Federico Fellini Quotes

There simply isn't a way to do the show without investing in a bunch more companies.

It is important to be financially savvy when you turn producer. As a director, you just need to have a good script in hand.

When you're making an independent film, it's like this actor plus this actor equals this funding, this financing. Pull this actor out, this actor is still here but this money's gone. It's this frightening puzzle mosaic that is the world of independent film.

I think people forget that a lot of directing is just real management of the size of a production.

I have been working on one film at a time. One film recovers a little cost and that helps me move on to the next one.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who has produced my earlier films, is still a part of 'PK' and is presenting it. He is not a hands-on producer - he used to put a certain amount in the bank and give me the cheque book.

The more people's money you take to do something, the more inputs you get.

I think one of the main reason's Rick Rosenthal and Whitewater PIctures decided to 'get in bed with me' on 'Fat Kid' was because I came in with a strong business plan as well as a creative vision on how to make the film.

The issue often with films is how it works with money and trying to get a visible movie star presence in the film.

As soon as you're at the higher levels of budgeting, you've got to get the film made, and the only way to support the film is to have actors who can support the budget.

Other people have worked with big studios and maintained control over their movies. I see no reason why it wouldn't work for me.

On Lock, Stock, we didn't know where the money for shooting the next day was coming from.

Shooting films in Britain is always difficult, because we've never got enough money to make them.

I've already felt that I want to direct. Being an executive producer is like the best job in the world because you make all these executive decisions and then you leave the money to other people. You don't have to be on set and counting beans.

It is not like casting me in your movie is going to help you get financing.

In the U.K., there's absolutely no money for television. So you can do pretty much whatever you want. They're not losing money on any of the shows, so they'll give you a lot of creative freedom. In the United States, there are millions and millions of dollars at stake, so they need a sure formula.

I make almost all the decisions on set and have to deal with all the financial aspects.

We shot ten minutes of the movie, and now we're looking for completion funds.

Once you become a producer, you're really selling something. It is a control issue, because you don't really know how it's going to pan out, but the creative control makes it work it.

If I start a film of my own, then what I eliminate is acting in other people's movies. Because once I start, and I go raise the money, it's about two and a half or three years, and I can't stop. I have people hired. I can't say, 'Ooh there's a good part called 'Drive'; I'll see you in three months.'

I've been in charge all my damn life, but executive producing is teamwork. You're involved with every aspect of the production, from casting to locations, everything.

As an actor, I was often shielded from the big-picture decisions. But as a producer, I experience all the conversations where there's pushback or a difference of opinion.

The first thing I learned as a producer is that you have very little control over the life of a project. Anything can stall a film from financing to scheduling to casting. Things fall apart all the time. Don't waste time on something that just won't get made. Try to have as many projects going at one time as you can handle.

As a director, you need the Saul Zaentz type of producers. Zaentz was a guy who literally capped the storm outside of the director so that they could do their job. That's a great producer.

I'm a very hands-on producer.