William Wyler Quotes

As the director of a film, as the story teller, you have to keep your voice alive.

Every stage of filmmaking's important while you're doing it, so I spend most of my time figuring out how to tell the story. I have all these stories and ideas, but it's how to tell the story.

As a director you have to be careful you don't over-design the film. You have to be careful that the period aspect does not take over.

Technically, maybe I learned most of all from George Stevens, and among his movies I learned the most from 'A Place in the Sun.' It's a lesson in moviemaking.

I'd made these experimental films but I thought the major chore of a filmmaker was to relate to actors.

I have always believed that directing a film is like telling a story. You have to tell it well so that it is appreciated.

Film has to describe and show.

Working on movies made me realize how fluid the medium of film was.

The quality of television is becoming so good from an actor standpoint, where you get to do these amazing scenes with amazing directors and cinematography.

I haven't thought about getting into production. I'm interested in the creative aspect of storytelling.

There are a lot of similarities with film and TV, but also a lot of differences, especially in the way they film stuff.

I don't think of myself as a director or writer. I think of myself as a filmmaker.

Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing is: photograph the people's eyes.

I was amazed by how much you have to think about as a director. As an actor, you don't have to think about much at all, as it turns out. It's very easy. And then when you step into the director's role, there's this whole universe of stuff that you have to pay attention to that's amazing to me.

Film is very condensed.

A good script and a good brief from the director is enough to let me know what is expected of me.

I think film, to me, as a director, is about telling a story.

The director is the only person on the set who has seen the film. Your job as a director is to show up every day and know where everything will fit into the film.

I think films are bigger than structure.

Directing was easy for me because I was a writer director and did all my directing when I wrote the screenplay.

Film-makers must decide what story to tell and how to tell it.

I view filmmaking as a director's medium.

I began to learn about the camera and the actors. That gave me a lot of the skills. At the same time, advertising gives you a lot of vices, for example, an obsession for a superficial look, but at the same time, it gives you the capacity to synthesize the story - tell a story in one minute.

I don't study films particularly. I plan to direct, but I'm not watching film - I watch the entire film to see how the story goes, but I don't say, 'Oh, so he does a slow pan here, or he pulls here, watch the crane shot, or look at the composition,' because it's got to be my eye.

A shot is only as every as good as how well it tells the story.