Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 28/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"It's hard to know whether certain characters come to life or not, they either come to have their own life or they don't. I've written many things in which the characters just remain inert."

"It's hard to know whether certain characters come to life or not, they either come to have their own life or they don't. I've written many things in which the characters just remain inert."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

39

"But my humble opinion is, I'm not quite sure where I stand on the legalization of drugs - though, if tequila is legal, pot should probably be legal."

"But my humble opinion is, I'm not quite sure where I stand on the legalization of drugs - though, if tequila is legal, pot should probably be legal."

Ted Demme, American Director

Legal, Drugs, Opinion

39

"My cameraman and I devised a method, which we started using from my second film, which applies mainly to day scenes shot in the studio, where we used bounced light instead of direct light. We agreed with this thing of four or five shadows following the actors is dreadful."

"My cameraman and I devised a method, which we started using from my second film, which applies mainly to day scenes shot in the studio, where we used bounced light instead of direct light. We agreed with this thing of four or five shadows following the actors is dreadful."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

Actor, Actors, Day, Film, Light

39

"Cukor is one of my favorite directors. He was a master at directing women."

"Cukor is one of my favorite directors. He was a master at directing women."

Pedro Almodovar, Spanish Director

Woman, Women, Favorite

39

"I don't rehearse films as much as opera or theatre. When I began directing films I thought a long rehearsal was a good idea. Experience showed me that the best performance was often left in a rehearsal room."

"I don't rehearse films as much as opera or theatre. When I began directing films I thought a long rehearsal was a good idea. Experience showed me that the best performance was often left in a rehearsal room."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

Experience, Thought, Idea, Performance

39

"No, I did a film called 'Death and the Compass' as well."

"No, I did a film called 'Death and the Compass' as well."

Alex Cox, British Director

39

"I do an awful lot of scuba diving. I love to be on the ocean, under the ocean. I live next to the ocean."

"I do an awful lot of scuba diving. I love to be on the ocean, under the ocean. I live next to the ocean."

James Cameron, American Director

39

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

"What I think happens today is that a lot of filmmakers look at other films that are retro pieces, like L.A. Confidential, and say, oh, that's period. We didn't want to do the stereotypical stuff."

Ted Demme, American Director

Movies, Today, Want

39

"The whole essence of good drawing - and of good thinking, perhaps - is to work a subject down to the simplest form possible and still have it believable for what it is meant to be."

"The whole essence of good drawing - and of good thinking, perhaps - is to work a subject down to the simplest form possible and still have it believable for what it is meant to be."

Chuck Jones, American Director

39

"Animation is tremendously resilient. Animation will recover, as art always recovers. There's always cycles of good art."

"Animation is tremendously resilient. Animation will recover, as art always recovers. There's always cycles of good art."

Ralph Bakshi, American Director

Art, Animation, Will

39

"We have built our State on the freedom of personal adventure."

"We have built our State on the freedom of personal adventure."

John Grierson, British Director

Adventure, Freedom, State

39

"Well, I don't know what they'll turn out to be, but I'm working on a film of Kon Tiki."

"Well, I don't know what they'll turn out to be, but I'm working on a film of Kon Tiki."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

39

"The mountain music... is compelling music in its own right, harking back to a time when music was a part of everyday life and not something performed by celebrities."

"The mountain music... is compelling music in its own right, harking back to a time when music was a part of everyday life and not something performed by celebrities."

Ethan Coen, American Director

Life, Music, Time, Right

39

"You name it, we had it. It won't happen again. You're not going to duplicate this show."

"You name it, we had it. It won't happen again. You're not going to duplicate this show."

Robert Conrad, Polish Director

Entertainment, Name

39

"The Company of Wolves is about how society teaches young women to look at themselves, and what to be afraid of. It's about a girl learning that the world of sensuality and the unknown is not to be feared, that it's worth getting your teeth into."

"The Company of Wolves is about how society teaches young women to look at themselves, and what to be afraid of. It's about a girl learning that the world of sensuality and the unknown is not to be feared, that it's worth getting your teeth into."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Society, Women, Company, Learning

39

"It did remind me of something out of Greek mythology - the richest king who gets everything he wants, but ultimately his family has a curse on it from the Gods."

