Capable Hollywood craftsman who has been busy as a writer, director, and producer in film and TV since the mid-1970s. Dear has quietly carved several niches for himself in the industry as a director of commercials, TV pilots ("Dinosaurs", "Covington Cross"), and direct-to-video comic films (the Firesign Theatre's "Nick Danger--The Case of the Missing Yoke"). Between 1983 and 1985 alone, he received two Directors' Guild Award nominations and 12 Clio Award nominations for his direction and shooting of commercials. Dear has also proven himself to be a canny creator of popular family entertainments ("Harry and the Hendersons" 1987; "Angels in the Outfield" 1994). Moreover he was a pioneer in rock video due to his much admired collaborations with former Monkees member Michael Nesmith on the short film "Rio" (1977) and the multi-award-winning "Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts" (1981). Dear has also acted in a number of small film roles, mostly in his own features.
After college Dear directed and co-wrote the short film "Mr. Grey" (1969), which won an award at the Atlantic Film Festival. He then served as producer, director, and cinematographer on several low-budget exploitation features ("Nymph" 1975; "The Northville Cemetery Massacre" 1976) before meeting with writer-director Paul Schrader, then filming his directorial debut "Blue Collar" (1978). Dear was hired as a 2nd unit director and cameraman, and managed the 2nd unit on Schrader's subsequent "Hardcore" (1979).
Dear made his mainstream debut as a writer-director (in collaboration with executive producer and co-writer Nesmith) on "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swan" (1983), an enjoyable fantasy starring Fred Ward as a time-traveling motorcyclist. He made a bigger splash with "Harry and the Hendersons", a Disney-styled comedy starring John Lithgow as a family man who takes in Bigfoot. A modest success in theaters, the film was a big hit on video and generated a syndicated TV spin-off. Dear tried his hand at teen comedy directing the James Bond spoof "If Looks Could Kill", and heroic adventure as the story writer of Disney's "The Rocketeer" (both 1991). He scored a modest hit helming "Angels in the Outfield" (1994), a sappy yet diverting Disney remake of a 1951 movie. At its best, the film recalled Disney sports fantasies from the 60s.
- Also Credited As:
Bill Dear
- Born:
in Canada
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Job Titles:
Director, Screenwriter, Producer, 2nd unit manager, Actor, Director of photography
Education
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Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, art and theater
Milestones
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1969 Directed and co-wrote the short film, Mr. Grey ; won a Special Jury Award Gold Medal at the Atlantic Film Festival
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1975 Feature directing debut, Nymph
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1976 Feature debut as producer and cinematographer, The Northville Cemetery Massacre/No Where to Run/Wheels of Death (also co-directed)
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1977 Collaborated with Nesmith on the short film Rio , based on a song written by Nesmith; considered a forerunner of rock videos
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1977 Met former Monkee turned producer-composer Michael Nesmith (date approximate)
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1977 Met writer-director Paul Schrader, who was filming in Detroit
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1978 Provided additional photography for Paul Schrader s directorial debut, Blue Collar
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1979 Served as manager of the 2nd unit for Schrader s Hardcore
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1981 Directed and co-wrote (with Nesmith) Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts ; won the first Video of the Year Grammy Award
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1982 First feature credit as a writer-director, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (co-written by producer Michael Nesmith); also acted
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1984 TV directing debut, Garry Shandling--Alone in Las Vegas , a Showtime special (rebroadcast on ABC in 1988)
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1985 Episodic TV directing debut, Mummy, Daddy , a memorable episode of Steven Spielberg s Amazing Stories
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1985 TV producing debut, Michael Nesmith in Television Parts , the pilot for the subsequent short-lived NBC comedy series
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1987 Produced, co-wrote, directed and appeared in Harry and the Hendersons , a popular family comedy
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1990 Directed the unsold pilot for Hollywood Dog , a live action/animation hybrid for Fox
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1991 Helmed The Mighty Megalosaurus , the pilot for Dinosaurs ,
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1991 Received a creator s credit on Harry and the Hendersons , a syndicated sitcom spin-off from the feature film
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1992 Co-wrote story for the premiere episode of Covington Cross (also directed)
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1992 Directed the pilot episode of Covington Cross , a short-lived medieval family adventure on ABC
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1993 Co-executive produced Journey to the Center of the Earth , a TV movie pilot for an NBC sci-fi series (also directed)
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Co-wrote and directed short comedy films for ABC s late-night sketch comedy series Fridays and NBC s Saturday Night Live
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Moved with family from Toronto to Dearborn, Michigan
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Rio won the Grand Prize at the Houston International Film Festival
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Worked extensively in TV commercials
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Worked in film in Detroit, writing, directing, and lensing commercials, documentaries, and industrial films in addition to independent projects