Scott Ellis Quotes

Even a two-car parade gets fouled up if you don't decide ahead of time who's going to lead.

The most important thing for having a party is that the hostess is having fun. I'm very organized. I make a plan for absolutely everything. I never have anything that has to be cooked while the guests are there. The only thing I might have to do is take something out of the oven and carve it.

Every great summer party starts with a list. Throwing something together chaotically ends up being more work than taking 15 minutes to make a plan first.

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

I'm a little Type A, and I have this really thick binder whenever I do a movie where I make a million notes, and in between takes, I'm checking it out.

With comedy, you really want to work things out beforehand.

The night before, go over your schedule and see what you're going to do and what the purpose of what you're doing is. I advocate having a two-column schedule. On the left, put down all your appointments and phone calls. On the right, put down what the purpose is.

My mother taught me that it is important to be prepared for a last-minute polish.

Hopefully, next year if we can get everything sorted out and together.

For a State Dinner there are many people involved in the menu planning—many cooks in the stew as it were.

Schedule your time. People always ask, 'How do you do it all?' I'm like a walking calendar. I literally make my snacks on a Sunday if I'm traveling on a Tuesday, and I'll pack them before I leave.

If you feel like you can't throw a party, just put a timeline together. There are always little things you can do ahead of time - like washing and pressing linens and bringing out your tableware. Check them off as you complete them.

I've got four kids, so I plan ahead. I have to book flights far in advance, look at accommodation, where it is, what you can and can't do. Same in running.

I like to plan. I like to see the future.

I tend to over-prepare my shot lists.

I'm not good at planning ahead because it's just too much. I plan, set it up and then don't think about it again until it's almost time. That's just how it goes.

Packing is important because a lot of times I have to go places where I have to be in four different climates in three weeks. For example, Bosnia, Ireland, Rome. Different parts of Italy. You have to pack and get it down to a science.

I like finding things out beforehand, because I'm nervous in disposition, and I worry that if I don't do anything, then I'll turn up and I still won't really have a sense of it, and it might be too late. So I like to get things as organized as I possibly can in my own head, to apply myself to the work before arriving to a late-in-the-day rehearsal, or in extreme cases, the first day on set.

I always designed my practice plans the night before and then made tweaks a few hours before practice began

Don't start the day until you have it finished. Don't start the week until you have it finished. Don't start the month until you have it finished. Plan your day.

Always, Always have a plan

The preparations were elaborate and mammoth in scale, and Washington threw himself into the effort, demanding that not an hour be lost.

Five minutes of planning are worth fifteen minutes of just looking.

I never wanted to show up and just say, "Okay, what are we doing today? Let's wing it!"

If you have everything prepared, the rest will take care of itself.