Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 16/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"In most films music is brought in at the end, after the picture is more or less locked, to amplify the emotions the filmmaker wants you to feel."

"In most films music is brought in at the end, after the picture is more or less locked, to amplify the emotions the filmmaker wants you to feel."

Ken Burns, American Director

Music, Emotions, End

9

"I mean, the truth of the matter is, I like the failures as much as I like the successes, it's only the world that doesn't like the failures."

"I mean, the truth of the matter is, I like the failures as much as I like the successes, it's only the world that doesn't like the failures."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

9

"Jackie Gleason said that comedy is the most exacting form of dramatic art, because it has an instant critic: laughter."

"Jackie Gleason said that comedy is the most exacting form of dramatic art, because it has an instant critic: laughter."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Art, Comedy, Laughter

9

"I'm very happy with the way I write. I think I do it good. But I've never really considered myself a writer."

"I'm very happy with the way I write. I think I do it good. But I've never really considered myself a writer."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Identity, Writer

9

"I couldn't open up a magazine, you couldn't read a newspaper, you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing about the obesity epidemic in America."

"I couldn't open up a magazine, you couldn't read a newspaper, you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing about the obesity epidemic in America."

Morgan Spurlock, American Director

Health, America, Hearing, Obesity, Open

9

"In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is and what a messy thing it is to kill a man."

"In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is and what a messy thing it is to kill a man."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

9

"I'm not under too much of an illusion of how smart or un-smart I am because filmmaking ultimately is about teamwork."

"I'm not under too much of an illusion of how smart or un-smart I am because filmmaking ultimately is about teamwork."

Guy Ritchie, British Director

Media, Teamwork, Illusion

9

"Even better, there were established two separate committees deciding on state film funding."

"Even better, there were established two separate committees deciding on state film funding."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

9

"It's very important that every movie I do makes money because I want the people that had the faith in me to get their money back."

"It's very important that every movie I do makes money because I want the people that had the faith in me to get their money back."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Faith, Money, People, Want

9

"I have to think as Bugs Bunny, not of Bugs Bunny."

"I have to think as Bugs Bunny, not of Bugs Bunny."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Creativity, Bugs

9

"The film industry is about saying 'no' to people, and inherently you cannot take 'no' for an answer."

"The film industry is about saying 'no' to people, and inherently you cannot take 'no' for an answer."

James Cameron, American Director

People, Film, Saying

9

"A pitfall of making a comedy with a studio-and it's also an American cultural thing-is that I get tired of being encouraged to go always for laughs."

"A pitfall of making a comedy with a studio-and it's also an American cultural thing-is that I get tired of being encouraged to go always for laughs."

Alexander Payne, American Director

9

"I only want to work with actors that really get it and make it work. I didn't want it to be a star-driven thing anymore."

"I only want to work with actors that really get it and make it work. I didn't want it to be a star-driven thing anymore."

Darren Aronofsky, American Director

Work, Actors, Want

9

"The genius of our country is improvisation, and jazz reflects that. It's our great contribution to the arts."

"The genius of our country is improvisation, and jazz reflects that. It's our great contribution to the arts."

Ken Burns, American Director

Genius, Country, Jazz

9

"We live in a disposable society. It's easier to throw things out than to fix them. We even give it a name - we call it recycling."

"We live in a disposable society. It's easier to throw things out than to fix them. We even give it a name - we call it recycling."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Society, Name, Recycling

9

"To tell you the truth, in my work, love is always in opposition to the elements. It creates dilemmas. It brings in suffering. We can't live with it, and we can't live without it. You'll rarely find a happy ending in my work."

"To tell you the truth, in my work, love is always in opposition to the elements. It creates dilemmas. It brings in suffering. We can't live with it, and we can't live without it. You'll rarely find a happy ending in my work."

Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish Director

Love, Work, Truth, Ending

9

"A lot of actors talk about doing their homework, but very few of them do it."

"A lot of actors talk about doing their homework, but very few of them do it."

Tony Scott, British Director

Actor, Actors, Talk

9

"It's an entire industry focusing on young male viewers that want action and violence. They sell us something that isn't valid. They're selling films like a product."

"It's an entire industry focusing on young male viewers that want action and violence. They sell us something that isn't valid. They're selling films like a product."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Action, Selling, Violence, Want

9

"Everything Sholom Aleichem talks about in his plays and his short stories is about people, family, man's relationship with his God, the breaking down of tradition."

