Francis Ford Coppola Quotes

Instead of dumping all my money on an independent film that nobody would watch and most people would make fun of behind my back, I decided, 'I'm just going to buy a house.'

I just want real creative freedom without worrying about, you know, car payments.

Someday, I'd like to sit down with a small group of people, in a relaxed environment, and make a film that feels more independent. That way we can be a little more free in terms of storytelling and subject.

'Easy Rider' and 'The Last Movie' were the only films that I made totally on my own.

With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a time. I didn't do it on anybody's grant. I did it like any other young executive - by cheating and stealing!

Making an independent film is so different.

I'm fortunate enough to act in a TV show that makes me a lot of money so I can pay for my own movies. I don't have to wait for anybody and that's more of what I like doing. But I still think that you don't have to be connected in the industry to make your movie. You just have to write something that is meant to be made cheaply.

For me, if I had all the money in the world, and I could finance my own films, I would do whatever.

My good films were independent and my bad films were not.

The Tom Strong thing was totally for the money. I plan to get looser after I finish this Maggie saga.

I never have to this day, because my money is the money I earn.

I had my jazz club and I had enough money. So I didn't have to write for my living.

I didn't have a lot of independent film connections. It really took until the digital film revolution came along that I realized that I could do it myself.

It's nice when you're working in Hollywood and there's a movie you'd like to see that no one is making anymore. You make it yourself.

To some extent I could identify with that because I kind of just made my money and got out.

I have a nest egg, and I don't buy above my means.

Box office success has never meant anything. I couldn't get a film made if I paid for it myself. So I'm not 'box office' and never have been, and that's never entered into my kind of mind set.

I think I get way too much credit for making what people consider to be smart choices, but it's only because I made a decision to stop worrying about making money. I had done network sitcoms. I had a nest egg.

Well, since I produce and pay for my own albums, it is the ultimate freedom.

My big goal in life was always to figure out how I can make a lot of money so I can go off and make films irrespective of the opinion of the three or four critics who seem to rule the roost.

As far as income goes, there are three currencies in the world; most people ignore two. The three currencies are time, income and mobility, in descending order of importance. Most people focus exclusively on income.

You have got to be the masters of your own financial future.

I don't want to be on anyone's board. I just want to have good investments.

If I could have come in for $10m, I would have done that. I've been pretty smart with my money. I'm playing because I want to play this game here - I want the opportunity.

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.