Perseverance has kept me going over the years. Things rarely happen overnight. Filmmakers should be prepared for many years of hard work. The sheer toil can be healthy and exhilarating.
Werner HerzogRead
Coincidences always happen if you keep your mind open, while storyboards remain the instruments of cowards who do not trust in their own imagination and who are slaves of a matrix If you get used to planning your shots based solely on aesthetics, you are never that far from kitsch.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of openness to creativity over rigid planning in artistic expression.
Werner Herzog's quote reflects a philosophy in filmmaking and art that values spontaneity and imagination over meticulous planning and aesthetic conformity. He suggests that while storyboards can serve a purpose, reliance on them can hinder genuine creativity and lead to superficiality in art, likening it to 'kitsch'. By keeping an open mind and embracing coincidences, artists can tap into deeper, more authentic expressions of their vision.
Themes
CreativityImaginationArtSpontaneityPlanning
In practice
Example use cases
In a film class, you might use this quote to encourage students to embrace improvisation.
More from Werner Herzog
All quotes →Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
Werner HerzogRead
For a moment the feeling crept over me that my work, my vision, is going to destroy me, and for a fleeting moment I let myself take a long, hard look at myself, something I would not otherwise do--out of instinct, on principle, out of self-preservation--look at myself with objective curiosity to see whether my vision has not destroyed me already. I found it comforting to note that I was still breathing.
Werner HerzogRead
Very often, footage that you have shot develops its own dynamic, it's own life, that is totally unexpected, and moves away from you're original intentions. And you have to acknowledge, yes, there is a child growing and developing and moving in a direction that isn't expected-accept it as it is and let it develop its own life.
Werner HerzogRead
Without dreams we would be cows in a field, and I don't want to live like that. I live my life or I end my life with this project.
Werner HerzogRead
Martin Luther was asked, what would you do if tomorrow the world would come to an end, and he said, 'I would plant an apple tree today.' This is a real good answer. I would start shooting a movie.
Werner HerzogRead
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