Signs (2002)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 2002
Running Times:
Format: colour 35mm Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Blinding Edge Pictures / Touchstone Pictures
Executive Producer: Kathleen Kennedy
Producers: Frank Marshall, Sam Mercer, M. Night Shyamalan
Unit Production Manager: Sam Mercer

SCRIPT
Script: M. Night Shyamalan

DIRECTION
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
1st Assistant Director: John Rusk

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Tak Fujimoto
Camera Operator: Kyle Rudolph
1st Assistant Camera: Baird Steptoe
2nd Assistant Camera: John Young, Leon Sanginiti
Additional 2nd Assistant Camera: Daniel C. Cook
Gaffer: Scott Ramsey
Best Boy Electric: Steven Litecky
Grip: Joe Mellon
24 Frame Video Operator / Video Assist Operator: Christopher Murphy
Colour Timer: Jeff Smithwick
Stills: Frank Masi
Cameras: Panavision
Lenses: Panavision Primo and C-Series

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Barbara Tulliver
Assistant Editor: Kate Eales
Post Production Supervisor: Paul Springer

MUSIC
Music: James Newton Howard
Scoring Mixer: Shawn Murphy
Orchestrator: Jeff Atmajian

SOUND
Sound Designer: Richard King
Sound: Tod A. Maitland
Assistant Sound Editors: Linda Yeaney, Andrew Bock
ADR Supervisor: Michael Haight
Dialogue Editor: Hugo Weng
Supervising Foley Editor: Patricio A. Libenson
Sound Effects Editor: Michael W. Mitchell

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Hair: Waldo Sanchez
Costume Designer: Ann Roth

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Steve Cremin
Special Effects: Andrew Mortelliti
Special Effects Technician: John Stifanich

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisors: Eric Brevig, Stefen Fangmeier
Visual Effects Coordinator: Lisa Todd
Character Animator: C. Michael Easton
Compisting Supervisor: Eddie Pasquarello

Industrial Light and Magic
Computer Graphics Sequence Supervisor: Joakim Arnesson
CG Supervisor: Habib Zargarpour
Digital Compositors: Michael Conte, Jay Cooper, Todd Vaziri
Technical Director: Ryan Cook
Digital Matte Technical Support: Tristan Tom

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Larry Fulton
Art Director: Keith P. Cunningham
Property Master: Kevin Ladson
On-Set Dresser: Sharon Potts
Scenic Charge: Ricky Riggs

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Dianne Dreyer
Accountant: John Catron
Accounting Clerk: Audrey Kerwood
Payroll Accountant: Penni Smith
1st Assistant Accountant: Mark Mayer
2nd Assistant Accountant: Margo Romano
Production Assistants: Andrew Cinquino, Brad Clements, Christopher Sneade, Josh Dorn
Additional Production Assistant: Paul Manion
Assistant Production Office Coordinator: Megan Fenerty
Office Production Assistant: Jason Currie
Assistant To M. Night Shyamalan: Jose L. Rodriguez
Production Secretary: David Raynor
Film Commissioner: Sharon Pinkenson
Helicopter Pilot: Bill Richards (uncredited)
Researcher: Paul Vigay
Unit Publicist: Frances Fiore

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA; Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA; England, UK; Morrisville, Pennsylvania, USA; Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA; Oxford, Pennsylvania, USA
Location Manager: Andrew L. Ullman
Key Assistant Location Manager: Richard A. Clark
2nd Unit Location Assistant: Julian Ruhe

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Brian Smrz
Stunts Double For Mel Gibson: Lance Gilbert
Stunt Driver: Jake Brake

CASTING
Casting: Douglas Aibel
Casting Associate: Jordan Beswick

CAST
Mel Gibson (Father Graham Hess)
Joaquin Phoenix (Merrill Hess)
Rory Culkin (Morgan Hess)
Abigail Breslin (Bo Hess)
Cherry Jones (Officer Caroline Paski)
Patricia Kalember (Colleen Hess)
Jose L. Rodriguez (radio host)

Stand-Ins: Laura MacDonald, Joseph Barry (for Rory Culkin)
Voice-Over: Paul L. Nolan

PLOT SUMMARY

When a massive crop circle is found in one of his corn fields, Father Graham Hess begins to find his faith tested as he becomes the centre of media attention and embarks on a strange journey to uncover the truth about the circle.

Netherlands
Theatrical Distributor: Buena Vista International

Russia
Theatrical Distributor: Cascade Film

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures

USA
Rating: PG-13 (for some frightening moments)

2002
Total Film Magazine, UK
Films of the Year - Number 18

2001
October
Day Unknown: USA - production begins

2002
August
2: Canada, Russia, USA - theatrical release
15: Australia, New Zealand - theatrical release
30: Iceland - theatrical release

September
5: Netherlands - theatrical release
12: Germany - theatrical release
13: UK - theatrical release
20: Brazil, Norway - theatrical release
21: Japan - theatrical release
26: Argentina - theatrical release

October
16: Belgium, France - theatrical release

December
21: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London
23: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London
29: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London
31: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London

2003
January
4: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London
7: UK - shown at the Prince Charles Cinema, London

It's Not Like They Didn't Warn Us.

The Signs Of Life

A message. A warning. A sign...of things to come.

The fist sign you can't explain. The second sign you can't ignore. The third sign you won't believe.

It's happening

Seņales - Spanish title

MAGAZINES

Empire no.160 (October 2002) pp.56-60, 63; 108
illustrate article (Field of screams by Ian Freer); illustrated review (by Colin Kennedy)

Total Film no.72 (January 2003) p.78 (UK)
illustrated interview

crop circles, religion, priests, farmers, helicopters, aliens