I've produced my own films for twenty years now - it means I have to talk to less people.
The written word can be powerful and beautiful - but films transport us to another place in a way that even the most evocative words never can.
There's no one out there like Quentin Tarantino. His films have a signature look, and they never just stick to the same kind of story.
Now it really is, believe it or not, 90% of the films are green lit, not by the studio heads, but by the marketing department.
As a director you have to be careful you don't over-design the film. You have to be careful that the period aspect does not take over.
I grew up making films and always thought that's what I wanted to do.
I tried to film 'Leaves of Grass' in Oklahoma, but it was literally about a million dollars less to shoot in Louisiana.
I never dreamed that shooting a film would be so hard. There was less regulation then of child actors' hours. Even the concept of acting confused me.
Altman was told they wouldn't do the film with me. He could easily have abandoned me, but he stood by me and really bailed me out.
I write for film or, in this case, television when I haven't got a play cooking.
All I wanted with that film was to represent the possibility that there might be normal people who are Muslim or Arab with the same fears, responsibilities, hopes.
I think film is collaboration, and I always want to hear everyone's input.
In 1921, Harry Houdini started his own film company called - wait for it - the Houdini Picture Corporation.
Friends told me not to bother with the silents - they're jerky, poorly photographed and ludicrously badly acted. But I was immediately struck by the freshness and vitality of these films.
The scenes in the show were filmed with a crew of really excellent stunt jumpers, but we had the feel of the parachutes, so we could be more realistic in the roles.
I see Igby as my first movie as an adult, and it's a big deal for me because I really, really like the film.
The filmmaker is really important to me: it could be their first film; it's not just about their reputation, but I have to really believe in them.
The average Hollywood film star's ambition is to be admired by an American, courted by an Italian, married to an Englishman and have a French boyfriend.
Unlike films, which can be easily disseminated worldwide via DVDs and the Internet, plays struggle to find an international audience.
Obviously, I've made several films in Korea, so I'm very well accustomed and acclimated to Korean filmmaking.
The film world is a crazy place to be. You sit around all day waiting for the phone to ring. Are people talking about you or aren't they?
