Filmmakers Quotations | Page 2

You can't blame movies for embracing spectacle; filmmakers since D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. De Mille have loved spectacle, and spectacle is something that movies convey like no other medium, especially in a digital age.

We're surrounded by violence, and we see so much of it on TV, especially the news programs. We almost become numb. And that forces filmmakers to try to outdo themselves... They say, 'Look what I can do,' and it becomes like a showoff thing. To me, that's ridiculous. Filmmaking isn't a contest!

To allow Canadian filmmakers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their international counterparts.

This year a lot of the winning films have subject matter that isn't necessarily mainstream. It's daring studios and filmmakers to make these films.

We immediately saw that the economics with digital video were dramatically different (from 35-mm film). The all-in production costs could be a couple of hundred thousand dollars.... The filmmakers were able to make the pet projects they wanted to do but no one would fund.

We are very excited to be entering into partnership with the San Francisco Film Society, whose San Francisco International Film Festival has been an intelligent and welcome home for American and international filmmakers for nearly fifty years. SF360.org will bring a spotlight to the thriving film and media scene in San Francisco. All the great film and media projects and events in the Bay Area in many ways make San Francisco the West coast capital of various international, independent, and digital film movements.

Distributors and filmmakers like me can see their films with real human beings.

Documentary has become a kind of new space in the culture. A lot of the films are about social concerns, and in a way, are a new form of media. . . . Making a documentary has become sort of trendy, a little like what writing children's books was a few years ago. But what I've noticed is, once documentary filmmakers get locked in, they really get locked in. They may have started off thinking they're going to do something relatively quick and casual, and then it takes them over.

Documentary filmmakers are an itinerant group of people, and at the core of their mission is going out and bringing back stories that aren't been told in the mainstream media.

Angus is one of the most celebrated UK documentary filmmakers of his generation and his wide-ranging work as a director and producer has won him an unrivalled reputation. I am delighted that he has agreed to bring his experience and passion for documentary to Channel 4.

First-time filmmakers have so many mistakes, digital video will allow you to go try something and if it doesn't work, you can do it again,

There's so many amateur and budding filmmakers who really don't have the opportunity to show their stuff. We want to bring them to Hollywood ... and have America help us find the next great filmmaker.

There's filmmakers here, almost every single one of them, who are thinking about (the world) when they work and we saw it throughout the festival.

The small multiplexes have created a market for different kinds of cinema and the new generation filmmakers are aiming to cash in on the educated, well-groomed audience who go there to watch films.

The system is not really particularly amenable to filmmakers who write and direct their own work. It's much more about the studio already having a property that has a marketable concept and then hiring the director on board.

The theme of the festival is don't sit around waiting to be discovered, ... Go out and do something. We felt like if we can demonstrate what we did in a week with $250, what could other filmmakers do if they actually planned and prepared?

Ten years ago, there was nowhere in the world a filmmaker wouldn't go. But, this is no longer the case. Filmmakers are becoming more aware of the risks they encounter abroad, and in particular, the risks that impact actors, crew and millions of dollars worth of equipment on loan for production. Furthermore, we are seeing a gap between perception and reality. Most people cite terrorism as the foremost risk facing them in today's global environment; however, our map shows that the risks of disease, poor medical care and crime are more prevalent for filmmakers.

Technology continues to emerge as a tool for filmmakers to turn to. It's more sophisticated, more elegant, easier to use and less expensive.

Sacred texts give no specific depiction of God, so for centuries, artists and filmmakers have had to choose their own visual depiction.

Adobe's tools enable filmmakers to tell their stories and realize their filmmaking vision, engaging audiences worldwide. By providing comprehensive, cost effective solutions that support the entire workflow from conceptualization through delivery with professional quality results from HDV to SD to HD and Flash Video, we look forward to empowering this generation of independent filmmakers.

The most successful (Austin) filmmakers are intensely loyal. The people who do well here tend not to go off to LA. They stay here.

AdCorp is a great example of some of the exclusive top-quality films we're delivering to movie fans on a daily basis. Short films are traditionally an under-exposed and under-appreciated genre, so whether they're comedies, dramas or romances, we're thrilled to offer filmmakers an exciting interactive program that reaches the largest audience of movie fans on the web.

