There's always been this strand of filmmaking in Britain which is like socialist neo-realism. That's always been there. I've never been part of that, really; I've been much closer to fantasy.
When your characters are really living they tell you what they do.
You must be willing to risk everything to really express it all.
My main concern is quality and I think there is quality to be found in all categories of filmmaking.
My best business decision was becoming a writer as well as a director, and learning all aspects of the filmmaking craft. My worst business decision was licensing music that I don't own.
Filmmaking is incredible introspective. It forces you to sort of examine yourself in new ways.
As far as the filmmaking process is concerned, stars are essentially worthless - and absolutely essential.
Most filmmaking is about shaking hands and just starting
I don't know if I would call it therapy, but filmmaking is really the only thing I know how to do. For me, making movies is a way to bring on change for myself, and I really enjoy that part.
The "If you build it, they will come" approach to filmmaking has always been helpful to me.
I don't have incredible knowledge about films or of filmmaking history; I'm not that kind of person.
All directors make films in individual ways. But the classical kind of view of filmmaking is that you have a script and it's very linear.
Filmmaking is exploring. Why would I want to make a film about something I already understand?
Every technology that comes into filmmaking is first a gimmick. Think about sound with 'The Jazz Singer' or the first colour or surround sound - it takes a while for filmmakers to understand how to use it.
Filmmaking is like any kind of art form. You have to try to figure it out, and you're going to do that by trying. It's like teaching a child to walk. It may start by walking, but eventually it will fall. And I have kids, but I know that that will enable them to stand up again and understand why they fell, and how they can avoid that. They will walk better and faster, and stronger. Filmmaking is the same.
Filmmaking is a thousand choices a day and it's important to just let those choices potentially be informed by something deeper.
It's good filmmaking when you don't have to say anything and you can still tell the story.
It seemed like there were so many options in filmmaking before. If they don't want to make it, well okay, there's a hundred other places we can try. I'm not a producer and I don't even know the places my producer goes to, thankfully. But I think there are far fewer options now to releasing a movie theatrically or to getting the financing.
You know, this is such a rich time that we've just been involved in, and there's really a job now for historians. Film is still very young. This is the first hundred years of filmmaking. So I think it's important that we have some sense of history and continuity. Especially in film.
One of the things that I do like about filmmaking is that you find out how to solve new problems.