Martin Scorsese and The Color of Money

Jan 15

Martin Scorsese, the man who made "The Color of Money" cool again and turned "Goodfellas" into a cinematic masterpiece, is known for his incredible use of music to heighten the effect of his films. But did you know that Scorsese's career almost went down a completely different path? That's right, Scorsese originally wanted to be a priest. Can you imagine a priest-directed "Goodfellas"? The confession booth scenes would have been intense!

But, thank the film gods, Scorsese found his calling in filmmaking and has been entertaining us with his gritty and intense films ever since. Scorsese's secret weapon in his arsenal isn't just his use of music, it's also his ability to wrangle in a murderer's row of talented actors. Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio have both starred in multiple Scorsese films and have become a regular presence in his movies. It's like Scorsese has his own personal Rat Pack.

Speaking of Rat Pack, Scorsese directed Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in the "The Color of Money" which was a sequel to the classic film "The Hustler". Tom Cruise's character in the film is Vincent Lauria, a young, talented pool player who is mentored by Fast Eddie Felson, played by Paul Newman. The film explores the relationship between the two characters as they navigate the world of pool and the gritty underbelly of professional gambling. The film is famous for Newman’s line, "Money won is twice as sweet as money earned."

Another great example of Scorsese's skill in directing an ensemble cast is "The Departed" where he directed Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg to deliver some of their best performances. The plot of the film centers around an undercover operation to infiltrate the inner workings of the Irish-American mob in Boston. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, a young police officer who is chosen to go undercover and infiltrate the crime organization run by Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson.

The film was a huge critical and commercial success and won four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. The film is famous for its iconic wordplay that’s evident in Jack Nicholson’s opening monologue: "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." And Mark Wahlberg almost steals the movie with lines like, “I’m the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy.”

Scorsese creates an environment on set where actors feel free to take risks and try new things. He has a great understanding of his cast and knows how to bring out the best in them. He's also renowned for his ability to create a sense of realism in his films, which adds to the intensity of the performances.

And if you want to learn the secrets of Scorsese's filmmaking techniques, you're in luck. Scorsese is now offering a training program on the MasterClass website, where he'll teach you everything you need to know to become a successful filmmaker. But be warned: Scorsese might make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Ian Maisel

When I was in high school I worked as a movie theater projectionist, acted in my school plays, and published a series of autobiographical comic books that I sold at music and bookstores. I’ve always loved entertainment, and at Brown University I double majored in Visual Arts and Modern European History because the history teachers told the best stories.

My career began at an artificial intelligence startup company where I worked as a graphic designer and animator creating 3D avatars for virtual personalities. I used a program called Poser that was kind of like a Barbie Dream House for cartoons. My comic illustrations were published in the international edition of Time magazine.

In 2006, I completed a graduate Certificate of Publishing and Communications at Harvard University, where I studied creative writing, acting, and media production. I auditioned for the student theater and was cast in a high-brow Chekhov play and a low-brow undergraduate comedy where I played a California high school guitarist like Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

At Boston College I continued developing my career as a graphic designer and went on to work as an animator at a Jewish nonprofit. In 2008 I left Boston to chase the California dream. I got a job in San Francisco as a litigation graphics specialist for intellectual property attorneys, and I worked on some high-stakes legal trials where I barely slept for a week!

After five years I transitioned into the corporate world and worked as a contract presentation designer at Visa and Bare Minerals. I enjoyed collaborating with senior executives to bring their ideas to life through graphic storytelling and large-scale event presentations. One of my highlights was getting to opportunity to produce an in-house interview with the supermodel Christy Turlington!

In 2017 I took on my first Senior Designer role at Alexandria Real Estate, where I designed high-end investor presentations and art directed photoshoots for major tech companies including Facebook, Google, and Pinterest. The following year I flew out to LA to study video production, and went on to create a digital signage content management system for Alexandria’s 60+ high-tech office buildings across the country.

In 2020 I expanded my focus into social media by producing a video advertising campaign that launched a Visa executive’s speaking career by generating 30,000 social media engagements in five months. Since then I’ve continued designing creative presentations, producing videos, and writing social media campaigns for a wide range of brands including the University of San Francisco and Meta. I love working with high-performance creative teams on exciting projects and enjoy utilizing my creative background to work at the intersection of design, entertainment, and culture.

https://www.ianmaisel.com

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