Elijah Kelley Quotes

It's such a commitment, making a film, you're really dedicated, it's your life, that's all you do for that period of your life.

Success is a nice by-product but what I really want is work.

I always believe that one can't interfere in another's work. Once I start work on any film, I surrender myself completely and blindly follow the director.

When you find something where you can give people a message and still make it an exciting movie, you get very, very excited about something. You probably even work harder than you normally do.

Making a film is very hard work, and you live or die by the sword just a little bit every time you do it, but I wouldn't chuck it in.

Since I spend such a long time making each book, I only choose books that I'm really interested in and that I really love.

I always fight hard to push a movie to the point where it pulls me.

That's the most important thing to me - that if I'm gonna spend however long it takes to make a movie, give up 14 hours a day for however many weeks or months, then it's very important for me to know that I'm working with people who I respect and enjoy and that we're going for something together.

I think for anyone who follows the 'artistic life,' a certain amount of selfishness and self-involvement is part of the package. You're probably already disregarding a certain material life you could have.

I like to just work with great directors.

If I'm gonna spend however long it takes to make a movie, give up 14 hours a day for however many weeks or months, then it's very important for me to know that I'm working with people who I respect and enjoy and that we're going for something together.

When you make movies the way I do, you invest everything you have. And you do it like a crazy maniac.

Neil and I share a desire for great quality in our work. If we are offered projects, look at projects, or consider projects that don't have that quality, then we don't do them.

Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life.

It looks glamorous and wonderful, but it's a job like any other. And I think that's their humility coming through, Joel [Coen] and Ethan's [Coen] humility. I think they really believe they are tradesmen, craftsmen, and they're just pursuing their trade, their craft, and doing the best they can with it.

I've never been the kind of actress that just likes to show up and say my lines. I'm fascinated by what the crew does.

I've always tried to tell myself that the work itself is the thing, that win, lose, or draw, the work is really what counts.

When you add up the minutes you spend actually making a movie - the amount of time you spend actually doing your thing in front of a camera - it just isn't that much. But it's everything.

The films an audience really enjoys are the ones that were enjoyable in the making. Yet pleasure in the work can’t be achieved unless you know you have put all of your strength into it and have done your best to make it come alive. A film made in this spirit reveals the hearts of the crew.

A film needs more than you can give it in a lifetime.

All I can do is try to do the best work I can. I need to work, I like to work... although I complain about it, but I do like it - and I just need to make the best film I can.

I prefer to think of film making - you know, um, the sweat is supposed to be invisible. But a lot of sweat can go into making a film. But of course, if you enjoy doing it, you enjoy doing it.

I never watched a frame of the film until it was finished.

Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder.

I actually believe that a lot of what people call originality has to do with persistence in the craft.