In the week that Dunkirk hits the big screen, I thought I would share some of Chris Nolan’s most inspirational, educational and resonant quotes. If you enjoy these, check out the interview we did with him and his wife and producer Emma Nolan BEFORE they were a big deal (just after ‘Following’) HERE. “Breaking rules […]
Ken Loach is one of our most prolific and uncompromising filmmakers here in the UK. With decades of ground-breaking work under his belt and an astonishing track record, we are delighted to host an ‘In conversation’ with him at the London Screenwriters’ Festival tomorrow night. You can get your pass HERE. And here are his […]
Movie star, filmmaker and founder of Sundance, Redford has had a fascinating career with some extraordinary movies and collaborations. First and foremost an actor and artist, his fusion with commerce is what gives him such interesting perspective, particularly to indie filmmakers who he clearly loves. Here are his top quotes… ‘Storytelling is important. Part of […]
As a kid, science fiction was the most exciting genre to me. Perhaps this was because it writ ideas large. Sure character, plot and authenticity were often there, but they always seemed to play second fiddle to the BIG idea. And I loved that. It was the purest form of imagination that to my mind, […]
The first film that impacted on me significantly was ‘The Ten Commandments’ which I believe was the first film I saw in a cinema. It was, for a five year old by in the seventies, a quasi religious experience that has never left me. Whether god truly exists or not, to me, God was present […]
As a kid, no director inspired me more than Spielberg. Sure there were others whose work was hugely influential, John Carpenter and Ridley Scott foremost. But Spielberg remained the person I most admired, someone whose films I wanted to model, whose career I wanted to emulate. Perhaps it’s because he started his filmmaking career by […]
Werner Herzog is one of the most diverse, uncompromising and staggeringly prolific filmmakers on the planet. His gaze is often so clear and direct as to become painful, yet a truth regularly reveals itself inside the scrutiny of his work. Like his work or loathe it, the bottom line is this, every filmmaker can learn […]
There are few writers whose work is so distinctive that as soon as you hear it spoken in a show or film, you know who wrote it. Aaron Sorkin is one such writer. His dialogue just crackles along leaving writers like me breathless and Joe public grinning in satisfaction. And his CV is stunning – […]
John Hughes was, for me at least, one of the greatest American filmmakers ever. His work, often overlooked by many, is both the soundtrack to an entire generation AND an extraordinary body of work that was compressed in a short hut staggeringly creative period. I also found a rare podcast with him some time ago […]
Robert McKee remains one of the most influential voices in storytelling training, and having had lunch with him and his wife numerous times, it’s easy to see why. He knows his shit. Seriously, I usually turn up for lunch, sit down and just listen to a master as he shares his most recent discoveries. After […]
Clint. He needs no introduction. Here’s his top quotes, some of which are surprising. ‘I tried being reasonable, I didn’t like it.’ ‘Every movie I make teaches me something. That’s why I keep making them.’ ‘I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s […]
Yesterday I had the great privilege of interviewing the legendary Roger Corman onstage at the Great American Pitchfest. Aside from a few microphone niggles, it was a splendid conversation with a man who for me was a kind of grandfather to my career. I wanted the conversation to be about ‘now and tomorrow’, to offer […]
It’s hard to write anything about Steve Jobs without being awed by his life and career. Apple and Pixar. What a stunning legacy. Above is his Stanford Commencement speech from 2005, and it’s as inspiring as it is instructive. What a man. ‘Just make it great.’ ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living […]
I love Stephen King. As a kid I worked my way through a mountain of his books. Years later and as a filmmaker and screenwriter, I discovered his book ‘On Writing’. For me, this was a gamechanger read. Not because it’s a superb ‘how too’ manual (which it is), but because it felt like it […]
Love him or loathe him, Kubrick is an icon of 20th Century filmmaking. Here are my top ten favourite quotes of his… ‘If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed’ ‘I do not always know what I want, but I do know what I don’t want’ ‘Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the […]
Hitchcock, the original master of suspense, was also a master of promotion. His pithy one liners are great reminders that audiences LOVE thrill, shock and suspense, even in dramas… ‘Drama is life with the dull bits cut out’ ‘The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder’ ‘The […]
