"Onorati: It’s three o’clock in the morning, and I’m getting into a car in Brooklyn to get beat up by De Niro and Liotta. Scorsese comes over and says, “Okay, Bobby’s going to bash your head into the front seat twice, and then you’re going to come up, and you’re going to say your line.” I say okay. He goes, “Action!” And BAM BAM! “But I—” And De Niro smacks me down a third time. And Scorsese goes, “Cut.” I go, “Why don’t we just lose the line?” I was trying to say nicely, “I don’t know if De Niro’s counting the same way I’m counting, because he’s smashing me three times into the front seat.” After every take De Niro would get out of the car, and he’d walk over to Scorsese, and the two of them would start laughing and talking, and he’d come back with something different to do."
— Getting Made The Scorsese Way: Movies + TV: GQ: Some reflections on The Goodfellas from the people who made it and acted in it. I like the form of this article, too: just a lot of quotes from people about certain aspects of the film’s production, grouped by theme. Makes for a fun read.
"Every time I go to the cinema… I want to feel that the people who made that film think it’s the best movie in the world, that they poured everything into it & they really love it. Whether or not I agree with what they’ve done, I want that effort there; I want that sincerity."
— Christopher Nolan (via American Cinematographer) (via sidkan)
"I collect all the interesting details I find in life, jokes, funny things I see on TV, on the street, and I put them all in a database. That’s my toolbox. So when I make a new film, I first come up with the idea, and then I start digging in the toolbox to see what I can fill the film with. This is all recycled gear which we give new life…"
—
Jean-Pierre Jeunet in an interview with PLANET°.
"BUT NOTE: THE AUDIENCE WILL NOT TUNE IN TO WATCH INFORMATION. YOU WOULDN’T, I WOULDN’T. NO ONE WOULD OR WILL. THE AUDIENCE WILL ONLY TUNE IN AND STAY TUNED TO WATCH DRAMA."
— David Mamet’s Master Class Memo to the Writers of The Unit | Movieline - I know this is older now, but I keep coming back to it, and every time I do I want to give this man a high-five and a sincere “Thank you.”
"It was on the sound mixing stage when we were expecting a wire transfer that they called to say they needed more time to think about it. The mixer was literally looking at us, saying “are we starting?” and we said “We need the money NOW.” It turns out they were showing the completed cut on video to one of the investor’s 12 year old son. He turned to his dad and said “This is better than ‘American Pie’.” And that was it, they wired the money. Literally my career, my whole life’s work, was in the hands of a 12 year old. And thankfully, he loved it."
— The Aughts (and The Aught-Not- Haves) | Mediaite - I’m not a fan of Eli Roth’s movies, and until this article I wasn’t really a fan of him either. But I can’t help but have some respect for the guy after reading this article (written by him) about breaking into the film industry.
"It is the thought and circumstances behind the action that will make the action interesting. Example: A man walks up to a mailbox, drops in his letter and walks away. OR A man desperately in love with a girl far away carefully mails a letter in which he has poured his heart out."
— Frank & Ollie’s Official Site: Notes From Ollie - Notes from Ollie Johnston, legendary Disney animator, that also apply to everything about making a good film.
