Before Simon West started his feature film directorial career with Con Air (1997), he directed TV commercials, such as the Budweiser advert with the dancing ants. Each of his first two films starred one of the leads of Face/Off (1997): Nicolas Cage in Con Air (1997) and John Travolta in The General’s Daughter (1999). "Black Hawk Down" (2001) was originally the idea of West who urged producer Jerry Bruckheimer to obtain the rights of the book with a view to directing it himself. However, West abandoned the project to direct "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001). Ridley Scott then directed "Black Hawk Down" (2001). One of 115 people invited to join AMPAS in 2007.