in conflict with one another. It began as a comic book series in 1989, before being adapted into a video game series in the 1990s. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film series began with Alien vs. Predator (2004), directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, and was followed by Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), directed by the Brothers Strause, and the development of a third film has been delayed indefinitely. The series has led to numerous novels, comics, and video game spin-offs such as Aliens vs. Predator released in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xenomorph</span> Fictional extraterrestrial species from the Alien film series

The xenomorph is a fictional endoparasitoid extraterrestrial species that serves as the title antagonist of the Alien and Alien vs. Predator franchises. The species made its debut in the film Alien (1979) and reappeared in the sequels Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), and Alien: Romulus (2024). The species returns in the prequel series, first with a predecessor in Prometheus (2012) and a further evolved form in Alien: Covenant (2017). It also featured in the crossover films Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), with the skull and tail of one of the creatures respectively appearing briefly in Predator 2 (1990) and The Predator (2018), as a protagonist in the video game Aliens vs. Predator (2010), and will return in the upcoming FX television series Alien (TBA). In addition, the xenomorph appears in various literature and video game spin-offs from the franchises.

Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul, Live, Foo Fighters, and Silverchair, that emulated the original sound of grunge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawling (song)</span> 2000 single by Linkin Park

"Crawling" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the second single from their debut album, Hybrid Theory. Released on April 2, 2001, it won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002. In January 2011, "Crawling" was released in a Linkin Park DLC pack for Rock Band 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTBZ-FM</span> Radio station in Houston, Texas

KTBZ-FM is a commercial active/alternative rock radio station licensed to Houston, Texas. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station serves Greater Houston. The KTBZ-FM studios are located in Uptown Houston, while the station transmitter is located near Missouri City, Texas; KTBZ-FM has an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts.

<i>Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem</i> 2007 film by the Brothers Strause

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is a 2007 American science fiction action film starring Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis and Ariel Gade. The directorial debut of The Brothers Strause, the film was written by Shane Salerno and is a direct sequel to Alien vs. Predator (2004) as well as the second and latest installment in the Alien vs. Predator franchise, the sixth film in the Alien franchise and the fourth film in the Predator franchise, continuing the crossover between the Alien and Predator franchises.

X-Fest is an annual music festival held in various venues throughout the United States by Clear Channel Communications radio stations. It features alternative rock, hard rock, heavy metal, grunge, and industrial rock bands.

Buzzfest is the name of two unrelated music festivals held in Houston, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Buzzfest in Houston is a bi-annual show hosted by the radio station 94.5 The Buzz while the Buzzfest in Nashville is an annual show hosted by the radio station 102.9 The Buzz.

MTV's Buzz Bin was a select group of music videos by up and coming artists and bands that the network deemed "buzz worthy", "cutting edge", or "the next big thing". As such, the selected videos received heavy rotation on the channel, and were also featured in special promotional commercials that highlighted the latest Buzz Bin selections, which were sometimes known as Buzz Clips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Predator (fictional species)</span> Fictional alien in Predator series

The Predator, also known as Yautja, is the titular extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator and Alien vs. Predator science fiction franchises, characterized by its trophy hunting of other "challenging" species for sport. First introduced in the film of the same name, the creatures returned in the sequels Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010) and The Predator (2018), and the prequel Prey (2022), as well as the crossover films Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). In 2023, the species was licensed to Adult Swim to appear officially in the seventh season of the animated series Rick and Morty, introducing the Skin Thieves clan.

Mesa Amphitheatre is an outdoor concert venue with lawn seating located in Mesa, Arizona. It opened in 1979 and has a maximum capacity of 4,950 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poem (song)</span> 2002 single by Taproot

"Poem" is a song by American alternative metal band Taproot and the lead single from their second major label album, Welcome. It was released in 2002 and met with the highest success of any Taproot single, reaching #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks. The track, as well as its music video, were heavily played throughout the several months following its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Catullo</span> American film director

Daniel E. "Dan" Catullo III is an American concert promoter, director, and producer, and the co-founder and CEO of DC3 Music Group and The City Drive Entertainment Group, both production and distribution companies specializing in 3D films, music videos, documentaries and live DVDs. The companies have produced projects for a range of artists including Rage Against the Machine, Alter Bridge, Creed, Mariah Carey, Godsmack, and Chickenfoot. He is the Creator, Director and Producer of the groundbreaking series Landmarks Live.

<i>Battle: Los Angeles</i> 2011 American military science-fiction action film directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Battle: Los Angeles is a 2011 American military science-fiction action film directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Chris Bertolini. The story follows a Marine staff sergeant played by Aaron Eckhart who leads a platoon of U.S. Marines, joined by other stranded military personnel, defending Los Angeles from alien invasion. The ensemble cast includes Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, and Michael Peña.

<i>Skyline</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Greg and Colin Strause

Skyline is a 2010 American science fiction disaster film directed by Greg and Colin Strause and co-produced and written by Liam O'Donnell. It stars Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Crystal Reed, David Zayas, and Donald Faison as a group of Los Angeles residents who witness an alien invasion while in a condominium.

hy*drau"lx, alternatively spelled HYDRAULX and Hydraulx, is a visual effects (VFX) company based in Santa Monica, California.

<i>Beyond Skyline</i> 2017 science fiction by Liam ODonnell

Beyond Skyline is a 2017 American science fiction action film written, co-produced and directed by Liam O'Donnell in his directorial debut. It stars Frank Grillo, Bojana Novakovic, Jonny Weston, Iko Uwais, Callan Mulvey, Yayan Ruhian, Pamelyn Chee, Betty Gabriel, and Antonio Fargas. It is the sequel to the 2010 film Skyline and the second installment in the Skyline film series, set concurrently with the events of the first film.

Sirius XM Turbo is a commercial-free music channel that plays 1990s and 2000s hard rock and airs on Sirius XM Radio and Dish Network. It airs on channel 41 on Sirius XM Radio.

This article summarizes the events related to rock music for the year of 2010.

Liam O'Donnell is an American film director, producer, writer and special effects artist.

References

  1. "Greg Strause - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times". The New York Times. 2008-01-02. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  2. "Colin Strause - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. 2009-08-21. Archived from the original on 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  3. "Digital dreamin'". Forbes .
  4. "A Perfect Circle in Hell". MVWire. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
  5. "Two More See Terrifying Bright Light in 'Skyline'". Bloody-disgusting.com. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  6. "Skyline". Rotten Tomatoes. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  7. "After $35M Opening, Sony Admits Skyline Didn't Steal from Battle: Los Angeles". 19 March 2011.