British filmmaker David Yates visited the University Philosophical Society (the Phil) today to accept the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from the society. Yates is probably best-known for directing the final four Harry Potter films from 2007 to 2011. In recent years, he directed the live action Legend of Tarzan, and also the yet to be released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, starring Eddie Redmayne and due out next month.
Yates was awarded with the medal by Phil President, Matthew Nuding, previous recipients of which include US Vice-President, Joe Biden; Apple CEO, Tim Cook, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Yates entered a packed GMB chamber to raucous applause from the audience. He accepted the medal, describing being honoured as a “pleasure”, and saying that he looked at the list of people the Phil had honoured in the past, and felt “very privileged to be on that long list of very special people”. After accepting his award, Yates began a speech describing finishing work on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them just last week, and how he came to become a film director, deciding at age 13 that that was the job for him. He then went on to remark that he doesn’t quite feel that he has earned the accolade he was awarded with, but to consider it a “down payment”, and that he would return in ten or fifteen years when he has “completed the other half of his career”.
Nuding then proceeded to ask a number of questions himself, wondering if Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them felt like a new beginning, or a continuation of the Potter series. Yates said he expected it to be like Harry Potter, and while it “shares [Jk Rowling’s] instinct for characters that are utterly charming and identifiable”, it is a whole new set of characters in a whole new world. He compared moving from Harry Potter to Fantastic Beasts as “a bit like trying something new in your favourite restaurant”, comfortable, but new.
Nuding then opened the floor to a Q&A. One audience member asked how the decision was made to make the last book into two films, to which Yates replied, “Everyone kept telling us off for leaving bits out”. He explained that the book felt like it told two stories to him, and he wanted to fit more in and be able to tell both stories well.
When asked about the musical process in his films, Yates praised James Newton Howard, the composer on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, describing him as “exceptionally gifted”. On this film Yates went against the standard practise and invited Newton Howard to the set to watch tapes and meet the actors, before he wrote a 15-20 minute suite which became the basis of the score.
Responding to a request for anecdotes from the set of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Yates described Eddie Redmayne as one of the most generous actors he had ever worked with. He added that while actors of his level of celebrity don’t generally audition with everyone going for the part, Yates auditioned with 35 to 40 different actors to ensure that each actor had the best possible chance of winning the role.
Finishing up, Yates reminded Nuding that he would be back in 15 years, when he had fully earned the award.
