Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 44/67

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Quotes by Director

"The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening."

"The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening."

Brian De Palma, American Director

People, Idea, Film, School

41

"We must not confuse distortion with innovation; distortion is useless change, art is beneficial change."

"We must not confuse distortion with innovation; distortion is useless change, art is beneficial change."

Chuck Jones, American Director

Art, Change, Innovation

41

"But in marketing, the familiar is everything, and that is controlled by the studio. That is reaching its apogee now."

"But in marketing, the familiar is everything, and that is controlled by the studio. That is reaching its apogee now."

Nicolas Roeg, English Director

Media, Marketing, Now

41

"Show business is one of those things that people can use to get themselves out of the lower rung of society."

"Show business is one of those things that people can use to get themselves out of the lower rung of society."

Taylor Hackford, American Director

Business, Society, People

41

"I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do."

"I got IRS records to finance what I wanted to do."

Penelope Spheeris, American Director

41

"Twilight is about getting older and relationships - not about a murder mystery. It's about love when you reach a certain age; nothing is in primary colors."

"Twilight is about getting older and relationships - not about a murder mystery. It's about love when you reach a certain age; nothing is in primary colors."

Robert Benton, American Director

Love, Age, Colors, Murder

41

"Well, I think just the fact that you are making your first film is a huge step."

"Well, I think just the fact that you are making your first film is a huge step."

Adrian Lyne, English Director

Fact, Film, First

41

"I always like to reveal the fact that the emperor has no clothes. And children are best at that. They teach us how to see the world in that sense. They are without artifice; they see it for what it is. I am drawn to that ruthless honesty."

"I always like to reveal the fact that the emperor has no clothes. And children are best at that. They teach us how to see the world in that sense. They are without artifice; they see it for what it is. I am drawn to that ruthless honesty."

Mira Nair, Indian Director

Honesty, Children, Clothes, Fact

41

"In the late 1980s the amount of German films was down to four or five percent of the market, and the remaining 95 percent were American. It is now 20 to 30 percent German productions."

"In the late 1980s the amount of German films was down to four or five percent of the market, and the remaining 95 percent were American. It is now 20 to 30 percent German productions."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Film, American, Now

41

"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works. And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America you have to know about the Civil War."

"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works. And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America you have to know about the Civil War."

Ken Burns, American Director

War, America, Country, States

41

"Because I found myself telling the story of his family to people without the visual aids that I was able to employ by filming them eventually. But I very much knew exactly what I was going to do."

"Because I found myself telling the story of his family to people without the visual aids that I was able to employ by filming them eventually. But I very much knew exactly what I was going to do."

Terry Zwigoff, American Director

41

"The first thing you should do with an actor is not sign a contract with him. Take him to dinner. And take him for a walk afterwards."

"The first thing you should do with an actor is not sign a contract with him. Take him to dinner. And take him for a walk afterwards."

Elia Kazan, American Director

41

"Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether."

"Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our freedom, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether."

Luis Bunuel, Mexican Director

Imagination, People, Chance, Fact

41

"But I like to go to movies with my son because it's still fun; it reminds me of why I make movies."

"But I like to go to movies with my son because it's still fun; it reminds me of why I make movies."

Antoine Fuqua, American Director

Movies, Son, Fun

41

"I mean, I don't know anything else that I would try to do, but it's a very frustrating thing to do, because you are trying to take what's a fantasy in your head and make it live through the minds of 200 people."

"I mean, I don't know anything else that I would try to do, but it's a very frustrating thing to do, because you are trying to take what's a fantasy in your head and make it live through the minds of 200 people."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

People, Fantasy, Trying

41

"If you were to ask me if I'd ever had the bad luck to miss my daily cocktail, I'd have to say that I doubt it; where certain things are concerned, I plan ahead."

"If you were to ask me if I'd ever had the bad luck to miss my daily cocktail, I'd have to say that I doubt it; where certain things are concerned, I plan ahead."

Luis Bunuel, Mexican Director

41

"When I come to London, I always like to see what's playing at the NFT."

"When I come to London, I always like to see what's playing at the NFT."

Walter Salles, Brazilian Director

41

"I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old."

"I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old."

Stanley Kubrick, American Director

Old, Pleasure, School, Years

41

"I am not trying to be a historian and a dramatist; I'm a dramatist, a dramatic historian, or one who does a dramatic interpretation of history."

"I am not trying to be a historian and a dramatist; I'm a dramatist, a dramatic historian, or one who does a dramatic interpretation of history."

Oliver Stone, American Director

History, Trying

41

"Trusting your individual uniqueness challenges you to lay yourself open."

"Trusting your individual uniqueness challenges you to lay yourself open."

James Broughton, American Director

Equality, Open, Uniqueness

41

"The film camera's ability to physically move through space, not zoom through space - every time we have a video camera the movement is through zoom; every time we have a film camera it is a physical movement."

"The film camera's ability to physically move through space, not zoom through space - every time we have a video camera the movement is through zoom; every time we have a film camera it is a physical movement."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

Time, Ability, Film, Space

41

"There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic."

"There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic."

Spike Lee, American Director

Character, Film, Law

41

"Now I'm kind of established as a director, I much prefer directing to writing."

"Now I'm kind of established as a director, I much prefer directing to writing."

Ang Lee, Chinese Director

41

"I allow a lot of room for improvisation and funny stuff. I always feel planned."

"I allow a lot of room for improvisation and funny stuff. I always feel planned."

Michael Bay, American Director

41

"That's a very odd notion because it involves seeing money up there on the screen - if something cost $5 million to make, they want to see that $5 million up there."

