Ron Howard Says Directing Made in America Was a Challenge

Ron Howard admits he felt out of his element directing Jay Zs Made In America documentary. The two-time Oscar winner was finishing his Formula One film Rushat the time, and didnt know many of the artists on the bill (Kanye West, Run-D.M.C. and Skrillex included). Still, the 59-year-old tells Rolling Stone he went in with open eyes (and ears!) and just followed the story as it unfolded.

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How did you meet Jay Z?
It was through Brian Grazer, who got to know Jay Z through American Gangster, a movie he produced. Through that, I got to meet Jay Z a couple of times. Then suddenly, I got a call and had a meeting. He talked about this event, and asked if I would be interested in covering it. And I didnt really know what it meant!

Rock docs like Monterey Pop and Woodstock have stood the test of time. What will people think about Made In America 40 years from now?
As a documentarian, you think, follow your curiosity. I felt like a stranger in a stranger land: I was meeting artists I didnt know and others I had barely heard of, and I found it fascinating. The film very much reflects that. So if thats useful down the road if its a snapshot of the moment then thats that.

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Its not just a concert film you wove in stories about the American dream.
The phrase made in America put people in a wavelength; this is what they talked about. There was this inspiring expression of possibility, self-reliance and an entrepreneurial spirit, which was what Jay Z was talking about initially, and I kept seeing it pop up over and over again. Again, I wandered into this without any predetermined idea what the film would be about, but this was consistently something that the cameras were picking up.

Can Made In America be the next Lollapalooza or Warped Tour?
Thats what Jay Z and his team are hoping for. It is a very conscious attempt to break down barriers of genre, an idea that Jay Z thinks is antiquated. He keeps citing his own iPod mix. He said music is binary its either good, or it doesnt resonate.