First Films by Famous Directors: Peter Jackson

Before the mega-budgets and A-list talent, some of the biggest directors in Hollywood started out making little films with friends and family. Others made student films. But however the filmmaker started, these are the movies that launched their careers.

An old saying goes, 'show me the boy at seven and I'll show you the man.' This certainly holds true for Peter Jackson - although maybe we'll have until he turned eight.

Peter Jackson
Born on October 31, 1961 in Pukerua Bay, North Island, New Zealand, Peter Jackson began making movies at the age of eight. He already liked to take photographs, so a family friend bought the young Jackson a super 8mm camera. He has been a filmmaker ever since. At age nine he even attempted to remake his favorite film, King Kong, using his own stop-motion effects. His next attempt to remake King Kong would have a slightly bigger budget.

Unlike many of the filmmakers working today, Jackson never went to film school. Instead he created his own short films with the help of family and friends. He was turned down for a job at the National Film Unit, New Zealand's government agency that produces tourist films about the country. With that avenue closed, Jackson began working other jobs to support himself, while shooting shorts on the weekends. One of these weekend films, expanded from its original ten minute length into a feature film. The project took four years to complete (1983 - 1987) and was called Bad Taste.

Bad Taste
Peter Jackson did nearly everything on the film: writer, director, producer, star - such is the world of low-budget moviemaking. But even this film, with its no-budget special effects, showed Jackson's formative style. His use of moving camera and combination of slapstick and horror would later be refined on numerous larger-budgeted films with Jackson at the helm. But in 1987, things weren't quite that rosy.

Once Jackson finished Bad Taste he showed it to a friend who worked in the film industry. His friend felt the movie had some commercial potential and arrabged for it to be submitted to the Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Bad Taste made quite a splash, earning Jackson a few awards and a foreign distribution deal. The money from this deal enabled Jackson to pursue filmmaking full-time and opened up the doors to Hollywood mainstream acceptance. Of course that would come in a few years, a few movies and a few scripts down the road.

However, the little weekend film that started the big ball rolling can be viewed HERE. You can judge for yourself if the panel at Cannes was right.

Other Peter Jackson Films

Braindead (1992)

Heavenly Creatures (1994) Oscar nominated for Best Original Screenplay

The Frighteners (1996)

Lord of the Rings Trillogy

King Kong (2005)