Michael Lehmann Quotes

I hesitate to direct even though I feel I contribute a lot on a set.

There's no way I see myself as a director. Direction is far too creative.

Probably the biggest challenge for me as a director was to not show how scared I was. I was surrounded by some of the most talented people in the industry, and I had to pretend I knew what I was doing.

With Pearl Jam, everybody is so good at what they do, it's hard to get up the courage to say, Can I sing this part, or, I want to play guitar. I feel like I have more courage to do that.

There is a fine line between assertiveness and being relaxed.

You don't always have to be a leader and be as vocal as I am. I'm sure some people would love it if I didn't talk as much as I did.

Are you intimidated by me? Because if you're intimidated by me, that's something you'll have to deal with.

I want to exude strength and intelligence.

I was introverted, shy. But if you win a lot you need to be extroverted, or they'll think you're arrogant.

I am the least intimidating person. I think I would have done better in my career if I were a little more intimidating. Even the maid who comes to work for me once a week has found out that she can just trample over me... I'm a Cancer! We are not ferocious people.

I'm quite modest. I don't want to tell people I'm a leader.

Directing is really exciting. In the end, it's more fun to be the painter than the paint.

I find myself to be the least intimidating person ever.

Directing feels great; I'm really happy to be doing this.

Men are always like, 'You're so intimidating.' I don't find myself to be. But whatever - I'm not going to try to be less intimidating. It's just a matter of finding a guy who's able to deal with it.

I must make decisions every five minutes and give the impression of being sure of myself! Sincerely, this is the cause of my verbal violence.

You can't wait for someone to discover you; you have to just get on and do it. Have confidence that directing is a very suitable job for a woman - with our gift for collaboration, listening, and reading the nuance of things.

The great thing about women directors is that they're not only involved in the performances - they can gauge where we all are personally and know how to direct us better because of that.

It never occurred to me that I'm intimidating.

I'd like to be more assertive when it comes to confrontation. I'm fine on the pitch, but off the pitch, I'm a bit of a softy.

Sometimes I'll be watching a movie then think to myself that I could do a better job.

Directing is such alchemy, it's so easy to fail. And I've seen people who are great at their jobs because everybody has a go. Editors, DPs, actors, craft services guy, everybody wants to try it out but it is such a diffuse but necessary set of skills that you never know which one this person might lack.

There is a lot of management going on with directing. Maybe that was the biggest surprise-just the amount of tending that I had to do. The different personalities . . . It's not my way, and it's never been my function before as a writer. I tend to be a moody and somewhat withdrawn person, and I felt very clearly that I had to throw that away because that wasn't allowed here - there were other people who were going to be filling that role. Sometimes it became exhausting, especially around the eleventh hour of the day.

The directing thing, to do it well, I think you have to have a hell of a lot more discipline than I do, or be a lot more willing to really take charge of whole large group of people than I feel comfortable doing - because a director really has to run everything, and be very confident in their ability to do so.

The greatest manager has a knack for making ballplayers think they are better than they think they are.