Directing Skills Quotes

Ultimately, I want to direct a movie, so that's another thing, too, where I wonder what that will look like and how will I be able to manage.

I'd love to direct, and I think I'd be a great director, but... I've been approved by the studio to direct, which I think is a cool jump of faith for them. Or proof that they're really stupid. But I don't think so.

I've never directed, but it must be humbling.

A lot of actors aren't particularly good directors. And they're not particularly good with other actors. That's kind of a fallacy.

It's funny because I've resisted acting as a career for most of my life. But both my parents told me if I ever want to direct, I should act first because no director should direct until they know what it's like to be in the actor's shoes.

I'm still trying to learn how to do it, I'm still trying to figure out how to make films, but, yeah, it started then [in 1979].

I think film is a world of directors. Theater is a world of actors. Or, theater is for actors as cinema is for directors. I started in theater. Filming is as complete as directing film. In theater, you are there, you have a character, you have a play, you have a light, you have a set, you have an audience, and you're in control, and every night is different depending on you and the relationship with the other actors. It's as simple as that. So, you are given all the tools.

There's a heresy which is perpetuated by film school that to be a great director you have to write your own stuff.

An actor is an instrument. One needs to control them.

Directing is such alchemy, it's so easy to fail. And I've seen people who are great at their jobs because everybody has a go. Editors, DPs, actors, craft services guy, everybody wants to try it out but it is such a diffuse but necessary set of skills that you never know which one this person might lack.

I think every actor should direct at least once and vice versa.

Sometimes if you're a director, you want to believe that you're great and capable at all aspects - the technical side, the lights, everything - but I'm not.

I don't think you can be a great director without knowing a lot about editing.

I think I'm a better director than I ever was an actor. I'd love to go back to acting, but nobody seems to want me.

I think that it helps that I have acted. That said, it doesn't mean you're going to be a good director.

I am discovering myself as a director all the time.

I think it's important that a director be able to know his characters inside and out.

TV is a different animal these days. You can bring together really smart writing and directing, in-depth character development and really meaty political and emotional stories.

I mean, yeah, Anne Fletcher was a choreographer, but she was born to be a director. You need to have the ability to figure out people's rhythms. It all starts from the script.

But actually my dad is a very talented director and not just his use of shots and camera, but he's very good with actors and he knows acting well. It's great to see him do that and be really good at it and he's been doing it for a while and he certainly knows how to make movies, and little movies I guess for a television show, and he's going to come back in November to direct a second episode, which I'm really excited about.

I think that women are uniquely suited to the job of directing, and I've seen it firsthand.

To answer the question, though: I didn't always want to direct. I just liked the idea of it. If a friend was making a short and needed someone who knew screen direction, I would jump in. It would be horrible, but it led to a short, then another, and another. It was like student films.

Television is kind of restrictive in its directing, but it would be nice to get some chops doing TV.

One thing which no one knows about me is I could be very good director. Although I have not directed any movie so far but I am sure the day I start it, I would be very good at it.

I've been aware of the work I do as an actor being directorial in feel.