Quotes from Jason Blum

Success stems from the producer creating the optimal conditions for the filmmaker's own creative process. Not from steering the filmmaker through a one-size-fits-all approach.

Our company, it's, uh, really un-sexy. And I think most people get into Hollywood to be showy. We first of all make horror movies, which people turn their noses up at. Second of all, we make cheap movies, and Hollywood's a lot about ego and money and, 'My movie cost $200m!,' you know?

I'm not interested in making horror-comedies, but I'm very interested in making scary movies with funny parts.

I think it's frightening for all of us to contemplate that there's more to the universe than just us, in whatever form it takes, that there are higher forces at work, and to me, that's always a scary notion.

Personally, I love books, and I am interested in the notion that stories are told better in different media depending on the story.

Anyone who has any kind of success in Hollywood wants to make more expensive movies and spend more money, be bigger. I think it's unusual to have success and want to stay small.

The business of horror movies goes up and down, and people are always like, 'It's working,' 'It's not working,' but generally, I think if you make a good movie that's scary, people will come.

I fundamentally believe that your words have so much credibility if you're not taking money upfront. I feel really comfortable pushing actors and pushing executives and pushing marketing people when we're not going to benefit financially unless the movie works. I feel like that makes the playing field so much more level.

I wish that more people were willing to turn down upfront money in exchange for doing things that are more original. Turning down a seven-figure check has a ripple effect on the budget, which has a ripple effect on the storytelling. The higher the budget gets, the fewer storytelling risks you're able to take.

I think being snobby about the kind of storytelling people do, it just irks me. It irks me. And in fact, it's one of the things that drives me to make as many horror movies as I do.

My favorite thing about horror is that it attracts this great group of nuts, of which I include myself in. I was always kind of an oddball. I collected my fingernails, for instance.

I think if you went to a studio and pitched the first 'Insidious,' it never would have gotten made because it was so offbeat.

We're offered bigger, larger budget movies to produce a lot, and we don't do them. That's not to say there aren't exceptions: there are a few exceptions, but I try and stick by the rules that produce what I think is the highest quality, most innovative work and try and let the rules go that make us feel like we're retreading.

I try to work with people who you're not used to seeing in scary movies. I think it makes for a more interesting mix, when you're watching the movie.

I really like to work with theater actors. Theater actors tend to do lots of independent movies, and those are the actors that I like.

Horror is great storytelling with scary elements on top of it, but if you don't have great storytelling, you can have all the scares in the world, but the movie won't work.

As an entrepreneur, one of my biggest struggles is that you have to focus, but you also have to expand.

I think, generally, the creative process is hurt if you're thinking about the end as opposed to focusing on day-to-day decisions.

I read an interview where someone said, 'It's a shame that anyone can make a movie now,' and I feel the exact opposite.

The minute I was told what to do at any age, I did the opposite. Hopefully I'll do that for the rest of my life.

'Paranormal Activity' had fifty versions because it was $250 to reshoot. We'd screen it, see one thing wrong, shoot for an hour, fix it, and then screen it again. You don't have to be disciplined about it. On a regular movie, you have to screen it and think of every problem, reshoot for three days and solve every problem, and then you're done.

We have creative freedom because of budgets. Ever since I have been doing low budget movies, we've really had creative freedom.