Dee Rees Quotes

I may even show up behind the camera. I love to put things together; I love to give direction. I have a great eye for pace.

For me, it's all about having the performers feel confident in their movements and surroundings. And then I'll figure out how to photograph it afterward.

I roughly draw the scene beforehand to be more confident on the set. Instead of talking and explaining certain things, I try to visually communicate the scene to my team with the story board. This is how I work.

I don't really believe in the mystery of cinematography - what happens in the camera is what the cinematographers create and all that nonsense - I want the director to see what I'm trying to do.

The directing thing, to do it well, I think you have to have a hell of a lot more discipline than I do, or be a lot more willing to really take charge of whole large group of people than I feel comfortable doing - because a director really has to run everything, and be very confident in their ability to do so.

Before I started to make films, I didn't give much thought to the way the characters were physically positioned in the story world.

I like to be on set and see what the camera guys are up to. I like to see all the jobs that come together to make the thing you are also making.

I don't like to watch playback. But being on the set, watching the way the camera is being moved and the way the light is being used, you do get an idea of it.

Part of the process of acting in a film that you're also directing is really trusting the people around you to capture your vision, which hopefully you have communicated well to them.

I would love to direct some day. It's a good job for a control freak.

I love directing.

I have great respect for directors who know what they're doing.

Directing is very close to choreography; you deal with space, time, emotions, lighting, making beautiful images.

I prepare for a shoot by saturating my brain with images that have different moods or expressions.

I feel like if you feel good about a script, and you feel confident about your ability to direct and just capture it right, it's all just, really, really in your favor there.

I enjoy setting the scene and coming up with interesting frames. 'True Detective' was a very hands-on set.

I prefer directing to acting. There is huge freedom that comes from being behind the camera. It brings a lot of responsibilities as well but is intensely rewarding.

I went to film school, trained as a director, have made a lot of movies, and taken a lot of photographs, so I tend to envision things spatially. As I'm working, I need to have a map of the space. I need to know what's happening in all corners simultaneously.

One thing I learnt was that you don't have to spend all day shooting: you can get it done in half an hour if you're that talented as a cameraman.

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

I sort of feel like my job is to be a conduit to opportunities, to maximize the creativity of the day itself - because that's when the cameras are running. That's the important thing to me. Some of these shots you need to think about in advance; you need to have some ideas for them.

I've always been passionate about directing.

I'm a leader.

I am very much open to doing cinematography for any talented filmmaker, if the script is good.

Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think.