"It did remind me of something out of Greek mythology - the richest king who gets everything he wants, but ultimately his family has a curse on it from the Gods."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

Family, Gods, Mythology

39

"I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?"

"I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?"

Jean Cocteau, French Director

39

"As a first-time director in America, I feel I've been very fortunate."

"As a first-time director in America, I feel I've been very fortunate."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Work, America, First

39

"There were not fifteen people in the story department and twenty-five producers and stuff. And Roger had produced 1,000 movies and directed a couple of hundred, and their comments were always very, very specific."

"There were not fifteen people in the story department and twenty-five producers and stuff. And Roger had produced 1,000 movies and directed a couple of hundred, and their comments were always very, very specific."

John Sayles, American Director

39

"I used to spend most of my time straining to be a nice guy so people would like me."

"I used to spend most of my time straining to be a nice guy so people would like me."

Elia Kazan, American Director

39

"Censorship is advertising paid by the government."

"Censorship is advertising paid by the government."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

Government, Advertising, Censorship

39

"The worst that you can say about him (God) is that basically he's an underachiever."

"The worst that you can say about him (God) is that basically he's an underachiever."

Woody Allen, American Director

Religion, God, Failure, Expectation

39

"It creeps up on you and becomes an obsession. It comes out of watching a million movies."

"It creeps up on you and becomes an obsession. It comes out of watching a million movies."

Mike Leigh, British Director

Movies, Obsession

39

"I would vote for the man who's lived life, who's done different occupations, who's been out in the real world and struggled to make a living, struggled to raise a family, struggled with life as it exists. So I'd vote for experience, honest experience."

"I would vote for the man who's lived life, who's done different occupations, who's been out in the real world and struggled to make a living, struggled to raise a family, struggled with life as it exists. So I'd vote for experience, honest experience."

Oliver Stone, American Director

Life, Experience, Family, Living

39

"I started working with friends of mine and that, to some degree, continues."

"I started working with friends of mine and that, to some degree, continues."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Friendship, Friends

39

"I think one of the privileges of being a filmmaker is the opportunity to remain a kind of perpetual student."

"I think one of the privileges of being a filmmaker is the opportunity to remain a kind of perpetual student."

Edward Zwick, American Director

Opportunity, Being

39

"You may think it's very presumptuous, but I really hope that my movies are going to turn people into better people."

"You may think it's very presumptuous, but I really hope that my movies are going to turn people into better people."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

Movies, People, Hope, May

39

"I'm thinking of remaking Psycho again. Doing a third remake. The idea this time is to really change it - we're talking about doing a Punk rocker setting."

"I'm thinking of remaking Psycho again. Doing a third remake. The idea this time is to really change it - we're talking about doing a Punk rocker setting."

Gus Van Sant, American Director

Change, Time, Idea, Punk

39

"You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time."

"You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time."

Brian De Palma, American Director

39

"It's pretty clear to me that working as a director for hire agrees with me. I like it. The films that have come out of that, I personally like better than the ones that didn't."

"It's pretty clear to me that working as a director for hire agrees with me. I like it. The films that have come out of that, I personally like better than the ones that didn't."

Steven Soderbergh, American Director

39

"Actually, I began to think that maybe there is a god, after all. Or maybe it's a different one. The old one got fired."

"Actually, I began to think that maybe there is a god, after all. Or maybe it's a different one. The old one got fired."

Terry Gilliam, American Director

39

"Human beings will line up for miles to buy a bucket of catastrophes, but don't try selling sunshine and light - you'll go broke."

"Human beings will line up for miles to buy a bucket of catastrophes, but don't try selling sunshine and light - you'll go broke."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Selling, Catastrophes, Light, Will

39

"Now that I can edit the whole thing on AVID and edit the whole thing on tape, maybe I will do the next digitally, because maybe the quality will become less obvious between tape and film."

"Now that I can edit the whole thing on AVID and edit the whole thing on tape, maybe I will do the next digitally, because maybe the quality will become less obvious between tape and film."

