First of all, I would shoot myself if I ever had to play straight-forward characters that really don't have much of a past. Maybe it's just that I'm not a good enough actor to have to embellish, but I like having these really, really rich roles to play.
It's really important to me that the actors bring a lot of elements of the characters to the process so they own it, so it's personal to them, so it's not just me saying, "You stand here, you say this, you do this, you feel this." No, you bring it up from in here and then let's work with that.
Writing a new film about cereal killers. Not serial killers, cereal killers. The main character can eat two, three boxes at a time.
But as far as the concept of HAL, who HAL was, his character - I had no role in creating him.
I was making films about American society, and it is true that I never felt at home there, except perhaps when my wife and I lived on a farm in the San Fernando Valley. But I always wanted my characters to be more than cyphers for the failings of their world. And I never had to look too hard to find a part of myself in them
I use all types of instruments, really depending on the film. Instrument choices are very much tied to lighting, colors, art direction, as well as the narrative elements. I have a great collection of vintage synths, and of course I do like to write for acoustic instruments. I find the depth and intricacy of sound and emotion you can get with acoustic ensembles extremely versatile and effective in the overall sound environment. Also, the human aspect of performance is such an important part of the music score to character connection.
I love the challenge of playing characters forced on life-changing emotional journeys. To work on a project with Billy Crudup and Sam Rockwell is just a dream come true.
Each character you play has its own set of characteristics, for want of a better word.
If you're reading a book that I've written in the first person, without named characters, you will periodically perhaps as a reader remind yourself: Well, this is or isn't the author. This is a character.I think the second person turns that dynamic onto you, or situates it within you: This isn't really me, but what aspect of the character is really me? That creates a loop of seduction.
Often I'll find clues to where the story might go by figuring out where the characters would rather not go.
I pride myself on doing character-driven movies and, when my movies have worked, it's been because of the right casting and the right character, and it just clicks.
TV has no choice, but to rely on character, and everybody knows that. I love working in it. It's such a big canvas where, if you're successful, you go on for years.
TV is a safe place to develop real characters.
It's hard to get a movie made about characters these days. We're in a climate where, unless it's based on a toy or it's a superhero where somewhere it ends in man - like Spider-Man, Superman or Iron Man - it's hard to get it made.
For big Hollywood movies, I'm on the more character-driven side of the equation. So, TV is a natural place for me to be because you've got no choice, but to be character-driven.
My own personal process with movies is to develop the characters with the actors and, when I've done that properly, you can't imagine anyone else, but that actor, playing that part.
It's almost a work-shopping process to create the characters with the actors.
In particular, I'm drawn to the stories that have big, high concepts and real characters at their heart. And I love where those two worlds meet, and 'Edge of Tomorrow' is the perfect canvas to explore that.
I'm a character-driven director, and I tend to fall in love with the characters in my movies and TV shows.
We're all just in the muck trying to believe we're capable of greatness, but closer to breaking than we want to admit. And we tell ourselves stories-about ourselves,but maybe also all these stories about other people, about characters-as a way to hide from how small we are.
I enjoy Modern Family very much. Good TV program. I don't know why. I just find that so many of the jokes land. So many of the actors are so great. Phil Dunphy is one of my favorite characters ever.
Whether it's just the career path of doing independent music, being an artist, however you want to pigeon-hole it, it creates a certain type of character.
I think if you work as an actress and are supposed as a character to be in love with some actor, then to some extent you do have to be in love with him.
[On Edna Ferber's Ice Palace] ... the book, which is going to be a movie, has the plot and characters of a book which is going to be a movie.
I'll tell you the secret. When you begin with a character, you want to begin by creating a villain.
