Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 41/67

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Quotes by Director

"Are you in my dream too?"

"Are you in my dream too?"

M. Night Shyamalan, American Director

34

"The actor is concerned with his own bit of it, but the director's somehow trying to work the whole thing into a much bigger picture. It's like conducting an orchestra."

"The actor is concerned with his own bit of it, but the director's somehow trying to work the whole thing into a much bigger picture. It's like conducting an orchestra."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Work, Actor, Trying

34

"Politics is very interesting and always leads to conflict."

"Politics is very interesting and always leads to conflict."

Ridley Scott, British Director

Politics, Conflict

34

"It's exciting to see a kid at a rehearsal meeting with someone who seems like such an icon."

"It's exciting to see a kid at a rehearsal meeting with someone who seems like such an icon."

Michael Ritchie, American Director

34

"I was an anorexic, beer drinking, class cutting, doodling, shoplifting, skater chick that was into nature, art class, and the beach."

"I was an anorexic, beer drinking, class cutting, doodling, shoplifting, skater chick that was into nature, art class, and the beach."

Rebecca Miller, American Director

Nature, Art, Beach, Beer

34

"Seventy percent of success in life is showing up."

"Seventy percent of success in life is showing up."

Woody Allen, American Director

34

"Any time you talk about the look of the film, it's not just the director and the director of photography. You have to include the costume designer and the production designer."

"Any time you talk about the look of the film, it's not just the director and the director of photography. You have to include the costume designer and the production designer."

Spike Lee, American Director

Time, Film, Photography, Production

34

"We didn't realize it at the time, but the release date, the ad campaign and the poster are so important."

"We didn't realize it at the time, but the release date, the ad campaign and the poster are so important."

David Zucker, American Director

34

"If a film is very clever and well-written, that's what gives you freedom as a director."

"If a film is very clever and well-written, that's what gives you freedom as a director."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

34

"This film, Tomb Raider 2, is a big challenge. It's quite exhausting."

"This film, Tomb Raider 2, is a big challenge. It's quite exhausting."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

Challenge, Film

34

"I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually when your first requirement is to tell a fairly straightforward story."

"I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually when your first requirement is to tell a fairly straightforward story."

Brian De Palma, American Director

Character, Values, First, Order

34

"I remember teachers who really singled me out for their discouragement."

"I remember teachers who really singled me out for their discouragement."

Francis Ford Coppola, American Director

Education, Discouragement, Teachers

34

"I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys."

"I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys."

Woody Allen, American Director

34

"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

34

"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

34

"Well, you know the old line - to be nominated is what it's all about. I think that I've done pretty well - I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards in total, so I don't really have any complaints."

"Well, you know the old line - to be nominated is what it's all about. I think that I've done pretty well - I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards in total, so I don't really have any complaints."

Norman Jewison, Canadian Director

Movies, Awards, Complaints, Old

34

"I didn't believe that I'd ever be lucky enough to be able to make a living as an actor."

"I didn't believe that I'd ever be lucky enough to be able to make a living as an actor."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

34

"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

34

"Cedric Gibbons was the grand cardinal of the art department."

"Cedric Gibbons was the grand cardinal of the art department."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

34

"When I finish a film, I put it away and I never look at it again."

"When I finish a film, I put it away and I never look at it again."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

34

"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

34

"No, I never went to college. Always regretted it, always envied people who did."

"No, I never went to college. Always regretted it, always envied people who did."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

People, College

34

"Cocteau is someone who has made such a profound impression on me that there's no doubt he's influenced every one of my films."

"Cocteau is someone who has made such a profound impression on me that there's no doubt he's influenced every one of my films."

Jacques Rivette, French Director

Impression, Doubt

34

"Oh, yeah, I love DVD's. I don't have what you'd call an extensive collection, maybe a couple of hundred or so. But I have something on almost all the time."

