Jamie Blanks

Jamie Blanks (born 29 November 1971) is an Australian film director and composer. He directed the cult slasher films Urban Legend (1998) and Valentine (2001). He later directed the horror films Storm Warning (2007) and Long Weekend (2008). Biography He attended film school at Melbourne's Swinburne Film School (becoming the Victorian College of the Arts during his three years of study). The path to landing the directing gig on Urban Legend began with Blanks receiving the screenplay for Scream – called ‘Scary Movie’ at the time – from a manager who had seen his student film. “I didn’t get the job, obviously, because I was well outgunned by Wes Craven – deservedly so because he is the master,” says Blanks. “Then I got the screenplay for I Know What You Did Last Summer, also by Kevin Williamson, and I thought the only way I could convince producers in Hollywood that I’m capable of making a film is to take the screenplay and try to direct a couple of scenes. Then I had a better idea, which was to make a trailer – shoot all the money shots, all the things that would sell this movie. And that’s what I did with $3,000 and a whole bunch of friends.