Introduction

The introduction describes the details of a typical day in Ridley Scott’s life, from the business responsibilities he conducts in the early morning to his return from a film shoot in the evening, presenting his reading of scripts and drawing of storyboards as well as his late-night activities and preparation for the next day’s shoot. Scott’s role in Ridley Scott Associates (RSA) and Scott Free productions are put into perspective with his artistic life. An analysis of the small and large productions of his own company and of studios both major and independent sheds light on his decision-making process regarding his major feature film career. Also discussed is whether Ridley Scott is an auteur. After exploring the theory, the conclusion is that Ridley Scott is an auteur in the classical sense of being the sole “author” of his films. The introduction also demonstrates that Scott’s visualist approach to movie-making gives him total control of all the films he directs. Scott’s use of photography and design lend his films a distinctive signature.