Jeff Nichols Quotes

I had a philosophy, which may have been proven right, that directing isn't as hard as everyone says it is.

Directing is physically exciting because there's a ticking clock, you're working with people, it's very social, it's very enjoyable.

The kind of films I want to make are struggling to get made. And if they are getting made, they're getting made on shoestring budgets with not enough time.

You have to shelve a lot of your inspiration. There's only so much you can do with one record.

I think any filmmaker looks back and thinks, 'Boy, if we only had four hours more on that day when the sun was going down,' or, 'If we only spent more time and went back.'

When the director has a vision for a piece that I've never heard before, and they can back that up with visuals, and they talk a good game, I get really interested in the world that they're trying to create.

Making a big Hollywood film that really affects people is as hard as making a small movie on a credit card.

Everything about filmmaking tries to distract you from that first fine rapturous vision you have of the film.

Regardless of the medium, be it television or feature or documentary, I'm not gonna distinguish and worry about my particular canon, whatever that means.

A film goes through so many hands, that by the time it's done, it might not resemble what you thought you were making.

I don't believe in development. I believe in pre-pre-production, so when I sit down with an idea for a movie, I'm thinking I'm going to make this film. I don't think about anything else.

TV is all about schedule and budget, and you're always fighting that.

I don't get to make many features. It's not like that's something I can just snap my fingers and make happen.

I'm a big believer in creating parameters for creativity. I think parameters make people more creative. So that starts with my budgets. I only do low budget movies, and I think that makes the movies better.

No two directors make the same film the same way.

After making 'Secretary,' it was a real shock to me to learn that some directors just aren't interested in what actors have to say. They just don't want to collaborate.

I really think of myself just as a filmmaker.

Directing is its own monster with its own set of muscles and exercises.

I think, certainly, directing is a visual medium, but it's also about communication, and a lot of times, great directors are lacking in communication skills, which is rather shocking to discover that.

There's some freedom that you get with indie films that you don't get with the big-budget ones. There's just a different style. I hope I can switch back and forth for the rest of my career, but I've kind of grown up on indies, and there's nothing better than working with these directors so closely and and being such a huge part of the process.

It's our responsibility as filmmakers to tell a story that's a human drama.

You're always just trying to make your film, tell the story you're trying to tell - best you can, you know.

The most important thing as a filmmaker, the hardest journey you'll have, is to find your point of view.

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.

I will continue to make films to express my thoughts that come from my observations, from the society we live in.