Cary Fukunaga Quotes

I've studied documentarians extensively to come up with my own in-house style. I'm a student of Michael Moore's films, of Eisenstein, Riefenstahl. Leave the politics aside, you have to learn from those past masters on how they were trying to communicate their ideas.

I'm not a big fan of shooting something that looks like it could belong in any movie. I'm not a fan of, okay, 'wide shot, wide shot, medium shot, close-up, close-up - we'll figure it out in post.' I hate that.

On 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,' we started exploring shots that are longer, where the camera is moving around the actors, and there are no cuts, and you feel like you're there.

There's a fashion for a macho style of filmmaking. How long can your longest take be? And shooting things in one shot. For me, if you can sort of disappear and make people feel that they are there, that involves massive amounts of work.

If everyone worked with wide-angle lenses, I'd shoot all my films in 75mm, because I believe very strongly in the possibilities of the 75mm.

If you've noticed that I don't use long takes, it's not because I don't like them, but because no one gives me the necessary means to treat myself to them. It's more economical to make one image, then this image and then that image, and try to control them later, in the editing studio.

If I have to point to something specific with the way I move my camera, I love to do it with a wide lens. I like to show you as much of the space as I can, even if I'm following a character.

Rod Lurie is one of the most wonderful directors I have had the pleasure to work with. He shoots like Clint Eastwood: no fuss. When he gets it, he knows it - one or two takes.

The great thing about 'Fargo' is that it's a more objective style of filmmaking: the camera moves in very classical ways, and the most interesting things normally are the characters.

I will always find my light. No question. And if I don't, I'll know, because my dad will be the first person to call me and say, like, 'You need to have him bring another 2K in,' and 'Why aren't you using this sort of lighting gel?' The crew guys know that it's where I grew up.

I don't like fast cuts. I'd rather shoot something that dances to the music.

I'm not the guy who does slo-mo, or I'm not the guy who does splashing rain or doves flying or anything; that's not me. Every film, I try and make it the way I see it in my head, and it really just depends on the script and the people I'm working with or whatever interests me at that particular time.

I come from music videos and commercials, where style is a big part of the whole world. I've always tried to add that to whatever I'm doing.

Alex Zamm is probably the most talented director I've ever worked with. He is so good at working with actors and crew and setting up his shots.

It's one of my obsessions to come up with ways to reimagine establishing shots in new, non-boring ways. Shots that have energy and excitement.

The mystery of film is not in the script. It's in the shooting, in the interacting of humans and space and time.

Your job as a director is to study the show, understand the show, understand the vibe, the tone, the characters.

Isn't composing music akin to film direction?

Usually, if you notice good cinematography, then the cinematographer's failing. I try to make light feel like it's always motivated and natural in some way and hope that the lighting goes unnoticed.

Having been a cameraman, I think about, 'Well, if this was real, how would this be shot?' I try to inject as much realism as much as possible.

Some filmmakers are great at making complex things and films with a lot of moving parts, and I'm just not that way.

My background is in filmmaking, and my mentor is Dusan Makavejev, who combined fiction and documentary.

My favorite way of making films - and what has allowed me to get key scenes in 'Cartel Land' and 'City of Ghosts' - has been when I've been able to operate alone.

I know when it comes to TV, the writer is king, but to me, the filmmaker is king.

At the end of the day everyone has his own style of making a film and add the kind of ingredients which he feels would be good enough to entice audiences.