View source for Greg and Colin Strause

{{Short description|American brother film directors}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Greg and Colin Strause
| image       = Brothers Strause.jpg
| image_size  = 260
| caption     = Greg (l.) and  Colin Strause
| birth_date  = {{small|'''Greg'''}}: {{birth date and age|1975|1|16}}<hr>{{small|'''Colin'''}}: {{birth date and age|1976|11|8}} 
| birth_place = [[Waukegan, Illinois]], U.S.
| other_names = The Brothers Strause
| known_for   = 
| occupation  = [[Film director]]s, [[film producer|producers]]
}}

'''Greg and Colin Strause''', known professionally as '''The Brothers Strause''', are American film directors, producers and [[Special effect|special effects]] artists. They are known for directing the 2007 film ''[[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem]]'' and the 2010 film ''[[Skyline (2010 film)|Skyline]].'' The brother duo are also founders of [[Hydraulx]], a special effects company.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-01-02 |title=Greg Strause - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times |work=The New York Times |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/person/397146/Greg-Strause |access-date=2024-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102055744/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/397146/Greg-Strause |archive-date=2008-01-02 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-08-21 |title=Colin Strause - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com |work=The New York Times |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/person/428013/Colin-Strause |access-date=2024-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821011633/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/428013/Colin-Strause |archive-date=2009-08-21 }}</ref>

==Life and career==
They began experimenting with visual effects in their early teens using [[Amiga]] computers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/global/1998/0921/0112062b.html#4a1270fc2ec7|title=Digital dreamin'|website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> In 1995, they moved to [[Los Angeles]] and started working on the special effects for films such as '' [[The Nutty Professor (1996 film)|The Nutty Professor]]'' (1996) and ''[[The X-Files (film)|The X-Files]]''. In 1996, they formed a digital effects company with partners Edson Williams and Mat Beck that was called Pixel Envy, which they worked on until 2002.

They began working on big-budget films such as ''[[Volcano (1997 film)|Volcano]]'' and the [[iceberg]] sequence of [[James Cameron]]'s [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''. They shifted again and began working on music videos and commercials, handling the special effects for artists such as [[U2]], [[Britney Spears]], [[Godsmack]], [[Tool (band)|Tool]], [[Powerman 5000]] and [[Aerosmith]] as well as spots for [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], [[Jeep]] and [[Pepsi]].

In 2000, Colin won an [[MTV Video Music Award]] for Best Art Direction for the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' video, "[[Californication (song)|Californication]]." This led the brothers to start directing under the moniker "The Brothers Strause," and their [[Linkin Park]] clip "[[Crawling (song)|Crawling]]" was nominated for Best Direction and Best Rock Video at the 2001 VMA's. Other artists they have directed for include [[A Perfect Circle]], [[Nickelback]], [[Paulina Rubio]], [[Opeth]], [[Flyleaf (band)|Flyleaf]], [[Disturbed (band)|Disturbed]], [[Staind]], [[Taproot (band)|Taproot]] and [[Abandoned Pools]]. Their music video for A Perfect Circle's "[[Passive (song)|Passive]]" marked their second collaboration with the band. The video was shot almost entirely with [[Thermographic camera|thermal cameras]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvwire.com/2005/02/14/a-perfect-circle-in-hell/ |title=A Perfect Circle in Hell |publisher=MVWire |access-date=2011-07-22}}</ref> and featured on the ''[[Constantine (film)|Constantine]]'' soundtrack and DVD.

The Strause's have performed special effects work on such films as ''[[300 (film)|300]]'', ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'', ''[[Fantastic Four (2005 film)|Fantastic Four]]'', ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'', and ''[[The Day After Tomorrow]]'', for which Greg won a British Academy Award ([[BAFTA]]).

The Brothers have directed spots for [[Coca-Cola]], ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', [[Gatorade]], [[Ford Motor Company]], the [[United States Marine Corps]], [[Toyota]], [[Fresca]], [[Universal Studios, Inc.|Universal Studios]] and [[Sony PlayStation]]'s ''[[God of War (2005 video game)|God of War]]''.

The Brothers Strause made their film directing debut by directing ''[[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem]]'', a sequel to [[Paul W. S. Anderson]]'s ''[[Alien vs. Predator (film)|Alien vs. Predator]]''. The film was released on Christmas 2007 to extremely negative reviews.

