All movements begin and end, and all have been inspired by others that have come before them. They evolve and then deconstruct again. There are very few designers whose aesthetic I'm drawn to on a personal level. However, that's different from the ways in which I might dress the characters in my films.
What I'm passionate about is telling stories which mean something to me.
I don't see myself as having made the transition. I aim to be more transient than transitional. Life is constantly changing, now at a rate faster than ever, so being in a transitory state is the best way to keep pace.
I think people, unfortunately, do live in constant fear. I think the government - and people in general - create scenarios people fear, because ultimately through fear you can control people. I wish we could live in a world where there would be no fear, but it's a driving force in many decisions people make these days, whether it's personal, economic, or even job-related. A lot of people stay out of fear in a job they hate.
It's important to keep up with technology, to constantly move with it. Striving to do so keeps me alert and creates a sense of fluidity but at the same time I like to distance myself from it. It's key for my process to try and remain outside the bubble.
One of the main reasons I wanted to work on 'World War Z' was because I'm a huge fan of the book, and I love the idea of taking a non-linear story and creating a three-act structure out of it.
You can make a global film, which affects so many countries and affects sort of this worldwide epidemic, but it has, zombies are great metaphors for the times we live in today and that's what I always find fascinating about them, but then it's like the walking dead, you know, the unconscious, and the metaphors for them are just really something I was inspired by.
I think directing is part play, part work, not just all work, because I think you always have to play. I think that's ultimately why I got into making movies, is because I love to play.
I realized that a lot of the great directors that I admire from [Ingmar] Bergman to [Fredrico] Fellini re always shooting, then going into the editing room, and shooting again.
When you boil it down, it's all a visual expression. In a sense we are all storytellers through what we wear, who we want to be, how we want people to perceive us. Life, people and the stories they consciously or unconsciously tell inspire me everyday.
You do a lot of press, but getting to talk and discuss movies with your peers is the best and most fulfilling part.
I thought it would be easy to cast a Bond girl, because there are so many beautiful women in this world. But not many of them can act. Their acting needed to be really strong and three-dimensional. Historically, the role of women in the world has changed. You can't have someone in a Bond film just as a sex object.
I always try to stay objective, and to remove myself from the process and look at the film again.
For me, The Kite Runner became about a guy who’s emotionally shut down because he hasn’t confronted his past.
Three days after my brother died, my father was in the hospital. He just did not want to live anymore. Before, he was fighting and loving life.
I always think it's interesting to switch genres, because if I read a script and I know exactly how to manifest a story, I don't really want to do it anymore, because I've already done it in my head. It becomes less interesting. If I read something that's challenging, I get really passionate and usually fall in love with it, because I feel I need to do it. I need to tell the story; I need to find a way to make it happen.
When talking with a set designer the dialogue is more centered on locations, interior design, what I like and what doesn't work. There is a certain taste I'm drawn to and feel inspired by, and finding that inspiration is what keeps the conversation moving forward.
Contrastingly to the new model of distribution, we shot Hand of God using the traditional format of film. I myself use very few apps and tend not to engage in social media. I do use Instagram under my production company's name, but that's it.
I think people, unfortunately, do live in constant fear.
Some of the greatest directors never got an Oscar, like Kubrick, or Hitchcock. For me, personally, I think the body of work is more important than winning an Oscar.
I always wanted to do an action movie, not particularly Bond.
The goal is to align with your core group of collaborators, who understand your vision and aesthetics. I usually show them visual material of what I have in mind, as well as a color spectrum of mood boards.
The key thing is that you start every film from sort of a blank page, almost like you discover it like a child discovers a new world.
On Stranger Than Fiction, the script was so good that I stuck to every line because it was just such brilliant writing from Zach Helm that I felt like I really just want to shoot the page.
