Quotes from David Nutter

Talent is No. 1. No. 2 is being at the right place at the right time.

Without having an emotional connection or some relatability to the characters, there's really nothing to root for, in some respect.

To me, the most important selling point of 'Roswell' was that the audience has to believe in the characters they're watching.

I don't want to be someone whose shot takes you out of the dramatic sequence or takes you out of the emotional story that you're trying to tell or says, 'Hey, look at this cool shot I have here.' To me, that's not right.

I'm a big believer in respecting the fans. How do I make a science-fiction or fantasy setting relatable? How do you make the characters real?

I learned that when you work for the very best, you have to bring your very best.

I went off and did 'Space,' which turned out very well, and when the series was picked up, my options were to stay with 'Space' as a producer/director or go to 'The X-Files' as a producer/director.

When I directed the pilot for 'Smallville,' I knew that making Clark Kent relatable would be the key to audiences believing in him as a hero. 'Arrow' is a different show - darker and harder-edged - but it's the same core idea.

The 'Smallville' pilot is the one I get a lot of attention for. I did a couple of earlier ones, but the 'Smallville' pilot is the one that got things really rolling.

All I know is I've had an overall deal with Warner Brothers Television since the 'Smallville' pilot; that was my first pilot for Warner Brothers Television. I have to do pilots for them, but I get a chance to spend time and find the people that work best with me.

Sometimes surprising an actor in a good way like that can actually create a response you're not expecting.

What's important is you have to care about what you're watching and the characters you're watching and what they are going through.

Really, the audience's objective is to exercise their emotions when they're watching. They want to lean in and care.

The Red Wedding was, for myself as a director doing this, such a mammoth experience.

The romance that can never really gel because of the powers that be... that's a great conflict.

There's a childlike quality to Tarzan that's quite beautiful and wonderful, but there's also an intelligence and fierceness that's quite powerful as well.

All teenagers feel like aliens on occasion, and they all have secrets to share.

I used to say teenagers were the aliens among us and I think all teenagers feel that way in many respects.

I think I feel that way - that filmmaking is a responsibility, not only creatively but also financially in that it's a business. You can't forget that.

What's most important is to create an atmosphere that's real, providing characters the audience can root for. Once they become emotionally attached, that's the secret in building a show. The audience can see themselves in these characters, and they respond to the stories.

Things take time my friends - they take a lot of time to create and 'GoT' is the last place you're going to find half baked work so it's all about making sure they fill the frame with as much capacity as possible and making it as real and right as possible. Small price to pay for the amazing quality that comes out of that show.

I think reality deals with good and bad.

I thrive best when I'm in a positive situation - that's the most important thing.

The caliber of people that I've worked with, there'll never be another 'Game of Thrones' crew, and it's a situation in which I feel truly is the cornerstone of my career.