Quotes About Filmmaking

Filmmaking is a thousand choices a day, and it's important to just let those choices potentially be informed by something deeper.

It's always funny to watch the scene that you know took a thousand takes.

Technology continues to bring us wondrous advances in filmmaking to improve how we view movies.

I've had really great experiences working with first-time directors. They come at filmmaking with fresh ideas. I've been very lucky that way.

The first really important book I read about filmmaking was The Film Technique by Pudovkin. This was some time before I had ever touched a movie camera and it opened my eyes to cutting and montage.

Every time you start a movie is to explore with a director and if you can with the actors and with the other collaborators and try to figure out what's the best way to tell the specific story.

Writing and directing your own film, for me, has been the best experience of my life.

I used a video camera, and shot on film cameras at school and stuff, but I had a lot more training as a writer. I kind of live like a writer. I get up and I write. I've done that my whole life.

Most of the films that I've written, made in my life, I've written. Not all, but most I would say.

As filmmakers, the Western is a historic, cool thing to be a part of once in your life.

I decided to be a filmmaker when I was 12. I had utter clarity that this would be my life.

It happens sometimes that the material itself carries things you have not fully planned. The footage has its own right, its own life, its own vibrancy and energy in it.

As a filmmaker, it's about surviving and lasting. So many talented people that I've known in my life - directors and writers - just haven't made it and haven't had a chance.

I'm always cribbing from real life. I'm not a very creative filmmaker.

I spent time on set in New York and Berlin sitting next to Steven Spielberg while he worked, which was the biggest thrill of my life.

I once tried to approach Akiro Kurosawa, but he never answered.

I think Chris Weitz is an amazing director, and his sensibility - I wouldn't even know how to articulate it - it's just, he's a very sensitive, interesting guy.

When you start with Super 8, you are everything. You're the DP, the sound man, the effects guy. And what I started understanding, by working for other people, is that the best type of director is someone who rose through the ranks.

It's a very rare and fortunate position to be able to make movies with two of your best friends who happen to be really amazing actors and writers.

For a filmmaker, it's a rare chance to do a personal film on a big canvas.

Rarely ever see or meet the writer during shooting.

Acting and directing are two separate disciplines that rarely mix.

If I had to rate them in order of preference, it would be writer, director, actor and then producer.

When you're filming, not everything is rational.