Any time a new process comes into the market, there is always a pioneer. In this case, it's us, ... But this isn't about one picture, it's about the future. We are waiting to see how it all plays out. But at the same time, we are committed to the process and believe, as filmmakers (Robert) Zemeckis and (James) Cameron believe, this is where it is going.

As far as the balance between being a journalist, being an artist, being a storyteller - documentary filmmakers are all three of those things. The balance between them is affected by the film itself, the topic of the film.

As a result, the campaign takes a long-term view on working with filmmakers and understands that we may not see concrete results for several years.

The Brothers Grimm is a work of fantasy by one of the true visionary filmmakers working today, whereas The Cave is just one big silly, scary action movie.

Audiences are smarter than ever; they know if filmmakers cheat an environment.

That's why we make movies. Otherwise, we just have a leader issue an order and we all follow. Why else would there be filmmakers like us? Why else would people lock themselves in a dark room and watch a movie together?

That's what she does so well. Molly always makes it a point to open my eyes to something new. Her whole take on movies is so much more intellectually based than mine. She also reads things into movies that I don't always see. I'm not sure the filmmakers always saw those things.

You want somebody who's capable of being diverse in the characters they play, and you want a big name that's going to bring attention to the filmmakers and to the project.

This is as good or better than any feature script that I've read in the past few years. I think there's less of a stigma now with television. It's all based on the material, and I think filmmakers and writers are less judgmental.

The whole idea of a festival to me is that filmmakers get to interact. You see someone strolling, you get to meet them and tell them you like their work, you admire their story.

This festival enjoys the largest selection of films produced or distributed by Hollywood studios than we have ever had before. It shows the importance of having Latino filmmakers working in the mainstream.

This agreement isn't about simply collapsing distribution windows. IFC in Theaters is enabling independent filmmakers to reach a wider audience in a much more economical manner. The local cinema will always be the first home for film to many film lovers ... Now IFC and Comcast will provide independent films with a unique opportunity to extend and expand beyond traditional distribution means.

A lot of filmmakers hate testing movies. I love it because it's an audience medium. The biggest problem has been the prevalence of all these Internet sites. It's almost impossible to have a test screening without it leaking out on the Internet.

There was no festival in the area in March. So we went for it. I just want to give filmmakers a new platform and they (PBIFF) want to kill us our first time out. They actually offered to merge and promised me a seat on their board. What does that get me?

This is the next generation of filmmakers and our films are going to get more interesting as they reflect the new Canadian experience...of Canada's and of their cultures,

I try not to put pressure on filmmakers to come up with a big scare at the beginning. I think that helps let the audience settle in and get to know the people they're about to spend 90 minutes with. Once the scarier stuff happens, it's scarier because of that.

It was founded out of frustration and anger. A lot of work just wasn't getting finished. The original goal was helping filmmakers to finish their work, but it's changed over the years.

It was a sleepy gathering, not yet the make-or-break event for filmmakers that it would become, The festival was regarded by many distributors as toxic.

It's an honor to close the festival with a feature-length film made by a participant in the Student Film Festival. A circle is closed. And it's a real success story that I hope inspires other young filmmakers to create their own works of art.

For a film to be viable, it has to survive this process of scrutiny. I think most filmmakers have obsessive-compulsive tendencies and would be completely unemployable in any other job - so it's great to be able to channel your psychological anomalies into something productive and creative.

It sounded like an afterthought, when in fact it's 40-plus panels and workshops over the course of a week. So (Independent Film Week was created) to begin giving it its own year-round opportunities for promotion and position it as more of a destination for filmmakers throughout the country.

It's our job as filmmakers to reflect the world right now, and this year has proven that you can make these movies and make them not taste like medicine.

Everybody's making horror films and, to me, not especially well. I don't know if it's (due to) the corporations taking over studios or what it is. But it really calls for some young filmmakers to come in and just do something from their hearts.

Sunrise' was one of the last silent films. And as such is proof of why so many filmmakers lamented the coming of sound. It is a lovely and very powerful motion picture of love and the power of fidelity in marriage.

It's definitely bigger, definitely more people, definitely more premieres than we've ever had before, more films than we've ever had before, more filmmakers than we've ever had before.

