Justin Simien Quotes

To make great movies, there is an element of risk. You have to say, 'Well, I am going to make this film, and it is not really a sure thing.'

The only person who has artistic control is the director, and 'director' is how you spell God in Hollywood.

My father, John Marcellus Huston, was a director renowned for his adventurous style and audacious nature.

I think a first-time director always has to convince a lot of people that they're ready to do it.

You don't make pictures for Oscars.

I make movies based on gut.

Hollywood is still the mecca for good or bad, but it isn't the beginning or end for filmmaking.

Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg are men at the top of their game, and Jackson especially is going to change the nature of film-making.

When I came out to Hollywood, I discovered the perfect place for my creative madness - Cannon Pictures.

You've got these big studio films and these tiny independent films now. It's very much either/or. With the independent films, it's always a beautiful risk - it might never be seen. With the studio films, you're conforming to the formula of what's always been in place.

I must say, to my great surprise and pleasure, I deeply loved making movies in the United States because of all the opportunities it gave me to work with people that I admire as artists.

I wanted to make a film as an artist, and it's going to have to find an audience, you know. I don't know how big the audience will be.

No film should try to follow a trend, and do what film people think the public wants. There's no such thing as knowing what the public wants.

'The Last Starfighter' was the first movie I did in the U.S. It was an absolute joy to be a part of it. 'Night of the Comet' was a labor of love. Truly a collaborative effort. I am eternally grateful for the experiences.

And in movies you must be a gambler. To produce films is to gamble.

I think that Star Wars revolutionized not only sci-fi movies, but also the entire industry in the way that things are done.

With directing, you always have three or four things constantly on the go. It's a tough industry and a tough time, particularly if you're doing things a little outside the box or independent features.

It's funny: as a director, there are movies you make because you're passionate about getting your vision across, and you know that you're vision is different than anybody else. In those cases, you take the plunge, and it works, or it doesn't. You make the stylistic choices based on how you feel about the material.

Hollywood's like a warehouse. It's just a place that you go. What's interesting in the warehouse has to do with the creative people.

I admire James Franco. I admire somebody like Jack Nicholson. Anyone who just does movies for the sake of making movies and takes big risks.

A true artist, in my mind, is willing to fail sometimes, because if you're not brave enough to say yes and follow your gut, it's never going to be good.

I realized I probably wouldn't make another film that cuts through commercial and creative things like 'Godfather' or 'Apocalypse.'

There's a tremendous intellectual fervor among independent filmmakers, and that has to be cultivated.

A true artist, in my mind, is willing to fail sometimes, because if you're not brave enough to say yes and follow your gut, it's never going to be good.

I'm from the creative side of Hollywood. I'm up for anyone that wants to support my work. If you have eyeballs and give me a budget and are nice to me, I'm in.