Philip Baker Hall Quotes

As the days progressed, I felt as if YNK' was my first film. That is because the director was hellbent on perfectionism. He was insistent about getting the best out of me.

He was an amazing - John McTiernan really was an incredible director, probably the best I've worked with because he constantly busted me when he wasn't getting what he wanted.

You know as a director what you want, but the film is smarter than you, the film says no, the film says there's something more here.

It's such a strange combination that I'd be unhappy to make anything like that without Landis directing.

All these directors, and I would include the Coen brothers and Quentin, have a very unique vision of what they want. They listen to ideas and make people feel like everyone is making the film.

I worked with Steven Spielberg on Amistad... he seemed so very secure in himself that he let me do things.

Some directors hardly talk to the actors at all.

Truffaut loved actresses, and he was very intense. All the actresses I knew wanted to do a film with him.

Other times you can get showy for three minutes, and that's OK with certain films. But that isn't right with an Ang Lee movie, you have to fit right in. You have to understand Ang, respect him and be part of the team and not be in charge of it - he is in charge of it.

I think every director's different. Every director's got his own style. I mean, when I directed, I basically just screamed for eight hours a day, twelve hours a day.

I've certainly worked with really great directors who haven't acted.

What you learn when you direct a film, even more so than as a producer, it's a marriage. It's like a relationship with that film so you've got to make sure that it's really something that you want to live with for three years or however long it is. So I haven't found the right thing to marry yet.

You either are a good director or you're not.

Peter Chelsom and Edgar Wright are totally different directors and worlds apart, but both really accomplished directors who are certain of how they want to make a film.

With Kubrick and most film directors, they are in complete control, but one can influence them.

Everything I've ever written, I had a very distinct vision of what I wanted it to look like. But, other directors never do it that way.

By the first week of shooting, you know exactly where your film is heading based on the psychology of your director.

Every director's so different. Everybody has their own modus operandi and I love getting to know different directors in the way they work. David O. Russell is very exciting to be with because he's got a mind like quicksilver.

After making 'Secretary,' it was a real shock to me to learn that some directors just aren't interested in what actors have to say. They just don't want to collaborate.

My approach to working in movies is to empower the director to have power over me and to really support his vision because he's the guy, at the end of the day, who's going to put it all together.

When I do a film, I follow the director.

The reason I took on directing a film myself was because, no matter how skilful a director was or how much I liked the film, there'd always be beats where I'd go, 'Oh... well, that's skilful, in a way, but it doesn't get the flavour I'd intended in the script.'

I loved working with Stephen Frears. He's a really fantastic director. He knows what he wants and how to get it.

I've heard directing talked about as being a benign dictatorship, and I think that's probably the best way a director should be. They're open to collaboration and feedback from people, but ultimately, it's got to be that one person's vision. That's what I think makes a film really stand out.

Priyadarshan has directed over 84 films and more than 150 ad films. With every film, he is growing. He knows his job well; he is thorough. His way of making a film and song or choreographing a scene is entirely different from other directors. He knows how to use an actor's talent and how to handle an actor.