Michael Apted, British Director

Quality, Film, Now, Obvious

39

"I like the rain. It washes memories off the sidewalk of life."

"I like the rain. It washes memories off the sidewalk of life."

Woody Allen, American Director

Nature, Rain, Memories, Life

39

"So it's hard to be an artist and be true to the reality of the world you want to create and also make it entertaining and successful financially."

"So it's hard to be an artist and be true to the reality of the world you want to create and also make it entertaining and successful financially."

Antoine Fuqua, American Director

Success, Successful, Artist, Reality, Want

39

"When I was five. That's when I started to love film."

"When I was five. That's when I started to love film."

Dario Argento, Italian Director

39

"In this movie they took them up in space. They're floating around and doing zero gravity stuff. Well, they had to do it all on wires. All the wires had to be painted black against this black background. If you didn't light it properly you could see the wires. Drove them crazy!"

"In this movie they took them up in space. They're floating around and doing zero gravity stuff. Well, they had to do it all on wires. All the wires had to be painted black against this black background. If you didn't light it properly you could see the wires. Drove them crazy!"

John Badham, British Director

Film, Gravity, Light, Space

39

"A lot of directors don't want the pressure of a movie the size of Pearl Harbor. But I love it. I thrive on it."

"A lot of directors don't want the pressure of a movie the size of Pearl Harbor. But I love it. I thrive on it."

Michael Bay, American Director

Love, Pressure, Want

39

"If I have to, I'll go and direct theater and talk till the cows come home."

"If I have to, I'll go and direct theater and talk till the cows come home."

Ridley Scott, British Director

Home, Cows, Talk, Theater

39

"It's a funny thing because you look at the careers of other filmmakers, and you see them sort of slow down, and you realize, maybe this becomes harder to do as you get older. That's sort of a cautionary thing. I hope it doesn't happen to me."

"It's a funny thing because you look at the careers of other filmmakers, and you see them sort of slow down, and you realize, maybe this becomes harder to do as you get older. That's sort of a cautionary thing. I hope it doesn't happen to me."

Joel Coen, American Director

Fun, Funny, Hope, Careers

39

"To you, I'm an atheist.To God, I'm the loyal opposition."

"To you, I'm an atheist.To God, I'm the loyal opposition."

Woody Allen, American Director

Philosophy, Faith, Opposition, Belief, Truth

39

"I've made seventeen or eighteen films now, only two of which have been original screenplays, all the others have been based on short stories or novels, and I find the long short story ideal for adaptation."

"I've made seventeen or eighteen films now, only two of which have been original screenplays, all the others have been based on short stories or novels, and I find the long short story ideal for adaptation."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

39

"The conception of background music is changing. You use less and less of it these days."

"The conception of background music is changing. You use less and less of it these days."

Satyajit Ray, Indian Director

39

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

Ray Harryhausen, American Director

Character, Flying

39

"That's what I think musicals will come to. No backstage stories, nothing of that sort."

"That's what I think musicals will come to. No backstage stories, nothing of that sort."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

39

"We're not that far from being able to plant images, memories, and emotional states directly into the brain."

"We're not that far from being able to plant images, memories, and emotional states directly into the brain."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Being, Memories, States

39

"I loved movies and went to see every movie I could in Finland."

"I loved movies and went to see every movie I could in Finland."

Renny Harlin, Finnish Director

39

"Any time you take a chance you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk because they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can for a million dollar job."

"Any time you take a chance you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk because they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can for a million dollar job."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

Time, Chance, Job, Risk

39

"Most poets in their youth begin in adolescent sadness. I find it more rewarding to end in gladness."

"Most poets in their youth begin in adolescent sadness. I find it more rewarding to end in gladness."

James Broughton, American Director

Violence, End, Poets, Sadness, Youth

39

"The film director, in many instances, has to swallow somebody else's decision about the final form of something. It's so hard as to be intolerable."

"The film director, in many instances, has to swallow somebody else's decision about the final form of something. It's so hard as to be intolerable."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Decision-Making, Decision, Film

39

bottom of page