"Oh, yeah, I love DVD's. I don't have what you'd call an extensive collection, maybe a couple of hundred or so. But I have something on almost all the time."

David Fincher, American Director

34

"In a way, I have to have a dictatorship. I can't be told that I'm wrong. That conflicts with what I was saying earlier about listening. It isn't to do with receiving criticism and responding to other views, it's who has that last decision."

"In a way, I have to have a dictatorship. I can't be told that I'm wrong. That conflicts with what I was saying earlier about listening. It isn't to do with receiving criticism and responding to other views, it's who has that last decision."

Trevor Nunn, English Director

Decision-Making, Decision, Criticism, Dictatorship, Listening

34

"The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars yet. Nicolas Cage was not a big star when we did Raising Arizona. A lot of these people were also virtually unknown, too, when we worked with them first."

"The point at which we worked with some of these actors, they weren't really stars yet. Nicolas Cage was not a big star when we did Raising Arizona. A lot of these people were also virtually unknown, too, when we worked with them first."

Joel Coen, American Director

People, Actors, First, Stars

34

"When I became the chair of the British Film Institute, I didn't understand how much of my time would be taken up with trying to make a case for the British Film Institute: what it's for, why it exists, why it needs its money."

"When I became the chair of the British Film Institute, I didn't understand how much of my time would be taken up with trying to make a case for the British Film Institute: what it's for, why it exists, why it needs its money."

Anthony Minghella, British Director

Money, Time, Film, Needs

34

"I believe that the best cameraman is one who recognizes the source, the story, as the basis of his work."

"I believe that the best cameraman is one who recognizes the source, the story, as the basis of his work."

James Wong Howe, Chinese Director

34

"The father's greatest folly is that he believes he can be a much more simple person than he is; he is not really able to deal with his own complexity as a human being."

"The father's greatest folly is that he believes he can be a much more simple person than he is; he is not really able to deal with his own complexity as a human being."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Family, Father, Being, Complexity, Folly

34

"I joined the Communist Party late in 1934. I got out a year and a half later."

"I joined the Communist Party late in 1934. I got out a year and a half later."

Elia Kazan, American Director

34

"I believe in the nobility of entertaining people and I take great, great pride that people are willing to give me two or three hours of their busy lives."

"I believe in the nobility of entertaining people and I take great, great pride that people are willing to give me two or three hours of their busy lives."

John Lasseter, American Director

People, Nobility, Pride

34

"No, United Artists was a very extraordinary organization, because once they had agreed on the director, they believed in letting him have his way. They trusted me, and that doesn't often happen."

"No, United Artists was a very extraordinary organization, because once they had agreed on the director, they believed in letting him have his way. They trusted me, and that doesn't often happen."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Media, Artists, United

34

"On stage, the audience watches from a fixed viewpoint and the director cannot retake something he doesn't like. It has to work straight through."

"On stage, the audience watches from a fixed viewpoint and the director cannot retake something he doesn't like. It has to work straight through."

Bruce Beresford, Australian Director

34

"It's really hard to imagine there ever being the kind of impact there was when punk rock happened in the late 70's. I wish there would be one big change like that again, but I don't know if that'll ever happen."

"It's really hard to imagine there ever being the kind of impact there was when punk rock happened in the late 70's. I wish there would be one big change like that again, but I don't know if that'll ever happen."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

Change, Being, Punk

34

"I was able to go from stage hand to floor manager to assistant director to director in a year because there was just no one else to do it and what I didn't realise and what people don't understand now about television is that we used to do about five shows a day."

"I was able to go from stage hand to floor manager to assistant director to director in a year because there was just no one else to do it and what I didn't realise and what people don't understand now about television is that we used to do about five shows a day."

Richard Lester, English Director

Management, Manager, People, Day, Now

34

"You know, you meet some people, and do a lot of interviews, and you come across a Buck O'Neill and you know you are going to know him for the rest of your life. The same thing happened with Curt Flood."

