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August 22, 2007
Will Bigham Wins Big
Former theater alum earns slot on DreamWorks Studio lot.
By John Davis
Texas Tech alumnus Will Bigham was chosen from 50 finalists to win a two-year, million- dollar contract and an office at DreamWorks Studio.
Texas Tech alumnus and Canyon native Will Bigham just caught the break of a lifetime – Hollywood style.
Tuesday night after viewers picked him as top filmmaker on Fox’s “On the Lot,” Steven Spielberg of DreamWorks Studios handed Bigham his own set of keys to an office. The idea of it all still feels like a dream.
In the morning light of Wednesday and still bleary-eyed from celebrating, Bigham said he can’t wait to drive onto Spielberg’s studio lot in the afternoon to discussthe two-year, million-dollar contract that he earned by winning the show.
“It’s crazy,” Bigham said after dropping his children off at school. “We went out last night and celebrated with some Texas Tech alums and Florida State alums and some friends of ours in the area. We had a great time. I’m waking up a little sleepy today. But, I’m extremely excited, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Every week this summer, the reality TV show pared down from 50 undiscovered filmmakers who competed to become the next big Hollywood director and sign the development deal with DreamWorks.
Check out Will Bigham's movies, profile and more at the On The Lot official Web site.
Read our feature story on Bigham before he won.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing
806-742-2136.
Photo credit:
Danny Moloshok/Blue Pixel
Web layout by Jon Fox
When Bigham heard his name called as winner, he was in shock; the win came as both a relief and a dream come true.
Bigham’s last film, “The Yes Men,” featured a hard-nosed boss who wakes up in his office wearing a dress. The boss’s new togs inspire the upwardly mobile underlings to emulate his style. The short comedy put Bigham in the winner’s circle.
The win came as both a relief and a dream come true, he said.
“When I heard my name called as winner, I was in shock,” Bigham said. “The only thing that was going through my head at the time was the name ‘Jason Epperson.’ I seriously thought he had won it, so I was preparing myself for that. It felt like it took a month, but it was really a few seconds for me to realize she called my name.”
Throughout the reality TV experience, which he described as surreal, Bigham said competition was fierce.
“It was absolutely intense, which was great because it pushed me to do better every week,” he said. “I think the thing that helped me the most was just consistency throughout. The other guys had really great films. But every once in a while, they had one that wasn’t so great. I might not have had the best film every week, but I had one that was worth watching.”
The news comes at a perfect time. Prior to earning a slot on the show, Bigham said he and his wife were considering closing their small film company.
“My wife and I started a production company last year here in Hollywood,” he said. “Whenever you start a company, you have a lot of expenses. We’re at the point that we have to make something this year or sell our equipment and try something else for a while.
“Hopefully this is the chance I need to stick around in Hollywood for a couple more years.”
Doing a show like “On the Lot” means long hours of brainstorming and writing, Bigham said. His collaborative group shares scripts and chooses the best one. On show days, the group rehearses tapes and hopes the short film will impress the judges.
Changing Directions
After winning the show, Spielberg handed Bigham his own set of keys to an office at DreamWorks Studios.
Studying meteorology, his chosen field at Texas Tech, didn’t make him as happy as he’d thought, but Bigham said he discovered acting while attending the university from 1994 to 1998.
While here, he performed in shows such as “Annie Warbucks,” “What the Butler Saw” and “The Imaginary Invalid.”
“I started with one theater class,” Bigham said. “To be a part of that community was amazing. It was more of a playground where I could have fun and find my place in the world of theater.”
Jonathan Marks, one of Bigham’s professors from his days at Texas Tech, directed Bigham in “The Imaginary Invalid.”
Marks said he was impressed with his ability to take risks and accept unconventional ideas about characterization.
“The year I did ‘Imaginary Invalid,’ Will took a role about which I had some unconventional ideas,” Marks said. “He just took them and flew with them. I thought he was wonderful. My appreciation for him grew and grew.”
Prior to graduating, Bigham proposed to his wife, Catharine Gray, in front of news cameras during the final dress run of “Guys and Dolls.” The couple married in December 1997, and Bigham graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in theater arts in May 1998.
Following that, Bigham and his wife worked for five years at the Barter Theatre in Abington, Va., before he earned a master’s degree in film in 2003 from Florida State University.
Hoping for Their Big Break
Will Bigham was selected as the first winner of Fox's On The Lot.
Bigham’s wife, Catharine, said the couple decided to become proactive and create their own film production company after living through years of having no control of their acting career’s destiny.
The news that her husband would compete came at just the right time.
“We were about to give up,” Catharine said. “We were not making it. And then, we suddenly had this beacon of hope shining in the distance. Even if he was in the top 50, what a wonderful opportunity that would be. After kids would go to bed, we’d stay up talking to come up with story ideas in different genres. That’s all we could do to prepare.”
Each week, she hoped her husband’s work would continue to please the judges and the American viewers.
“I knew he can do it,” she said. “He’s just so focused, and he never lets anything stress him out. But it always made me nervous on vote nights.”
While nerves about the new job plague him just a little, Bigham said he can’t wait for the real challenge to begin – making a movie for DreamWorks.
“I had fun, and I’m glad I did it,” he said. “I start work today, and we’re going to go in there and look at the contract. Even in the brief meeting I had with Spielberg and the executives at DreamWorks, I realized that everybody is extremely down-to-earth and caring. They know I’m the new kid on the block, and they were all extremely welcoming. Whatever fears I have will be gone in the first 10 minutes.”