The Equalizer
Originally, I was going to direct an episode of The Equalizer but later that got scrapped. Probably network objection to me not ever directing a network show.
I had developed an idea of seeing ordinary people in jeopardy and the Equalizer solving their problems. The producers were very high on the idea so I began pre-production on shooting several people in different situations around New York City.
We planned all night shoots since I felt the danger was heightened in the darkness and coldness of the city. My production manager, Pete Runfalo, was an old veteran and a great guy. He made all the arrangements and we began shooting nights.
My cameraman, another old veteran named Fred was able to rig a couple of very effective shots from nothing. One was a follow behind a victim as she walked on the street. Since we didn’t have a dolly, Fred rigged a hanging basket the camera swung in and he walked behind her holding the camera at low leg level. It worked like a charm.
I fashioned several very graphic and solid little visual stories with smart, angles and locations. The shoot went really well and we had many choices to assemble a full one-minute sequence.
I only thing I had left to do was to shoot the star of the show, Edward Woodward. He was very busy with shooting episodes all day, so I finally was able to get him for no more than a half hour in the underground garage of the production facility on 11th Avenue.
Fortunately, he liked my idea for ‘billboarding’ him and the dolly shot pushing towards him while he stoically frowned for the camera went without a hitch.
The sequence was all about the jeopardy of the victims so it was an editing task with the proper rhythms and beats to punctuate the style and the danger inherent in living in New York City.
My editor, Jeff Wolf was a dyed in the wool New Yorker and proved to be very well suited to craft the assembly of images.
After finishing the cut I had the pleasure of working with composer Stewart Copeland, the drummer from The Police, who was to score the entire shows 26 episodes.
Stewart Copeland in his studio, 1985
I had some strong musical ideas bouncing around in my head and when I related them to him he launched into a melody and musical style off my thoughts that was superbly supportive and illustrative of the character and the overall sequence that sets up the entire premise.
From Stewart’s ratta-tat-tat staccato military rhythms, I fashioned a ‘stutter-zoom of the first image that lurched up from infinity to full screen. Then the tight punctuated cuts drew you into the jeopardy of each little danger sequence.
I designed a special graphic logo and integrated it in a final punctuation to the sequence as the solution from the dangers of the city and wrapped it up with a nice sting on the music as it ‘stutter-zoomed’ into the night.
The producers were delighted and the show debuted to much acclaim. It ran for several years and was an enormous popular success.