"Everything Sholom Aleichem talks about in his plays and his short stories is about people, family, man's relationship with his God, the breaking down of tradition."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

God, Family, People, Man

9

"I had given up the theater and everything propelled me into entertainment. And I didn't resist it."

"I had given up the theater and everything propelled me into entertainment. And I didn't resist it."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

Career, Entertainment, Theater

9

"It's luck that one thing works out and one doesn't, it's sort of happenstance."

"It's luck that one thing works out and one doesn't, it's sort of happenstance."

Richard Linklater, American Director

9

"Whereas my producer literally worked on this thing for 10 years and because I gave that presenter credit to David Lynch, she to this day never gets credit. It really kills me."

"Whereas my producer literally worked on this thing for 10 years and because I gave that presenter credit to David Lynch, she to this day never gets credit. It really kills me."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

Movies, Credit, Day, Years

9

"Anyone can negatively criticize - it is the cheapest of all comment because it requires not a modicum of the effort that suggestion requires."

"Anyone can negatively criticize - it is the cheapest of all comment because it requires not a modicum of the effort that suggestion requires."

Chuck Jones, American Director

9

"But I still always felt the absence of a mother."

"But I still always felt the absence of a mother."

Marcel Carne, French Director

Family, Mother, Absence

9

"You're talking to somebody who two years ago couldn't figure out how to use e-mail and who now has carpal tunnel. It has totally changed in that these films would not be getting out to people the way they're getting out without the Internet."

"You're talking to somebody who two years ago couldn't figure out how to use e-mail and who now has carpal tunnel. It has totally changed in that these films would not be getting out to people the way they're getting out without the Internet."

Robert Greenwald, American Director

People, Internet, Now, Talking

9

"I don't mind writing so I didn't find that difficult, it's just a question of finding the time to do it. I kind of like the direct connection with the fans actually, it's pretty neat."

"I don't mind writing so I didn't find that difficult, it's just a question of finding the time to do it. I kind of like the direct connection with the fans actually, it's pretty neat."

David Cronenberg, Canadian Director

Time, Connection, Fans, Mind

9

"I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to the movie set, and then come home at night to my real life."

"I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to the movie set, and then come home at night to my real life."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

Home, Life, Bed, Hollywood

9

"To this day, I get rewrite offers where they say: 'We feel this script needs work with character, dialogue, plot and tone,' and when you ask what's left, they say: 'Well, the typing is very good.'"

"To this day, I get rewrite offers where they say: 'We feel this script needs work with character, dialogue, plot and tone,' and when you ask what's left, they say: 'Well, the typing is very good.'"

John Sayles, American Director

Work, Character, Day, Needs

9

"Being thrown out of this place is significantly better than being thrown out of a leper colony."

"Being thrown out of this place is significantly better than being thrown out of a leper colony."

Blake Edwards, American Director

9

"Entertainment today constantly emphasises the message that things are wonderful the way they are. But there is another kind of cinema, which says that change is possible and necessary and it's up to you."

"Entertainment today constantly emphasises the message that things are wonderful the way they are. But there is another kind of cinema, which says that change is possible and necessary and it's up to you."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Change, Cinema, Entertainment, Today

9

"Samurai culture did exist really, for hundreds of years and the notion of people trying to create some sort of a moral code, the idea that there existed certain behaviors that could be celebrated and that could be operative in a life."

"Samurai culture did exist really, for hundreds of years and the notion of people trying to create some sort of a moral code, the idea that there existed certain behaviors that could be celebrated and that could be operative in a life."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Life, People, Idea, Culture

9

"You're right on the money with that. We're all like detectives in life. There's something at the end of the trail that we're all looking for."

"You're right on the money with that. We're all like detectives in life. There's something at the end of the trail that we're all looking for."

David Lynch, American Director

Life, Money, End, Right

9

"When I was 13 years old, a professional theater company in my town needed a kid actor. I auditioned, and I got the part, so for just a few weeks I became a member of the company and I met some professional actors."

"When I was 13 years old, a professional theater company in my town needed a kid actor. I auditioned, and I got the part, so for just a few weeks I became a member of the company and I met some professional actors."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Actor, Actors, Company, Old

9

"The basic premise of this is that, yes, people have learned to clone each other, but that cloning is illegal. Not that it's bad, just that the law as it is now, is that if you die, you're dead."

"The basic premise of this is that, yes, people have learned to clone each other, but that cloning is illegal. Not that it's bad, just that the law as it is now, is that if you die, you're dead."