"You know, you meet some people, and do a lot of interviews, and you come across a Buck O'Neill and you know you are going to know him for the rest of your life. The same thing happened with Curt Flood."

Ken Burns, American Director

Life, People, Rest

34

"I remembered the 500 people that lived on a reserve outside my little town, behind a big fence."

"I remembered the 500 people that lived on a reserve outside my little town, behind a big fence."

Phillip Noyce, Australian Director

34

"We wanted to do a sequel with Jim and Jeff. They said that the word was that Jim didn't want to do any sequels. We approached him and he said he would do it, but not until next year. New Line said it was too long to wait."

"We wanted to do a sequel with Jim and Jeff. They said that the word was that Jim didn't want to do any sequels. We approached him and he said he would do it, but not until next year. New Line said it was too long to wait."

Bobby Farrelly, American Director

34

"I'd love to do historical pictures more, but I don't know if I can."

"I'd love to do historical pictures more, but I don't know if I can."

Oliver Stone, American Director

34

"I subscribe to William Faulkner's' view that history is not just about what we were before but who we are now."

"I subscribe to William Faulkner's' view that history is not just about what we were before but who we are now."

Ken Burns, American Director

34

"We taped all this and then got it transcribed and picked the best lines or ideas or ways to take a scene. I've done that many times, and it can improve the script but also wreck a perfectly good scene."

"We taped all this and then got it transcribed and picked the best lines or ideas or ways to take a scene. I've done that many times, and it can improve the script but also wreck a perfectly good scene."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Creativity, Ideas

34

"Angelina wanted to make sure that any fighting in the movie would be comparable to any male actor. Everything from stick fighting to horse riding was real to her."

"Angelina wanted to make sure that any fighting in the movie would be comparable to any male actor. Everything from stick fighting to horse riding was real to her."

Jan de Bont, Dutch Director

Actor, Fighting

34

"I think my expectations for myself are much more severe and much more direct. You can't work on a film for six years without being your own toughest critic. So you can't really be distracted by the expectations based on your previous performance."

"I think my expectations for myself are much more severe and much more direct. You can't work on a film for six years without being your own toughest critic. So you can't really be distracted by the expectations based on your previous performance."

Ken Burns, American Director

Work, Performance, Being, Expectations

34

"Television theatre, as is implied in its name, should rely on adaptations of scripts written for the theatre."

"Television theatre, as is implied in its name, should rely on adaptations of scripts written for the theatre."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Media, Name, Television, Theatre

34

"For eight years I did effects for other movies until I got my movie made."

"For eight years I did effects for other movies until I got my movie made."

Guillermo del Toro, Mexican Director

34

"Some people are very lucky, and have the story in their heads. I've never storyboarded anything. I like the idea of chance. What makes God laugh is people who make plans."

"Some people are very lucky, and have the story in their heads. I've never storyboarded anything. I like the idea of chance. What makes God laugh is people who make plans."

Nicolas Roeg, English Director

God, People, Idea, Chance

34

"I have the right to interpretation as a dramatist. I research. It's my responsibility to find the research. It's my responsibility to digest it and do the best that I can with it. But at a certain point that responsibility will become an interpretation."

"I have the right to interpretation as a dramatist. I research. It's my responsibility to find the research. It's my responsibility to digest it and do the best that I can with it. But at a certain point that responsibility will become an interpretation."

Oliver Stone, American Director

Research, Responsibility, Right, Will

34

"But the imposition of morality onto science, - where it does not belong - has become rampant in recent years."

"But the imposition of morality onto science, - where it does not belong - has become rampant in recent years."

Bill Condon, American Director

Science, Morality, Years

34

"I find that screen kissing wears very thin very quickly."

"I find that screen kissing wears very thin very quickly."

John Hughes, American Director

Graphic Content, Kissing

34

"I really believe you can predict when someone has a great attitude, a real well of talent."

"I really believe you can predict when someone has a great attitude, a real well of talent."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Attitude, Talent

34

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