Gary Cole Quotes

I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was able to translate that to the actors and ultimately to the screen. Things can't get too heavy or too outrageously funny; it has to strike a balance. Tone is everything. If you've set the right tone, you can get away with a lot of stuff. You can get away with making people cry.

Visual elements are, of course, the director's job.

The reason why I wanted to direct is because there are personal stories that I want to tell, but also because I love every part of movie making - from the wardrobe to the set decoration to cinematography.

The truth is James Cameron can do every other job. I'm talking about every single department, from art direction to props to wardrobe to cameras, he knows more than everyone doing the job. But he can't act. And therefore he is in thrall of actors.

I'm a cinephile. I love movies, I love film at every level. I'm a student of it. It informs me as does all art in my music, because there's stories, there's acts, there's moods, there's dynamics, there's moodiness, emotion. All of those things that play into a film. I think that could equally be said about music. It definitely informs me. Beats is stories.

For me, the filmmaking has to be about the dramaturgy.

My directors of photography light my films, but the colours of the sets, furnishings, clothes, hairstyles - that's me. Everything that's in front of the camera, I bring you.

A lot of people who watch DVDs are people who are interested in, if not moviemaking, then creativity in general.

I love design-based stuff. I dug it in 'Pleasantville' and dug it in 'Seabiscuit.'

But Sergio Leone invented totally the way of, you know, the details, the eyes, the hands - fantastic.

Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.

My wife Victoria Harwood was art director on 'Far North,' and she had designed my student film, 'The Sheep Thief.'

Any time you talk about the look of the film, it's not just the director and the director of photography. You have to include the costume designer and the production designer.

What always leads me in terms of my movies are characters.

I never know going in if I've even got a movie to make. Once you start making a film, you hope there's going to be enough material! My job as a director is always to push for more.

I'm a storyteller - that's the chief function of a director. And they're moving pictures, let's make 'em move!

There were movies that always made me want to be a director. You see brilliant scenes and the way the emotions were handled. I thought, I'd really like to do that.

To this day I over prepare. I draw storyboards for every scene - chicken scratches so crude that they amuse and horrify the crew. I send out shot lists, act out the scenes, and search for a theme that I can relate to. It's my favorite time of the process.

A lot of the films now are more focused on the visuals than on the actors. I think all directors should go to drama school.

Every story is different, every movie is different, every director is different.

I believe that the story is the most important element of any medium whether it's theater, film, TV.

Content films necessary don't go by the content, they go by the emotions. Content films are about content whether you want to portray the content or sell it through humour, through seriousness, is a choice of the filmmaker.

Atanu is one of my favourite directors. His script, style of storytelling and characterisation are always very different.

All my films have been larger-than-life. And since I've sat on almost all the scripts of the films I've produced, I do not compromise on aesthetics and visuals that could add to a scene.

I would love to direct a documentary film if any good subject comes my way.