'Escapes' Producer Hill Emphasizes "Pre-planning" As Key To Success [The Film Journal/Vol 84/Issue 12/Jul 06/1981/US] By C.B.-B


"When someone gives you a bunch of money to make a movie, you must be responsible. You have to bring in a good film, a good product, on budget and on time." says Debra Hill. The producer of Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York and Halloween II has the wavy blonde hair and California tan of a surfer, which belies the fact she is one of the most successful of the new Hollywood producers.

"I don't feel ostracized or discriminated against as a woman," she smiles, her slender figure curled up in a tub chair. "In film, it's men and women working together. After all, the teamsters, who in a way rule the set, love looking at a cute girl. I use being a woman to my advantage. There are two ways to be a woman in film, being hard and aggressive, or nice. I know there is some resentment the first few times I arrive at a set in my white Porche, in jeans. But then I call everybody by their first name, I make a point of becoming friendly with everyone on a set. And I usually end up being a mother to everyone, and I like that. It makes the production go smoothly, and I feel good about that."

A New Jersey native, Hill attributes much of her interest in film to her father who worked as the art director on several of the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope Road movies. "I used to stay up really late at night and watch movies on TV with my Dad, and he'd tell me stories about everyone. Even now, when he comes out to L.A. it's like having a tour guide. A lot of L.A. has changed, but he tells me stories of what it was like in the 1940s.

A graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Hill majored in statistical analysis. She still enjoys working with numbers, as she must in her role of producer. She always wanted to study film, but her parents had insisted that she study more 'practical' disciplines. "I always wanted to make feature films, but I thought Hollywood was so far away. And I feel so fortunate to have had two very successful films. There are so many young talented people, and it takes so long to succeed in film."

Hill began her film career with Adventure Films Limited, making documentaries. "We had such small crews that you learned to do everything. Some camera work, some editing, some script supervision. Finally, I went to L.A. and worked as a script supervisor and editor. I met John Carpenter, and started working with him as script supervisor on Assault on Precinct 13, which won a London Film Award. The head of Twickenham Studios asked if he would do the Babysitter Murders movie, it was just an idea.  

"John agreed with me that horror had a built-in audience for genre films. And we thought that was the way to go. John asked me if I would produce the film, and I said yes. I think I can. We both did it for free, only for a percentage of the film. I had saved up enough money to live for a year, and so had John.

"The real reason we were so successful, is the amount of pre-production. We story boarded almost every scene, every shot. I think Halloween succeeds because it is an exercise in pure terror, not just a lot of blood and gore spashed on the screen for effect. For $300 thousand, it's a small film that works. It has no grandness, but that's okay. Again, everything has to be pre-planned.

"Film making is so very visual. When I started out I would read every script I could and then see the translation to the screen and try to analyze it. Now I work on all aspects of every film, and on the real process of making a film, which is everything involved." Hill also co-scripted Halloween and The Fog with Carpenter, which has the effect of "involving me totally. Because I know exactly what has to be done in each scene, and John and I usually agree. I'm John's barometer, especially in the dailies. I sigh when I get bored. You have to trust each other.

"The problem of making a film is the long wait for the applause. When the producer, director and editor are all in the screening room, you might feel good about the film, but it's not the same as having audience reaction. I remember when I first had Halloween out. I would go around to the theatres, go to the projection booth and ask them to upgrade the light, focus. But then I learned to settle for whatever happened. I couldn't be everywhere at once.

"But I think it's irresponsible of the exhibitors not to use the very best equipment on the market. With the box office ticket price people are paying these days, and with the advent of home entertainment centers, including video cassettes and pay TV, the exhibitors will be forced to improve the quality of exhibition."

Escape From New York was made on a $6 million budget, a far cry from Halloween's $300 thousand. "The film looks big because of the production values. I was initially concerned about the New York audience, because the film takes place in New York, and we use miniatures instead of shooting in New York. In fact, we shot most of the film in St. Louis. The larger scenes were done there because the urban area had to look devestated, and a major fire had destroyed most of downtown St. Louis. It was perfect. But for the Chock Full O'Nuts scene, we simply built the set in the desert. We shot most of the film at night, which was just as well, because it was horribly hot during the day. And we were shooting in the summer. But I'm a night person.

"The difference between our first Halloween and Halloween II is amazing. We have the same cast, and they have all stayed looking the same. But for number one we had a twenty man crew, and the number for two, we have ninety people, including eight trucks. It's the twilight zone.

"We protect ourselves, financially and union-wise with different companies for each film. Pumpkin Pie for Halloween I,  and Hilltopper for The Fog, and the name has nothing to do with my last name. Slamdunk for Escape From New York, and John T. Chants for El Diablo, our new western. I've been so fortunate because we deal on the outside of the system. We dont's have to pitch a product. We just have to make the movie.

"We're making a western because westerns are the folklore of America, the King Arthur legend of America. We weren't going to make s sequel to Halloween, but decided to because we felt that we had started a trend, but not of horror, of terror. And we want to show that we can make a film that's really scary, without blood.

"Eventually I'd like to direct. My next film is Clue, based on the game, but that's going to be directed by John Landis. I've bought the rights to Best Laid Plans by Gail Parent. I like writing suspense, but I would like to do a comedy, which I think is closest to suspense. In fact, John and I both would like to stop writing. As a filmmaker, your soul is bared to the audience.

"I love the wide open spaces and view in L.A. I think there's more time for productivity in warm weather, as you don't have to worry about keeping warm. But sometimes my imagination runs away, and I get scared just running from my car to my house. My parents are very supportive now, and very proud of my successes. As I said to my Mom at the preview party of Escape From New York, "Isn't this better than a wedding?"