Why, I hold fate Clasped in my fist, and could command the course Of time's eternal motion, hadst thou been One thought more steady than an ebbing sea.
John FordRead
The main thing about directing is: photograph the people's eyes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Directing is about capturing genuine emotions, particularly through the eyes of the actors.
This quote emphasizes the importance of honest expression in filmmaking. John Ford suggests that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and to convey true emotion and connection in a film, a director must focus on how the actors' eyes communicate feelings and intentions, allowing the audience to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
Themes
DirectingFilmEmotionEyesExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a filmmaking workshop, to emphasize storytelling, a mentor might say, 'Remember, the main thing about directing is: photograph the people's eyes.'
More from John Ford
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It was an accident, although I've been involved in some kind of theatrical function or other since I was a child - in school, music, athletics. To me, acting is the most logical way for people's neuroses to manifest themselves, in this great need we all have to express ourselves. To my way of thinking, an actor's course is set even before he's out of the cradle.
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MichelangeloRead
All paintings start out of a mood, out of a relationship with things or people, out of a complete visual impression. To call this expression abstract seems to me often to confuse the issue. Abstract means literally to draw from or separate. In this sense every artist is abstract . . . a realistic or non-objective approach makes no difference. The result is what counts.
Richard DiebenkornRead
The BAFTAs give the British point of view, and the Oscars give the American point of view, but the truth is we're all working in an international industry.
Ian MckellenRead