Natalia Tena Quotes

I think that there's a lot more freedom in the low budget, the independent films where, unfortunately, you don't have the money, necessarily, to get the orchestras in there to play a lot of stuff. But, you have a lot more freedom, very often.

I love doing features, but it's a very different ballgame. Sometimes I yearn for short films again, working with a small team, getting my hands on the clay.

Many people came out and said, 'Boy I'd love to make a film that way.' Well, borrow some money, get some people together - you can get people to work for nothing, just treat them right, treat them as human beings, not stars, give them all an equal share, make them feel a part of what they're doing. There's no big secret to it.

I like the intimacy of independent films and I like the idea that people aren't being paid necessarily as much money as some one on a studio film.

For me, the movies I like are all independent. And getting an independent feature made, it's like you get down to the selling organs part, and it just loses some of its luster.

Get out and make films. There are so many cameras now to suit any budget, so there are no excuses.

With independent film, simply because they don't have the money to make a big-budget film, they're forced to make a story that's important to them, that they would like to see on film, a personal story that people can relate to, about people, where you can see the love of the characters.

Reservoir Dogs is a small film, and part of its charm was that it was a small film. I'd probably make it for $3 million now so I'd have more breathing room.

There were no previews; we made the film we wanted to make.

I believe short films are more organic. It's almost like doing theatre. It just takes few takes.

The thing I love the most about low budget films is the creative freedom.

I want to have the illegitimate child of independent film making and the budget to make it. That's my aspiration.

I feel like I'm long overdue for a "one for me" movie, so I've got two low-budget indy personal things I'm working on.

If you want to do a film, steal a camera, steal raw stock, sneak into a lab and do it!

The thing I've come to learn is that what's great about small independent films is the intimacy and the communication that occurs when you're making them.

You definitely want to do the little films. They're always going to be harder, but you don't do them to make money. You do them so you can see what you can make with the research that you have.

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.

I love to produce, and I've directed two short films.

I learned that the best way to work is to allow the scene to live on its own before making major adjustments, whether in rehearsal or on film.

I love doing independent films, but it's very hard to make a living that way.

My partner, Beth Alexander, and I want to produce smaller films, but commercially viable films that will enable me to make the kinds of movies I want to make.

Oh, I love making independent films, it's such a special, magical thing because you collaborate with a small group of people and everyone's pitching in. You'll see producers setting up the lunch table and the sound guy driving a van. We're all really there because we want to be.

You make a movie for 9k for the freedom it allows you.

My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you.

I produce the way I would love to be produced: In ways to create the best conditions to make your movie, but also to create a space in which the director calls the shots.