Quotes About Directing

When I was given the opportunity to direct 'Senna,' I decided the film had to work for audiences who disliked sport or had never seen a Formula One race in their lives. It had to thrill and emotionally engage people who had never heard of Ayrton Senna.

I've been writing a lot, I've a few projects I'm trying to finance, I do some acting, I do some directing... Apart from that, if I could get lower that a ten handicap on my golf game I'd be thrilled.

It's totally thrilling to direct.

I couldn't be 'Johnny' in front of a camera in acting jobs and behind the camera I like to be 'Michael.' With directing, you can't do it by halves. There's a lot of reflection, and I have found that I, as 'Michael,' thrive on it. It's lovely coming home and feeling that stuff from a day's work as myself.

I've been playing the Wolfenstein games since I was a kid, and feel that their outlandish sensibility has deeply influenced my own writing and directing throughout my career.

For me, I love exploring ideas and throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what fits, and if I had a really nice collaborative team around me who could deal with the more day-to-day minutia, that would be fun. And directing sometime in the future and writing... yeah, I can see that all in my future. But I can be incredibly lazy.

Directing is physically exciting because there's a ticking clock, you're working with people, it's very social, it's very enjoyable.

Directing is all tied up with childhood loneliness. It's such an odd thing to end up doing.

Film and television, one is generally faster. Television generally moves faster in terms of directing, schedules and getting things done. Film, you're on a pretty tight schedule, so the process is the dame.

Producing is the hardest of the three because there is almost no closure. Every time you solve a problem, another one pops up. Directing is second, and acting is the most fun.

People ask me about that all the time. They say, "Did you ever think of directing?" And I say, "It's completely out of the question."

Directing is very close to choreography; you deal with space, time, emotions, lighting, making beautiful images.

Eventually, everyone said, Why don't you direct? It would save time. And that's how it started.

I think around that time I met David [Gordon Green] or, well, we all met at Superbad and Judd [Apatow] said, 'I'm thinking about having him direct [ Knocked Up].' Sounded like a good idea.

You can act in five, six, or seven films in the time it takes to direct one film.

I've been directing for 25 years almost, and I've only directed nine films in that time because I like to be careful.

Directing a movie is the greatest job in the world. I could not be more envious of the guys who get to do it all the time.

Directing is a mixture of compromise and perfectionism. When you lose the judgment of which is more important at any particular moment, you're time is over. They find you out and send you packing.

I've been writing and wanting to direct for a long time.

I directed three films and each time [I act] I hope it's the last time so I have time to do my film [directing].

My first pilot gig; in fact my first job in television; was 'Freaks and Geeks,' and the experience of directing that pilot was probably the single most formative of my directing life.

It's extremely instructive to realize that you cannot do everything. You need to delegate, to find experts, to consult with them. A big part of the job of directing is knowing when to take something on and when you shouldn't.

I was in film school as an undergrad with a focus on directing. Once I started working on shoots, I realized, 'Oh, I really like this cinematography thing.'

Writing and directing might be a red herring, and really I'm just re-examining what it is to act, to do it well and do it properly.