'Four Weddings' producer, U. alum speaks

On a tight budget of $4.5 million, Annenberg School for Communication graduate Duncan Kenworthy turned a script about love and friendship into the charming, critically acclaimed film Four Weddings and a Funeral. And last night, Kenworthy spoke to approximately 30 alumni, graduate students and undergraduates about his experiences producing the film, as well as the upcoming TV mini-series Gulliver's Travels, which stars Ted Danson and will air Sunday night on NBC. "If this succeeds, the nature of network commission will be changed," he said. With the French Cesar award for best foreign film already under its belt, Four Weddings has received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best picture of the year. Kenworthy described how difficult it was to raise the money for the film, adding that he was only able to use one-sixth of the average budget for a Hollywood film. "We thought it would end up looking like a TV movie because it was so cheap," he said, adding that the movie has currently grossed about $250 million. Those in attendance last night at the Annenberg School were entertained with a 23-minute documentary on the making on Gulliver's Travels. With Danson as its host, the film revealed the magic behind movie making by explaining the various techniques and computer technology used for the special effects in Gulliver's Travels. Kenworthy said he is extremely proud of his creation of the "best loved, least read book in the English language." Annenberg Internships and Alumni Relations Director Phyllis Kaniss noted that Kenworthy hoped to do more than just promote his new television movie, explaining that he particularly wanted the opportunity to address student concerns and questions about producing movies and television programs. "We are excited to have an award-winning television and film producer of Duncan Kenworthy's stature speak to our students," said Kaniss. Describing himself as a "hands on producer," Kenworthy noted that he enjoys working in situations where he has significant influence, such as choosing Andie MacDowell's hat in Four Weddings. "If the hat is the wrong color then it is your fault," he said. Kenworthy also said he works very closely with his screenwriters. "A film can have a lousy director and a great script, but it can't have a great director and a lousy script," he said. According to Kenworthy, in an industry where time is money, a day lost in production can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. "We spend money like water, and we have to minimize time," he said. On a low budget, he added, production can also be painful, "especially when you have to pay people to work for very little." Spending most of the hour and a half presentation answering questions, Kenworthy said producers "don't need skill as long as you can buy it." He revealed that someone could be "any sort of producer one likes, but a creative producer needs to know how to spend money." When asked about his success as a producer and those he works with, Kenworthy stressed the importance of sharing a similar vision of the film with the director. "It is important to share taste with the director and to get involved in the script," he said, admitting that the producer's job is to make sure that everyone is making the same film. According to Kenworthy, the art of producing is in detail as well, a skill he said he picked up from the late Professor Hiram Hayden and current Communications Professor Larry Gross, who served as Kenworthy's advisor until he graduated from the University in 1973.