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Barry Levinson Biography

Barry Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor. Levinson's best-known works are comedy-drama and drama films such as Diner (1982); The Natural (1984); Good Morning, Vietnam (1987); Bugsy (1991); and Wag the Dog (1997). He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Rain Man (1988) which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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Barry Levinson Quotes

Different reactions while film test screening doesn't mean even the audience thinks ambiguity is a bad thing. But if you're asking them right away to start checking things off, they don't know what to do. I think at their best, it applies to when the audience knows what it is. Then, when they say, "Oh, well, I thought it was too boring in blah-blah-blah part," then you better pay attention to it. It's like going for the hamburger. Better be the good hamburger I went for.

Away, Different, Like, Mean, Right, Thinking

A lot of people have done things over the years and made fun of people in one way or another. When I was a kid, Vaughn Meader used to do John F. Kennedy. I don't know if that makes John F. Kennedy less credible. He would do the voice, he'd have some silly situations or whatever. I don't know if it made him less presidential because of it.

Credible, Fun, Kids, Presidential, Silly

I worked at a local television station and I got a chance to direct and do all those things - worked kiddie shows, Ranger House show with the hand puppets and things like that.

Hands, House, Like, Television, Things

I would give the cameras to the kids in the swimming pools and they would play with them, and then I would collect them and we would upload it. If you're in the process, you're there.

Kids, Play, Pools, Swimming

There's no downside to having too much experience.

Too Much, Downside, Having, Experience

I think we are seeing a radical shift in the business in general. The studios are making much more of the real big extravaganzas and there are other kinds of films that are coming out. I think you are going to begin to see more diversification that we've seen in the past.

Diversification, Extravaganzas, Past, Real, Shift, Thinking

The interesting thing about movies, it's not always - y'know, you have to have structure etc and all those things, but an audience responds, in many ways, we walk away and certain things stay in our heads that are memorable.

Certain, Etc, Interesting, Memorable, Structure, Way

All I try to do is create an atmosphere that seems comfortable enough, that it removes tension and everyone feels free. If they feel free then behaviour happens, small moments happen and that's what ultimately works the best for me.

Atmosphere, Behaviour, Comfortable, Happen, Removes, Trying

Everybody's trying to hold onto some shred of dignity in the process of it all, and, at the same time, never talking about how they don't have the power. No one has the power. So, you know, producers - we always think, "Well, producers are very powerful," but producers don't really have the power.

Onto, Powerful, Producers, Thinking, Trying

Even back in the '90s, I shot certain things on something that wasn't digital then, but it was on VHS with a smaller camera and we would up it to film.

Cameras, Certain, Digital, Film, Smaller

As soon as digital editing came about, I immediately made the switch to digital.

Came, Digital, Editing, Made

Sarah Palin kept talking and talking, and the more she talks, the less compelling she can be. People say, "She's a very good politician, very deft at what she does," and whatever. And I hear that sometimes and go, "I don't know much about this stuff, but I would say no. " Because the really good politician expands the audience, not contracts it. She may be getting a very vocal crowd, but it's a very specific group.

Contracts, Palin, People, Politician, Sometimes, Specific

I play around with human things, human relationships and that, and allow that kind of talk to work in that way, on that level.

Human Relations, Human Relationships, Kind, Relationships, Work

You do understand that you can't force the situation, but in terms of how you edit, you can define that to take the audience along, whether it be a storyline or a character moment that we can play out. The more experience you've had, the more beneficial it is, period.

Audience, Character, Moments, Play, Terms, Understand

I always think that there is the good and the bad of it all.

Bad, Good, Think, Thinking

You have a movie and it proves itself and then certain things happen.

Certain, Prove It, Happens, Happen, Things

I think when Sarah Palin opened her mouth and started talking, the more she talked, the less appealing she became.

Became, Opened, Palin, Talked, Thinking

Some actors are supposed to be very difficult, but I've not found that to be the situation.

Actors, Difficult, Found, Supposed

I'm emotionally invested in every movie that I do, period, because you've got to make that commitment. You're spending a year, 18 months of your life doing it. I'm invested in all those kinds of pieces. Most of the films I've had in my career have never tested well. I got lucky that sometimes I got supported by studios - or, at least if not supported, tolerated.

Commitment, Kind, Lucky, Make, Spending, Studios

There was a time when I said, "I'm going to go do a television thing," after doing all these theatrical films, and heard, "Television? Why are you going to go back to television?" It's an interesting place.

Film, Films, Interesting, Place, Said, Television

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