Spike Jonze Quotes

I was fortunate enough to work under directors who were, most of them, brilliant, emotional men.

There is an isolated experience to being a director. It's very communal because there's a crew, but it's only you. You're the one on the hook.

One of the challenges of being a director is often you don't get to work with your peers. You know, writers can write together, and as a director you get to work with so many wonderful actors and writers and designers. But it's pretty rare that you get a chance to partner in that way with another director.

I was constantly reading books about how to direct, and asking directors, 'How do you do it?' And when I finally actually started doing the work, it seemed like you have to be decisive and have an opinion. But also you have to be a good collaborator and hire the right people to shore up whatever your skill set is.

I like working with writer-directors because you can solve problems right there.

I think a first-time director always has to convince a lot of people that they're ready to do it.

And 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' was a very transitional film for me in that I was one of the producers and you know, came up with the idea with the writer and the producer, as well. But, it was a very collaborative event. You know, I really love working in that way.

I worked with young directors all my life, only young directors.

You don't always just have to do an indie movie to feel like you're controlling it with a few people that you really have connected with, creatively. You can do it on a bigger scale.

Fashion is much more collaborative than one might think. You have to have an idea and vision, and you have to communicate that vision to a team of people, and you have to create an environment that allows those people to give the best that they can give.

The directors I respect are the ones who have a collaborative attitude, who collaborate with actors.

I've certainly worked with really great directors who haven't acted.

I am lucky because I get to work with the smartest, most creative, and most devoted group of students and postdoctoral fellows imaginable.

I've been very lucky to work with a lot of amazingly supportive directors.

So yeah, a good director will be able to listen and hear everything, but have a confident vision of his own that he can say, 'oh yeah - that's a great point.' And you never know; often you can help far more than you think you can, because there's so much more that he's juggling than an actor.

I have no directing ambition whatsoever. And as long as I meet filmmakers like Tom Hooper, Stephen Frears, and others who allow that collaboration, I can't see why I would ever want to direct.

Movies are the work of a collective conscious. It takes 500-800 people on a movie to complete a vision.

Now I'm kind of established as a director, I much prefer directing to writing.

There are lots of good directors I would like to work with; I want to be inspired and challenged by them.

Shadowing is really a great way to learn how the entire TV-making mechanism works. I had the distinct pleasure of shadowing the gifted and talented Allison Anders, who taught me a great deal about the importance of collaboration and trusting the talent around you.

I loved working with Ed Zwick.

I haven't worked with a director who is a crazy person at all.

I like working with new and young directors.

I've worked alongside some very good directors and some not so good.

I think 'Believer' and 'Leland' were such great things to have been a part of, and I learned a lot.