PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS... School Of Rock Official Website Paramount Pictures Release Date: Oct 3, 2003 Director: Richard Linklater Producer: Scott Rudin Cast: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Mike White Fired from his band, rock guitarist and vocalist Dewey Finn (Black) takes a job as a 4th grade substitute teacher at an uptight private school where his free livin' lifestyle, attitude, music and antics soon influences the students to explore other sides of themselves the school doesn't encourage. Finn's real goal in taking the job is to recruit a 9-year-old guitar prodigy, Yuki, to become the lead guitarist in a band that would be able to win a "battle of bands", solving Finn's money problems and re-establishing him as a respected rocker. CHECK OUT THE STREAMS BELOW: TRAILER Trailor AUDIO STREAMS Audio 1 Audio 2 Audio 3 Audio 4 JACK BLACK VIDEOS Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 Video 4 Behind the Music: School of Rock While the casting was under way, music supervisor Randy Poster, who had worked with director Richard Linklater previously on “SubUrbia,” set out to build a musical team. The first thing he did was to bring in a ringleader for the kids -- Jim O’Rourke, who produces and plays with Sonic Youth. “One of the great advantages of this movie is that we had 10 weeks where we basically put the kids in rock-and-roll boot camp,” says Poster. “In that way -- both before and during production -- the kids became very comfortable with their instruments and all aspects of the story.” Jack Black was glad to see Jim O’Rourke on board to help his young costars prepare for their roles and truly have a good time during the entire filmmaking process. “Jim is a great musician, a good producer, and he even has some albums out on his own,” observes Black. “He rehearsed with the kids till their chops were really up and their rock licks were nice and shimmy-shammied.” O’Rourke, who in addition to performing with Sonic Youth has produced for the bands Stereo Lab and Wilco, explains that first he needed to find out what the kids could do before he knew exactly what areas each had to work on. “I needed to find out what they were used to playing, what style they liked to play in and what their strengths and weaknesses were,” says O’Rourke. “After I gathered that information, it was my job to make it all blend.” According to Craig Wedren, who composed the film’s instrumental score and jammed with the kids during numerous band rehearsals, the set truly turned into a music camp and a safe haven for the kids to just rock out. “It took me back to when I was 12 years old and in my first band,” recalls Wedren. “It was a time you could just wail on your guitar or bang on your drums and make great music with your friends, and that’s what happened on the set with these kids.” Joey Gaydos Jr., the lead guitarist, remembers when they began rehearsals. “The first time we actually played together, we were real sloppy, you know, because it was our first time,” admits the 12-year-old. “But when we began really practicing, we started to sound pretty good.” While some kids were already familiar with the style of music they were going to play in “The School of Rock,” others were not. Twelve-year-old Robert Tsai, for example, who had been playing the piano since the age of five, was strictly a classical musician. “Robert didn’t really know anything about rock music, so when rehearsals first began it was quite a mystery to him what we were doing,” remembers O’Rourke. “I’d put a piece of sheet music in front of him and he’d play it, but always in a very classical style. In the end, though, he was jamming with the rest of us.” Rebecca Brown got into the swing of things, too. A guitar player since the age of four, the 11-year-old not only learned how to play bass guitar for the film, but she also had her first introduction to the cello, which she plays in the Horace Green Elementary School orchestra. “All the kids are extremely talented and they really worked together as a team” observes director Richard Linklater. “Their experience mirrors the experience of the kids in the story. They started out playing in a comfortable musical environment, then basically, we just tried to make it fun for them -- just like Dewey Finn did in the film.” While the young band of “The School of Rock” rehearsed, the filmmakers reached out to musicians and lyricists for the key songs. In the end, however, it was Jack Black and Mike White who wrote a lot of the songs, including several solos that are performed in the classroom. “They’re not really songs so much as nuggets of songs,” explains Black. “I could stretch them out and turn them into songs. But they’re more like little comedy nuggets.” Mike White adds, laughing, “We were trying to write lyrics, and I thought, What would AC/DC do? I don’t think I’ve ever been in a script meeting where I was thinking what would AC/DC do.” The song, “The School of Rock,” which is performed by Black and the kids in concert at the finale of the film, was written by the New York band The Mooney Suzuki. “They opened in New York for The Strokes and I met them afterwards,” remembers Black. “So I asked them if they’d be into writing a song for the movie, and they said they’d give it a crack. Mike White gave them some lyrics; they worked on them and eventually made a really good song out of it.” “I was totally psyched because, at one time, my entire life revolved around a Battle of the Bands,” admits songwriter and lead vocalist for The Mooney Suzuki, Sammy James Jr. “In fact, I’m in a band right now because I wanted to be in a Battle of the Bands in high school. That’s probably why the song came pretty easily. I just sat down to write, and within an hour I made a little four-track demo in my apartment.” No Vacancy, the band that dumps Dewey Finn at the start of the movie, is fronted by singer/actor Adam Pascal, who starred in the original Broadway production of “Rent” and currently stars in the Broadway production of “Aida.” Their first song was written by Warren Fitzgerald, who plays with a band called The Vandals in Los Angeles, and their second song, performed at the Battle of the Bands, entitled “Heal Me, I’m Heartsick,” was written by