Time management is a big part of the director's job..

I use something that is a real staple in the directing world. It's called a dance floor. You lay it down so that it's so smooth you can roll around, ….

But out of limitations comes creativity..

In places in the world where we don't speak the same language, or even understand that we pray to the same God, we dance to the same beat, that is th….

Fame is fleeting, honey. Fame is fleeting and it changes..

My mother Vivian Ayers always instilled within her children that our opinions, our thoughts and our ideas about what was possible was important. My m….

Be true. Be beautiful. Be free. In the midst of segregation and racism Mamma raised us to be independent and free. We saw ourselves as citizens of th….

I'm always moving forward..

If you just change one person's life, you feel like you've done something. But if you can change a whole lot of them and get them looking at themselv….

As far as pacing the shoot is concerned, I know when I've got it. I don't think there's any reason to take ten takes unless you need them..

As one who loves literature, art, music and history, I've been deeply rooted in the Harlem Renaissance for many years..

I didn't need the insurance. I do it again if my DP tells me it didn't look good in the camera or if the actors didn't hit their marks. But if everyt….

There was a time when fame meant that you were either someone who is really gifted in your field or you were making an impact or you are famous becau….

The first thing that goes into shooting a scene is understanding whats on the page..

Failure: Is it a limitation? Bad timing? It's a lot of things. It's something you can't be afraid of, because you'll stop growing. The next step beyo….

You have to continue to believe in yourself, know your value and continue to work on honing your skills. I was rejected by everyone but here I sit. S….

There are so many famous people now that are not really gifted or talented at doing anything other than getting made up, putting on tight dresses, ac….

You have to examine a scene on the page first. Then you get into the basics of acting: Who are you? Who are you talking to? How do you feel about tha….

I think a good director casts a film so that the actors bring a lot to the table..

It's kind of dangerous to cut in the camera, but that's the only way I know how to direct..

It goes back to a style of moviemaking I remember seeing as a child, in movies like The Man With The Golden Arm, which I think was shot all on a soun….