As filmmakers, we do quite a bit of research and study. We read a vast number of tutorials, and articles texts; we watch classic films and go to countless first showings. We do so much to fill our brains with all of the information we think will prepare us for making films and seeing our craft from a new perspective. However, sometimes all we need is a simple quote. Tumblr blog A-BitterSweet-Life (which you should religiously follow) has shared a spiffy interactive Prezi presentation that highlights some truly inspiring quotes about filmmaking and style from 12 filmmakers from all different countries and all different eras including Andrei Tarkovsky, Maya Deren, and Steven Soderbergh.
The quotes were taken from 12 filmmakers: Jean-Luc Godard, Maya Deren, Robert Bresson, Orson Welles, Steven Soderbergh, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Nina Menkes, Andrei Tarkovsky, Béla Tarr, Jean-Pierre Melville, Federico Fellini, and Joachim Trier. A-BitterSweet-Life did a great job of collecting insight from a wide range of directors, one who helped build the foundation of the French New Wave, one who rewrote the book on cinematography, even one who directed what some call the greatest performance even captured on film.
Some offer some excellent advice on how to find your voice and your filmmaking style, while others simply share their thoughts on the matter. One quote I found especially thought-provoking came from Robert Bresson, who talks about the dance between giving your audience freedom while trying to make them "love the way you render things." His words are really quite beautiful and will probably have me obsessing over them for weeks to come.
Check out each one of the quotes below.
If you're a fan of quotes, be sure to check out our past articles featuring quotes from Akira Kurosawa, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Ira Glass (who said one of my favorite quotes of all time), and contributors to the HBO doc about Hollywood and filmmaking, Seduced and Abandoned.
Link: On Filmmaking and Style -- A-BitterSweet-Life
[via Filmmaker IQ]
