Ronald Meyer Quotes

That's the great thing about filmmaking: Things happen you don't know are going to happen at the end.

It's a lot of fun to be a part of films that you don't exactly know how they're going to turn out.

Peter Jackson is a wonderful man. He's a great director. He's found his niche in life.

You write a hit the same way you write a flop.

I've learned that you can never predict what will happen to a film. You can never predict if people will love it, if they'll hate it. It's an act of ego if you're hoping for everyone to love the film and tell you how great you are.

The thing is, even though you think a lot about your movie, and there's a lot of preparation behind it, the final end result completely goes beyond it. It's not something you're aware of.

There is no guaranteed formula. And that's one of the interesting things about filmmaking. You could put $115 million in, and it doesn't guarantee success.

Filmmaking, I often like to say, is like Russian roulette. You never know what you'll get. The only thing you can do is find solace in the fact that, irrespective of the film's response, you work hard to make the money you do.

There was never an 'a-ha' moment when a spider bit me and I knew I could write songs. For that reason, I don't know if I'm always going to be able to. I want to write songs forever, but it's an elusive thing.

I didn't know what I was going to get. You never do, when you're filming something for real.

If a piece of genius comes, it comes, and it if doesn't, it doesn't.

I sort of have various sort of theories when people ask me about songwriting because it is a mystery. You don't really know. Sometimes you can do it and sometimes you can't. It's really peculiar.

A book of mine is always a matter of fate. There is something unpredictable about the process of writing, and I cannot prescribe for myself any predetermined course.

Once you've started a film you don't become a wet noodle. You must have that conflictual interface because you don't know, and they don't know. It's through conflict that you come out with something that might be different, better than either of you thought to begin with.

I think quite often, being on the new set is not what you expect. The most serious film can be the most fun. The one that's supposed to be fun can be the most serious. I don't think there are any hard-and-fast rules. I just think it really depends on your director and what the general vibe is.

That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no such thing. It is a mere matter of craftsmanship.

It sounds really corny but every film that you do is its own journey, it's its own experience, it's its own thing. Often you think it's going to be one way and then it goes another way - you think you can chart a character and then other things happen. That's the amazing thing about our jobs, it's constantly changing and it's extremely dynamic and you therefore have to be dynamic as well.

Talent is less important in filmmaking than patience.

I love that about filmmaking - seeing final product and getting to see everyone else that you don't necessarily engage with on set every day and getting them to showcase their talents. Whether it's effects, music, the edit, the rhythm of a film is driven by that, so it's cool to see it come together. It's great to be standing in front of something you're genuinely proud of.

Making a movie is like chipping away at a stone. You take a piece off here, you take a piece off there and when you're finished, you have a sculpture. You know that there's something in there, but you're not sure exactly what it is until you find it.

...when you collaborate with someone else on something creative, you get to places that you would never get to on your own. The way an idea builds as it careens back and forth between good writers is so unpredictable. Sometimes it depends on people misunderstanding each other, and that's why I don't think there's any such thing as a mistake in the creative process. You never know where it might lead.

If you don't think there is magic in writing, you probably won't write anything magical.

Artists of all disciplines must be willing to go into the dark, let go control, be surprised.

I didn't give any instruction to the video, because it was a new medium. I didn't know what to tell him; it was so young. I did the piece and immediately after the piece, I wanted to see the material.

Filmmaking is exploring. Why would I want to make a film about something I already understand?