Nightcrawler, the directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy, concerns Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a sociopathic young man who finds his calling as a freelance videographer. Racing through Los Angeles guided by a police scanner to capture the night’s goriest events to sell to local news stations, Lou is not above cutting corners or breaking the law to sell a clip.

Gilroy says the story was inspired by mid-century photographer Weegee (Arthur Fellig), whose vivid black-and-white photographs documented some of New York’s most gruesome crimes and accidents. The writer/director explains, “I wanted to tell that story but make it contemporary. There are so many young people desperate for work [now], and when I tied that into this maladjusted character, the components all gelled.” 

Read the full article on Creative Planet Network >>>