Craig Wedren. George Drakoulias was the music producer who worked with the artists in the recording studio. Production Information “And if you want to be the teacher’s pet Baby, you just better forget it Rock got no reason – rock got no rhyme You better get me to school on time . . .” -- Lyrics from the song, “The School of Rock” Hell-raising guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is anti-establishment to the hilt, irreverent to the max, and he worships the power of rock and roll. With a penchant for stage-dives and 20-minute solos, Dewy is determined to lead his rock group to victory at the local Battle of the Bands…but his band mates fire him instead. Down-and-out, in need of rent money and wallowing in his apartment strewn with take-out containers, Dewey picks up a phone call intended for his roommate Ned (Mike White), and impulsively accepts a job as a substitute teacher at the prestigious Horace Green Elementary School. There, by-the-book Principal Mullins (Joan Cusack) watches his every move like a hawk. But while Dewey might not have a clue how to teach, he does know how to inspire confidence in his young fifth graders. And when he accidentally overhears them performing in an orchestra class, he decides to mold these young musical prodigies into a high-voltage rock band, which will change their lives forever. Paramount Pictures Presents a Scott Rudin production starring Jack Black, “The School of Rock.” Directed by Richard Linklater, the film is produced by Scott Rudin, written by Mike White and also features Joan Cusack, Mike White and Sarah Silverman. The executive producers are Steve Nicolaides and Scott Aversano, the director of photography is Rogier Stoffers, N.S.C., the production designer is Jeremy Conway, the editor is Sandra Adair, and the costume designer is Karen Patch. Randall Poster serves as the music supervisor and Craig Wedren composed the musical score. Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., one of the world’s largest entertainment and media companies, and a leader in the production, promotion and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and music. This film has been rated “PG-13” by the Motion Picture Association of America for some rude humor & drug references. About the Story As far as Jack Black and Dewey Finn are concerned, the actor and the character he portrays couldn’t be more similar or different. Black is the singer, songwriter, guitarist of his own band Tenacious D, and Finn is a singer, songwriter and guitarist of his own band No Vacancy…except they kick him out. And, while rock ’n’ roll is a significant part of Black’s life, rock ’n’ roll is the only thing in Finn’s life. “I just love the way Mike writes,” admits Black. “Not only does he have that funny edge that suits me, but also he knows how to get into my voice.” Screenwriter White, who lived next door to Black for three years, had been wanting to write a film geared specifically to Black’s unique personality. “Jack is a great performer, a terrific musician and the perfect antihero,” says White. “He’s kind of unhinged in that fun way that Willie Wonka is, and I kept having this idea about him jamming around with a bunch of kids.” With the genius of Black’s stellar comedic style and White’s clever script, “The School of Rock” already exceeded the parameters of a traditional comedy, but when the filmmakers recruited director Richard Linklater, they knew they had someone at the helm of the film who could take it even further. Known for such landmark independent films as “Slacker” and “Dazed and Confused,” Linklater also happens to have a penchant for making movies with a heavy influence of rock ’n’ roll. “I’m a big fan of Jack, both as a musician and as an actor,” says Linklater. “And Jack’s character, a struggling musician willing to do almost anything to help realize his dreams, reminded me of my formative years as a filmmaker.” “Rick (Linklater) brings reality, honesty and believability to the film,” explains Black. “He reins me in, which is important because I’m always going 10 miles too far over the top. So when I go a little too crazy, he brings me back to reality.” Not unlike the actor who portrays him, the fiery Dewey Finn is on the verge of exploding throughout “The School of Rock.” First, he gives a volatile performance with his band, launching into a long guitar solo and stage-diving into the crowd with no one there to catch him. Next, while masquerading as his roommate, substitute teacher Ned Schneebly (Mike White), Dewey discharges lectures on the wonders of rock and the evils of “The Man” to a wide-eyed class of fifth graders. And finally, in the end, he ignites his students into giving the performance of their lives at the Battle of the Bands. There to constantly snuff out Dewey’s fuse is straight-laced Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack), the always uptight -- unless she’s had a few beers -- principal of the prestigious private school where Dewey is substitute teaching. “I’m Dewey’s nemesis, and I could blow the whistle on him at any moment,” explains Cusack. “It’s a great role because, down deep, Rosalie Mullins really wants to let loose and be wild. So in a way, I guess she sort of admires Dewey.” Black, who appeared with Cusack and her brother, John, in the critically acclaimed “High Fidelity,” says working with Joan again was a blast. “She’s very funny,” observes Black. “It was great watching her character crack.” “Joan is awesome,” agrees White. “She usually plays these sort of blithe spirits, so it’s funny to see her as the uptight, buttoned-down principal. It’s also great to watch her and Jack go at it.” Rounding out the principal cast with her portrayal of Ned Schneebly’s bossy girlfriend, Patty, is former “Saturday Night Live” writer/comedienne Sarah Silverman, who says that while her role in the film wasn’t comedic, she was glad to play the foil for a change. “Once I read Mike White’s script, I just had to be in the film,” remembers Silverman. “I don’t usually get to play the ‘bad guy,’ so it was a great chance for me to do something a little different. Besides, let’s face it: If you’re in a film with Jack Black, right from the start you know it’s going to be pretty damn funny.” Courtesy of Cornerstone Digital