Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 31/67

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Quotes by Director

"I think movies are a director's medium in the end. Theater is the actor's medium. Theater is fast, and enjoyable, and truly rewarding. I believe in great live performance."

"I think movies are a director's medium in the end. Theater is the actor's medium. Theater is fast, and enjoyable, and truly rewarding. I believe in great live performance."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Movies, Performance, Actor, End

38

"The quietest poetry can be an explosion of joy."

"The quietest poetry can be an explosion of joy."

James Broughton, American Director

38

"My philosophy is very simple. To feel young, you must work as long as you can."

"My philosophy is very simple. To feel young, you must work as long as you can."

Dino De Laurentiis, Italian Director

Work, Philosophy

38

"Any film I do is not going to change the way black women have been portrayed, or black people have been portrayed, in cinema since the days of D.W. Griffith."

"Any film I do is not going to change the way black women have been portrayed, or black people have been portrayed, in cinema since the days of D.W. Griffith."

Spike Lee, American Director

Change, Women, People, Cinema

38

"I think that you can't make a movie without a script. But you also can't make movies without actors. You also can't make movies without technicians. And there has to be just one person in charge of everybody, and to me that one person is the director."

"I think that you can't make a movie without a script. But you also can't make movies without actors. You also can't make movies without technicians. And there has to be just one person in charge of everybody, and to me that one person is the director."

John Frankenheimer, American Director

38

"I had a number of teachers who hated me. I didn't do well in school."

"I had a number of teachers who hated me. I didn't do well in school."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

School, Teachers

38

"I never thought about being a writer as I grew up. A writer wasn't something I wanted to be. An outfielder was something to be. Most of what I know about style I learned from Roberto Clemente."

"I never thought about being a writer as I grew up. A writer wasn't something I wanted to be. An outfielder was something to be. Most of what I know about style I learned from Roberto Clemente."

John Sayles, American Director

Thought, Being, Style, Writer

38

"And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing."

"And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

38

"On the contrary, I'm a strong believer in the necessity of imperfection coming into the film."

"On the contrary, I'm a strong believer in the necessity of imperfection coming into the film."

Walter Salles, Brazilian Director

Film, Imperfection, Necessity

38

"Walt Disney had always tried to get more dimension in his animation and when I saw these tapes, I thought, This is it! This is what Walt was waiting for! But when I looked around, nobody at the studio at the time was even halfway interested in it."

"Walt Disney had always tried to get more dimension in his animation and when I saw these tapes, I thought, This is it! This is what Walt was waiting for! But when I looked around, nobody at the studio at the time was even halfway interested in it."

John Lasseter, American Director

Time, Thought, Animation, Disney

38

"Some people come out going, I don't get it. And I don't quite know what they're trying to get, what they're struggling for. We have had the reaction where people leave the movie sort of uncomfortable and befuddled. Although that wasn't our intention."

"Some people come out going, I don't get it. And I don't quite know what they're trying to get, what they're struggling for. We have had the reaction where people leave the movie sort of uncomfortable and befuddled. Although that wasn't our intention."

Joel Coen, American Director

People, Intention, Trying

38

"On the plus side, death is one of the few things that can be done as easily lying down ."

"On the plus side, death is one of the few things that can be done as easily lying down ."

Woody Allen, American Director

38

"The stuff that I got in trouble for, the casting for The Godfather or the flag scene in Patton, was the stuff that was remembered, and was considered the good work."

"The stuff that I got in trouble for, the casting for The Godfather or the flag scene in Patton, was the stuff that was remembered, and was considered the good work."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

38

"I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

"I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Woody Allen, American Director

38

"When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 'Your salary.'"

"When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 'Your salary.'"

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Motivational, Motivation, Character, Actor

38

"If I can say one thing for my pictures, it is a certain craftsmanship. A thought which has gone into every angle. There is nothing there without an optical reason."

"If I can say one thing for my pictures, it is a certain craftsmanship. A thought which has gone into every angle. There is nothing there without an optical reason."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

Thought, Nothing, Reason

38

"There is nothing to winning, really. That is, if you happen to be blessed with a keen eye, an agile mind, and no scruples whatsoever."

"There is nothing to winning, really. That is, if you happen to be blessed with a keen eye, an agile mind, and no scruples whatsoever."

Alfred Hitchcock, English Director

Winning, Eye, Mind, Nothing

38

"As far as I was concerned, either I was a homosexual or I wasn't, so making films would change nothing."

"As far as I was concerned, either I was a homosexual or I wasn't, so making films would change nothing."

Claude Chabrol, French Director

Change, Nothing

38

"Then if your movie clicks with real audiences, you'll be sucked into some sort of Hollywood orbit. It's a devil of a place where the only religion that really counts is box office."

"Then if your movie clicks with real audiences, you'll be sucked into some sort of Hollywood orbit. It's a devil of a place where the only religion that really counts is box office."

Yahoo Serious, Australian Director

Religion, Audiences, Devil, Hollywood

38

"Thank God I don't live in Los Angeles. I think if you're there the whole time it just gets out of proportion and you lose touch completely with reality."

"Thank God I don't live in Los Angeles. I think if you're there the whole time it just gets out of proportion and you lose touch completely with reality."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Time, God, Reality

38

"Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all."

"Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

38

"My father would tell anyone who would listen that this dentist thing he was doing was not his passion; cinematography was."

"My father would tell anyone who would listen that this dentist thing he was doing was not his passion; cinematography was."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Family, Father, Passion

38

"I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do."

"I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do."

Chuck Jones, American Director

38

"All men are homosexual, some turn straight. It must be very odd to be a straight man because your sexuality is hopelessly defensive. It's like an ideal of racial purity."

