Matt Dillon Quotes

The director is the ultimate creative arbiter of what's going to happen. And as a director myself, you really appreciate collaborating with people who are trying to help you find what you need and what you want.

The world cannot be governed without juggling.

I try to find the right director who won't compromise his or anyone else's integrity, and yet be political enough to give the studio what they want, yet put up a fight to maintain that integrity.

I don't miss directing at all, and I don't miss screenwriting either because somebody's always telling you to do something different.

Alliances and partnerships produce stability when they reflect realities and interests.

Consensus isn't just about agreement. It's about changing things around: You get a proposal, you work something out, people foresee problems, you do creative synthesis. At the end of it, you come up with something that everyone thinks is okay. Most people like it, and nobody hates it.

I am uncompromising to the point of huge dissension in the studio. And it's served me very well. My theory and my philosophy is, 'Compromise breeds mediocrity.' Obviously, you have to pick your battles, and the more success an artist has, the more they want to be involved in their own career, which is not necessarily a good thing.

No, I wouldn't direct a movie, no. I couldn't. I don't have the patience for it, I don't have the people skills. You have to be clever. I'm not really clever in that kind of way. And you have to be able to manipulate people, but at the same time allow them to feel like they are manipulating you, to get the kind of movie that you want.

I love to direct! I get really jazzed by directing, but directing is not the same kind of personal expression, the same kind of personal intimate expression that writing is. Because when you're directing, you're basically managing, basically getting out of people doing their job, except when you see them going astray.

One’s right cancels out another’s right.

It is the fact of life that a truth emerges out of a conflict between two wrongs.

My own experience is that the best outcomes are reached when opposing viewpoints are clearly and strongly presented before decisions are made.

A lot of the time, you compromise., which is fine - it's part of not being totally insane.

The key is you don't want to control the controlled stuff too much and you don't want to be too free flowing in uncontrolled situations. That can be a contentious issue with some directors. The joy of my career is I've gotten to work with great directors who get that balance.

'No' is a dynamic that you've got to master before you can ever master 'yes.'

Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance to put stuff on the table voluntarily.

When you are making a movie, there are a zillion cooks in the kitchen, and you don't always get what you want to do. The story can always go in a different direction than what you would like. You compromise, and there is dealing and bickering.

Our mission and task has always been to find a pragmatic balance among competing interests that will serve the greatest common good.

When you're dealing with a bunch of different producers, you gotta make sure the chemistry fits.

One of the many delights that I found in directing was that you plan so many things so meticulously so that they go smoothly. But you also have to leave time and space for spontaneous emotional moments to arise.

I want to direct more often. The job of a producer brings its own benefit as you start to see the simplicity of film making. But yes there is a constant battle between the director and producer in me.

We want to strike the right balance between the governments and our users. If there are concerns, we can work together.

There has to be a very good balance between being aggressive and then being able to defend as well.

I think it's my job to fight. The studio makes you question your idea, and you have to prove it.

Interactions - whether personal or business, teacher-student, friend to friend, or family member - all call for balance, respect, and compassion.