In the fall of 2008, the Brothers directed [[50 Cent]]'s music video "Get Up" as well as commercials for [[Pennzoil]] and Shell, in addition to supplying some visual effects for ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/19072 |title=Two More See Terrifying Bright Light in 'Skyline' |date=12 February 2010 |publisher=Bloody-disgusting.com |access-date=2010-11-18}}</ref>

In 2010, the Brothers directed and produced the science fiction thriller ''[[Skyline (2010 film)|Skyline]]'', written by Joshua Cordes and [[Liam O'Donnell]], starring [[Scottie Thompson (actress)|Scottie Thompson]], [[Eric Balfour]], [[Donald Faison]] and [[David Zayas]]. The film was met with poor reviews<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/skyline_2010 |title=Skyline |date=12 November 2010 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2011-07-20}}</ref> but given its budget was US$10–$20 million, it performed well commercially, grossing a total of nearly US$79 million worldwide. [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] filed a lawsuit against the brothers and Hydralux, who had been hired to provide visual effects for ''[[Battle: Los Angeles]].'' Sony alleged that they had used time and resources meant for ''Battle: Los Angeles'', and instead used them on ''Skyline,'' which was accused of being too similar by Sony. However, Sony dropped the lawsuit in 2011, shortly before ''Skyline''{{'}}s home video debut, satisfied that their concerns about the competing film proved to be unfounded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://movieline.com/2011/03/18/after-35m-battle-los-angeles-opening-sony-drops-skyline/|title = After $35M Opening, Sony Admits Skyline Didn't Steal from Battle: Los Angeles|date = 19 March 2011}}</ref>

==Filmography==
'''Directors'''
* ''Mute'' (2003) (short film)
* ''16mm Mystery'' (2004) (short film)
* ''[[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Skyline (2010 film)|Skyline]]'' (2010)

'''Producers'''
* ''Skyline'' (2010)
* ''[[Beyond Skyline]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Skylines (film)|Skylines]]'' (2020)

'''Executive producers'''
* ''[[Take Shelter]]'' (2011) 
* ''[[The Bay (film)|The Bay]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Elizabeth Harvest]]'' (2018)

== Videography ==
* "[[Trust (Pharcyde song)|Trust]]" by [[The Pharcyde]] (2000)
* "[[The Itch (Vitamin C song)|The Itch]]" by [[Vitamin C (singer)|Vitamin C]] (2000)
* "[[Crawling (song)|Crawling]]" by [[Linkin Park]] (2000)
* "[[How You Remind Me]]" by [[Nickelback]] (2001)
* "Bombshell" by [[Powerman 5000]] (2001)
* "Da Hot Shit" by [[Bell Biv DeVoe]] (2001)
* "The Remedy" by [[Tommy Walter|Abandoned Pools]] (2002)
* "[[I Stand Alone (Godsmack song)|I Stand Alone]]" by [[Godsmack]] (2002)
* "[[Don't Say Goodbye (Paulina Rubio song)|Don't Say Goodbye]]" by [[Paulina Rubio]] (2002)
* "[[Prayer (Disturbed song)|Prayer]]" by [[Disturbed (band)|Disturbed]] (2002)
* "[[Poem (song)|Poem]]" by [[Taproot (band)|Taproot]] (2002)
* "[[Price to Play]]" by [[Staind]] (2003)
* "[[Download It]]" by [[Clea (band)|Clea]] (2003)
* "[[Weak and Powerless]]" by [[A Perfect Circle]] (2003)
* "[[Passive (song)|Passive]]" by [[A Perfect Circle]] (2005)
* "[[I'm So Sick]]" by [[Flyleaf (band)|Flyleaf]] (2005)
* "[[Fully Alive]]" by [[Flyleaf (band)|Flyleaf]] (2006)
* "[[Love in This Club]]" by [[Usher (musician)|Usher]] feat. [[Jeezy|Young Jeezy]] (2008)
* "[[Moving Mountains (song)|Moving Mountains]]" by [[Usher (musician)|Usher]] (2008)
* "[[Get Up (50 Cent song)|Get Up]]" by [[50 Cent]] (2008)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.brothersstrause.com}}
*[http://www.hydraulx.com/ Official website of Hydraulx]
*{{IMDb name|833779|Colin Strause}}
*{{IMDb name|833780|Greg Strause}}

{{BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strause, Brothers}}
[[Category:American music video directors]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Brother duos]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Best Visual Effects BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Waukegan, Illinois]]
[[Category:Sibling filmmakers]]
[[Category:American special effects people]]
[[Category:Filmmaking duos]]
[[Category:American science fiction film directors]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]