"All men are homosexual, some turn straight. It must be very odd to be a straight man because your sexuality is hopelessly defensive. It's like an ideal of racial purity."

Derek Jarman, British Director

Man, Men, Purity, Sexuality

38

"I did have an offer to direct one of the Alien movies but I wasn't too excited about all the effects work."

"I did have an offer to direct one of the Alien movies but I wasn't too excited about all the effects work."

Walter Hill, American Director

38

"Being non-commercial is never an ambition. Movies come together at different points for fortuitous reasons. You do them as you get the opportunity, as opposed to doing them when you choose to or design to."

"Being non-commercial is never an ambition. Movies come together at different points for fortuitous reasons. You do them as you get the opportunity, as opposed to doing them when you choose to or design to."

Ethan Coen, American Director

Design, Movies, Opportunity, Ambition

37

"I don't think of Storefront Hitchcock or Stop Making Sense as documentaries, I think of them more as performance films."

"I don't think of Storefront Hitchcock or Stop Making Sense as documentaries, I think of them more as performance films."

Jonathan Demme, American Director

Performance, Sense

37

"I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew."

"I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew."

David R. Ellis, American Director

Sports, Games, Months

37

"Film is a very, very powerful medium. It can either confirm the idea that things are wonderful the way they are, or it can reinforce the conception that things can be changed."

"Film is a very, very powerful medium. It can either confirm the idea that things are wonderful the way they are, or it can reinforce the conception that things can be changed."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Creativity, Idea, Film

37

"I really feel kind of guilty spending 80 million dollars. People are starving in the world."

"I really feel kind of guilty spending 80 million dollars. People are starving in the world."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

37

"Kevin and Annette... I wanted them to do it together. They clearly wanted to work with each other."

"Kevin and Annette... I wanted them to do it together. They clearly wanted to work with each other."

Sam Mendes, British Director

37

"Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity."

"Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Creativity, Anxiety

37

"It seems to me that any sensible person must see that violence does not change the world and if it does, then only temporarily."

"It seems to me that any sensible person must see that violence does not change the world and if it does, then only temporarily."

Martin Scorsese, American Director

Change, Violence, World

37

"If I really considered myself a writer, I wouldn't be writing screenplays. I'd be writing novels."

"If I really considered myself a writer, I wouldn't be writing screenplays. I'd be writing novels."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Writing, Writer

37

"I always start with characters rather than with a plot, which many critics would say is very obvious from the lack of plot in my films - although I think they do have plots - but the plot is not of primary importance to me, the characters are."

"I always start with characters rather than with a plot, which many critics would say is very obvious from the lack of plot in my films - although I think they do have plots - but the plot is not of primary importance to me, the characters are."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Importance, Obvious

37

"I think that many people in history who had power were bumped off because they had power."

"I think that many people in history who had power were bumped off because they had power."

Oliver Stone, American Director

History, Power, People

37

"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

37

"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

37

"When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear American voices on them, and we held out."

"When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear American voices on them, and we held out."

Nick Park, British Director

People, America, American, First

37

"Animation is the only thing I ever wanted to do in my whole life. I have no desire for live-action or anything else."

"Animation is the only thing I ever wanted to do in my whole life. I have no desire for live-action or anything else."

John Lasseter, American Director

Life, Animation, Desire

37

"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

37

"You can't change the system through violence."

"You can't change the system through violence."

Alex Cox, British Director

Change, Violence

37

"I knew exactly what to do on Alien, it was funny."

"I knew exactly what to do on Alien, it was funny."

Ridley Scott, British Director

37

"I have a lot of fans who are people of color. I think, if nothing else, I kind of understand that sense of being on the outside looking in, culturally."

"I have a lot of fans who are people of color. I think, if nothing else, I kind of understand that sense of being on the outside looking in, culturally."

Wes Craven, American Director

People, Being, Fans, Nothing

37

"I wanted to make sure that the environment of the shooting itself was not that controlled, and the way to go about that course was to work with as small a crew as possible."

"I wanted to make sure that the environment of the shooting itself was not that controlled, and the way to go about that course was to work with as small a crew as possible."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Work, Environment

37

"When Picasso painted in Paris, was he a Spanish or a French painter? It does not matter, he was Picasso, whatever the influences surrounding him. He simply chose Paris because it was the ideal place for him to sell his creation."

"When Picasso painted in Paris, was he a Spanish or a French painter? It does not matter, he was Picasso, whatever the influences surrounding him. He simply chose Paris because it was the ideal place for him to sell his creation."

Jean-Jacques Annaud, French Director

Creation, Paris

37

"It is only when I am doing my work that I feel truly alive."

"It is only when I am doing my work that I feel truly alive."

Federico Fellini, Italian Director

37

"When the movie was done, Number Five was crated up. Eric took him over to Germany; displayed him over there because Germans really liked this movie. It was very popular with them."

"When the movie was done, Number Five was crated up. Eric took him over to Germany; displayed him over there because Germans really liked this movie. It was very popular with them."

John Badham, British Director

Film, Germany, Popular

37

"Other kinds of movie stars, it's a different thing, they bring their persona to the part and that's what people like to see, and they are not really transforming in terms of their character."

"Other kinds of movie stars, it's a different thing, they bring their persona to the part and that's what people like to see, and they are not really transforming in terms of their character."

Joel Coen, American Director

People, Character, Stars

37

"If people are worried about the size of their trailers, I kind of say their priorities are off."

"If people are worried about the size of their trailers, I kind of say their priorities are off."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

People, Priorities

37

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