"That's a very odd notion because it involves seeing money up there on the screen - if something cost $5 million to make, they want to see that $5 million up there."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

41

"I've never really understood that. It's a funny thing; people sometimes accuse us of condescending to our characters somehow-that to me is kind of inexplicable."

"I've never really understood that. It's a funny thing; people sometimes accuse us of condescending to our characters somehow-that to me is kind of inexplicable."

Joel Coen, American Director

Fun, Funny, People, Inexplicable

41

"Honey! Bring down a copy of my will - and an eraser!"

"Honey! Bring down a copy of my will - and an eraser!"

Woody Allen, American Director

Humor, Will, Inheritance, Laughter

41

"My father was an amateur filmmaker who shot 8mm color documentaries."

"My father was an amateur filmmaker who shot 8mm color documentaries."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

41

"Being identified as a poet in France or Denmark or India one is greeted with gracious respect."

"Being identified as a poet in France or Denmark or India one is greeted with gracious respect."

James Broughton, American Director

Being, Denmark, France, Respect

41

"I have made a film about jazz that tries to look through jazz to see what it tells us about who we are as a people. I think that jazz is a spectacularly accurate model of democracy and a kind of look into our redemptive future possibilities."

"I have made a film about jazz that tries to look through jazz to see what it tells us about who we are as a people. I think that jazz is a spectacularly accurate model of democracy and a kind of look into our redemptive future possibilities."

Ken Burns, American Director

People, Democracy, Film, Future

41

"Character and emotionality don't always have to be relegated to quieter, more simple constructs."

"Character and emotionality don't always have to be relegated to quieter, more simple constructs."

Kathryn Bigelow, American Director

41

"I may be getting old, but not foolish."

"I may be getting old, but not foolish."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Leadership, May, Old

41

"For me a poem has to sing out of itself and the lilt of it carries the magic."

"For me a poem has to sing out of itself and the lilt of it carries the magic."

James Broughton, American Director

41

"Music is a very integral part of the film, but it will not be as full of music as a Bollywood film."

"Music is a very integral part of the film, but it will not be as full of music as a Bollywood film."

Roland Joffe, English Director

Music, Film, Will

41

"For me the writing, when I'm going to direct it myself, is really just the first draft, and I don't change it very much; I only change it on average about two lines per movie."

"For me the writing, when I'm going to direct it myself, is really just the first draft, and I don't change it very much; I only change it on average about two lines per movie."

John Sayles, American Director

Change, Draft, First, Writing

41

"I lose tons of stuff on the cutting room floor. For Scary Movie 3, for example, we had a lot of Matrix spoofs, a Hulk scene, and some of that stuff just doesn't hold up - it's too much plot, audiences just didn't want to hear about it."

"I lose tons of stuff on the cutting room floor. For Scary Movie 3, for example, we had a lot of Matrix spoofs, a Hulk scene, and some of that stuff just doesn't hold up - it's too much plot, audiences just didn't want to hear about it."

David Zucker, American Director

Movies, Audiences, Example, Want

41

"Women often postpone their lives, thinking that if they're not with a partner then it doesn't really count. They're still searching for their prince, in a way. And as much as we don't discuss that, because it's too embarrassing and too sad, I think it really does exist."

"Women often postpone their lives, thinking that if they're not with a partner then it doesn't really count. They're still searching for their prince, in a way. And as much as we don't discuss that, because it's too embarrassing and too sad, I think it really does exist."

Jane Campion, New Zealander Director

Woman, Women, Thinking, Newzealander

41

"I learn new things all the time."

"I learn new things all the time."

Vincente Minnelli, American Director

41

"You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites."

"You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites."

Brian De Palma, American Director

People, Information, Research, Want

41

"I was tweaked by the idea of Superman immediately."

"I was tweaked by the idea of Superman immediately."

Richard Donner, American Director

Creativity, Idea

41

"If you still want to kill him, do me a favor and take him outside. Those are new sheets."

"If you still want to kill him, do me a favor and take him outside. Those are new sheets."

Blake Edwards, American Director

41

"I'm less comfortable making American movies because I don't know them so well."

"I'm less comfortable making American movies because I don't know them so well."

Neil Jordan, Irish Director

Movies, American

41

"When I go to movies I generally want to be taken to another world."

"When I go to movies I generally want to be taken to another world."

Darren Aronofsky, American Director

Movies, Want, World

41

"Don't think that because you haven't heard from me for a while that I went to sleep. I am still here, like a spirit roaming the night. Thirsty, hungry, seldom stopping to rest."

"Don't think that because you haven't heard from me for a while that I went to sleep. I am still here, like a spirit roaming the night. Thirsty, hungry, seldom stopping to rest."

Spike Lee, American Director

Night, Rest, Sleep, Spirit

41

"No, in Lethal Weapon I was a taxi cab driver that Mel jumps in front of the taxi and pulls me out of the car and steals the taxi. Then I did some other indie driving for some of the car sequences."

"No, in Lethal Weapon I was a taxi cab driver that Mel jumps in front of the taxi and pulls me out of the car and steals the taxi. Then I did some other indie driving for some of the car sequences."

David R. Ellis, American Director

41

"When a film is created, it is created in a language, which is not only about words, but also the way that very language encodes our perception of the world, our understanding of it."

"When a film is created, it is created in a language, which is not only about words, but also the way that very language encodes our perception of the world, our understanding of it."

Andrzej Wajda, Polish Director

Perception, Film, Language, Understanding

41

"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

41

"I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish."

"I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

41

"Surviving is the only glory in war."

"Surviving is the only glory in war."

Samuel Fuller, American Director

41

"I watched Someone to Watch Over Me the other night. I thought it was a really good movie. It's a great movie."

"I watched Someone to Watch Over Me the other night. I thought it was a really good movie. It's a great movie."

Ridley Scott, British Director

41

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