But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself.
Paul Thomas AndersonRead
I have a feeling, one of those gut feelings, that I'll make pretty good movies the rest of my life.
Interpretation
The quote expresses confidence in the ability to create impactful films throughout one's life.
Paul Thomas Anderson shares a profound inner conviction about his future in filmmaking. The phrase 'gut feeling' implies a deep-seated intuition rather than mere hope, suggesting that he believes in his artistic talents and potential for success in the industry. This reflects a passion for his craft and an expectation of continued productivity and creativity in making significant movies.
In practice
In a speech at a film festival to inspire young filmmakers.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself.
No matter how many times you do it, you don't get used to the sadness - for me at least - of coming to the end of a film.
I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience.
My filmmaking education consisted of finding out what filmmakers I liked were watching, then seeing those films. I learned the technical stuff from books and magazines, and with the new technology you can watch entire movies accompanied by audio commentary from the director. You can learn more from John Sturges' audio track on the 'Bad Day at Black Rock' laserdisc than you can in 20 years of film school. Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.
I always had a dream about trying to make a movie that had no dialogue in it, that was just music and pictures. I still haven't done it yet, but I tried to get close in the beginning.
It's a gamble you take, the risk of alienating an audience. But there's a theory - sometimes it's better to confuse them for five minutes than let them get ahead of you for 10 seconds.
I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art.
I have often seen an actor laugh off the stage, but I don't remember ever having seen one weep.
Creating a poem is a continual process of re-creating your ignorance, in the sense of not knowing what's coming next.
Most photographers seem to operate with a pane of glass between themselves and their subjects. They just can't get inside and know the subject.
The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.
I'm not afraid of a big studio film; I trust my instincts. But for me, it's not really about box office. It's about looking back on your work and not having to apologize for it.
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