At HBO, they seem to be well-informed. They make what I think are really quite mature films..

On stage, the audience watches from a fixed viewpoint and the director cannot retake something he doesn't like. It has to work straight through..

With a film, I do my best to understand the author's intentions and try to bring the characters to life..

In Australia, they set up a special fund to kick films off. It was quite an enlightened sort of move. You could go to this government bureau with scr….

Quite a few operas are still being commissioned around the world, although nothing apart from audience popularity can ensure more than a few performa….

I thought, This is fabulous. It sent shivers up my spine. I thought, What kinds of people are these that would produce this kind of music in a camp? ….

The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals..

In silent movies, they tended to put the camera down, and everybody walked in front of it and acted, and then they all walked off. Cutting was quite ….

In opera, everyone's watching from a fixed viewpoint, and that really challenges you. Lighting, the sets, stage groupings, the music-but doesn't rela….

The number of opera houses around the world and the high attendance rates show that opera an art form that is more popular than ever..

I don't rehearse films as much as opera or theatre. When I began directing films I thought a long rehearsal was a good idea. Experience showed me tha….

When we were trying to get the money together for the film, one reason that was consistently given for not investing in it was that everyone kept say….

When I was 24 I went to Nigeria and it was such a culture shock, growing up in Australia and suddenly being the only white man in this unit full of b….

It is essential to do everything possible to attract young people to opera so they can see that it is not some antiquated art form but a repository o….

For a director, the most challenging scenes are the dialogue scenes..

There were movies that always made me want to be a director. You see brilliant scenes and the way the emotions were handled. I thought, I'd really li….

When the music and the characters are flawlessly synchronized, the opera develops an emotional force that movies and plays cannot match..

With Cold Sassy Tree having its first production, I saw no necessity to do anything other than produce it with the correct setting..

Perhaps the most difficult thing is shooting scenes set 6,000 feet up in the mountains of Mexico..

It's not enough to hit the notes. There is no point in the singers just standing there and sounding wonderful if they're not connecting with the char….

In my view, the operas of Carlisle Floyd will find a place in the permanent repertoire..