It's a mixture of giving people who come in something worthwhile to do, and screening films in a very respectful manner. The word-of-mouth from people who have been here is extraordinary. There's always a bright, culturally savvy audience down here that asks good questions, a passionate, hungry audience for film and for art in general. Filmmakers and actors appreciate that for their craft.

I'm not one of those actors where filmmakers that I admire ask me to be in their movies. I meet them at parties and they're nice to me, but they never ask me to work with them.

I made all these films and I had all kinds of great experiences. I worked with the great filmmakers and it was a very exciting life.

I'm a believer that audiences are a lot more sophisticated than filmmakers give them credit for. (I) put a lot of faith in the audiences' hands to draw their own conclusions.

Indian cinema is no more limited to audiences in India. We have viewers all around the world, and hence, understanding the global perspective is a must. Cinema Beyond Boundaries would get the viewers and the filmmakers together and would help us in serving them with good quality cinema.

Independent filmmakers now have the ability to deliver quality entertainment to the masses, cost-effectively and efficiently with the help of DAVE.TV and Beyond Media.

I like so many different directors: Scorsese, Coppola, Cassavetes, Jarmusch, Gus van Sant, Woody Allen and the greats like Fellini, Bergman, Tarkovsky and among current filmmakers von Trier, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai.

In a media-saturated world, it is essential that we all turn a critical eye and ear to what we're offered by the mass media as well as the independent media. (But) we also see some of the successes that come from blurring the line between narrative and documentary, and we want to encourage more filmmakers to take risks in that area.

If you go back all the way to the 1920s, filmmakers in Hollywood changed the identity of villains from German to Russian.

I read certain articles about how all of the new filmmakers are immediately being given massive tentpoles, and there's a lot of original movies that we have now lost as a result of this. I don't want to call it a fad because I think it's a good thing. I think the movies are better as a result.

Clearly, the ghosts of 9/11 have come home to roost. And you basically have many, many different filmmakers coming from all different areas of the filmmaking business addressing the issue, whether going into the past or dealing with the present. The Middle East and its discontent are front and center.

his approach to filmmakers and serving his stories.

By utilizing digital projection and the best independent theaters in the country, we've created a business model that allows filmmakers to control the distribution of their films.

Genre expectations can kill creativity. If you do something different, it will get hated. The best filmmakers can do everything on the approval list and knock it out of the park. For me, I have a hard time being creative when I have to color in between the lines.

I feel like, on a more macro scale, there's started to be a relationship between filmmakers and people who watch their films - you know, on Twitter and on the Internet.

If I had all the filmmakers that traumatized me when I was a little kid in this room, all I would say is, 'Thank you,' because they've made me who I am. As much as I say 'trauma,' it all comes from a place of love. The fact that I am feeling emotions at all based on a work is a wonderful thing, so I'm happy to be a part of that discussion.

I decided to take part in this documentary because the filmmakers convinced me that it was the best way to get the word out to as large an audience as possible, and to convince more people to look at the truth of our circumstances.

I couldnt be more pleased, or proud, to continue our relationship with Peter and Fran on this film. There are no filmmakers who better understand the delicate balance between technology and drama, and how the best use of todays astonishing digital tools is in the service of not only spectacle but also a solid story. We are confident that the HALO feature film can be most fully realized under the creative direction of Peter, Fran and Weta.

I do believe that there are auteurs, in the sense that there are filmmakers with very strong voices and their voices are communicated on to the screen without a lot of compromise.

The Henry Hampton Award recognizes those foundations and independent filmmakers whose stories bring critical issues to life. The Film and Video Festival, one of the highlights of our annual conference, celebrates the importance of philanthropic investment in media and the hope it offers for advancing groundbreaking documentaries.

The greatest filmmakers are not the ones who put everything in; they're the ones who can figure things to leave out, and in doing so, invite your participation.

The great composers I worked with along the way, I always felt they were filmmakers more than composers. They would talk about the story rather than the music.

The formula has been working for a long time. I know that Kelly Broccoli, my stepfather, believed that the audience should always get a great experience for their money and that's what we concentrate on. But I think that that's what all filmmakers do, so I can't say it's a unique situation.