Roger Spottiswoode, Canadian Director

People, Law, Now

9

"Well, I just think through your career you go through different phases, and I just got sort of uninspired by the whole studio process of making and releasing films."

"Well, I just think through your career you go through different phases, and I just got sort of uninspired by the whole studio process of making and releasing films."

Brian De Palma, American Director

9

"I grew up certain for a while that I was going to be an anthropologist, until film turned my head."

"I grew up certain for a while that I was going to be an anthropologist, until film turned my head."

Ken Burns, American Director

9

"I'm a former hippie, so clothes are important to me - your clothes defined you in that period. I guess clothes still defines people. But, I change a lot. I'm in my Brooks Brothers period now."

"I'm a former hippie, so clothes are important to me - your clothes defined you in that period. I guess clothes still defines people. But, I change a lot. I'm in my Brooks Brothers period now."

John Hughes, American Director

Change, People, Brooks, Brothers

9

"Its not really about the movie business, it's about staying in the picture."

"Its not really about the movie business, it's about staying in the picture."

Robert Evans, American Director

9

"He looked like such a Republican. He dressed like Pee-Wee Herman. But had I known what he had done when I was reading about him, I might have thought different."

"He looked like such a Republican. He dressed like Pee-Wee Herman. But had I known what he had done when I was reading about him, I might have thought different."

Matthew Bright, American Director

Reading, Thought, Republican

9

"Once you have heard a strange audience burst into laughter at a film you directed, you realize what the word joy is all about."

"Once you have heard a strange audience burst into laughter at a film you directed, you realize what the word joy is all about."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Film, Joy, Laughter, Word

9

"At the age when Bengali youth almost inevitably writes poetry, I was listening to European classical music."

"At the age when Bengali youth almost inevitably writes poetry, I was listening to European classical music."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

Age, Music, Poetry, Listening

9

"Most of the animated films I watched, the emotions are all prepackaged like canned music, the hand actions, the sighs."

"Most of the animated films I watched, the emotions are all prepackaged like canned music, the hand actions, the sighs."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

Music, Actions, Emotions

9

"I am intrigued enough to want to continue, and also to try and work with companies like Sony on modifying the cameras and making them more user-friendly and efficient."

"I am intrigued enough to want to continue, and also to try and work with companies like Sony on modifying the cameras and making them more user-friendly and efficient."

Mike Figgis, English Director

9

"We can do things that we never could before. Stop-motion lets you build tiny little worlds, and computers make that world even more believable."

"We can do things that we never could before. Stop-motion lets you build tiny little worlds, and computers make that world even more believable."

Nick Park, British Director

Computer, Computers, World

9

"I tell you, in my opinion, the cornerstone of democracy is free press - that's the cornerstone."

"I tell you, in my opinion, the cornerstone of democracy is free press - that's the cornerstone."

Milos Forman, Czechoslovakian Director

Democracy, Opinion, Press

9

"If audiences are sort of interested in movies that are made like McDonald's hamburgers, which do have a value in the world, then we have to re-evaluate our entire career."

"If audiences are sort of interested in movies that are made like McDonald's hamburgers, which do have a value in the world, then we have to re-evaluate our entire career."

Larry Wachowski, American Director

Movies, Audiences, Career, Value

9

"Well, even to this day, if I smell a Big Mac, I'm like Pavlov's dog. My mouth starts watering immediately, like, 'Man, that is so good,' but I can't take a bite of it."

"Well, even to this day, if I smell a Big Mac, I'm like Pavlov's dog. My mouth starts watering immediately, like, 'Man, that is so good,' but I can't take a bite of it."

Morgan Spurlock, American Director

9

"Americans like the British kind of quirkiness and the strange accent. They find it kind of cute or something, with a certain charm."

"Americans like the British kind of quirkiness and the strange accent. They find it kind of cute or something, with a certain charm."

Nick Park, British Director

Cultural, Americans, Charm, Cute

9

"But now I wish I could back to Stockholm to make international films there."

"But now I wish I could back to Stockholm to make international films there."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

9

"The Company of Wolves doesn't belong in any category, so it's difficult to prepare an audience for it. It's not a horror film, it's not a fantasy film, it's not a children's film - so what is it?"

"The Company of Wolves doesn't belong in any category, so it's difficult to prepare an audience for it. It's not a horror film, it's not a fantasy film, it's not a children's film - so what is it?"

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Family, Children, Company, Fantasy, Film

9

bottom of page