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Director Quotes

What it takes to call yourself a director, and what it costs.

These quotes focus on the identity of directing - one insists on owning the title of filmmaker rather than hiding behind lesser labels, while another admits not wanting the weight of leading hundreds of people. Related: Directing.

Despite a good subject if the director is not up to the mark, the execution can go wrong.

Quotes by Tamannaah

I'd rather have one good scene in a movie by a great director than a small role in a mediocre movie.

Quotes by Tahar Rahim

As a painter you're responsible yourself, 100 percent. In film, you have the editor, the director, the other actors. It has the advantage of not being solitary.

Quotes by Sylvia Kristel

I have realised I am a director's actor.

Quotes by Suniel Shetty

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

Sun Tzu

When I grow up, I still want to be a director.

Quotes by Steven Spielberg

If I weren't a director, I would want to be a film composer.

Quotes by Steven Spielberg

I'd like to make movies as a producer and a director.

Quotes by Steven Bauer

A great opera house isn't run by a director, but by a great administrator.

Quotes by Steven Berkoff

Any director who's also acted understands the fact that every person has a different process and has to be approached differently.

Quotes by Steve Zahn

Quentin Tarantino is my 15-year-old son's favorite director, and by that I mean no condescension to either Tarantino or my 15-year-old son.

Quotes by Steve Erickson

I really feel that I'm a much better director than I was an actor.

Quotes by Steve Antin

As a director, my job is to protect. I protect scripts, actors, cameramen, designers.

Quotes by Stephen Frears

I like working as a director most.

Quotes by Stephen Chow

In Europe, the director is the king: it's his vision. It's an auteur tradition.

Quotes by Stellan Skarsgard

Very often, it's the director that I'm attracted to. If it's a really good director, I don't even have to read the script to say yes.

Quotes by Stellan Skarsgard

I think of myself as a meat-and-potatoes kind of director.

Quotes by Stanley Donen

The difference between one writer and the other, or one director and the other, is the way he deals with a scene.

Quotes by Sreenivasan

I am very pleased to be working with director Woo.

Quotes by Song Hye-kyo

When you're a director, the job itself forces you to take charge.

Quotes by Sondra Locke

Frequently Asked Questions

What different kinds of "director" roles come up in this collection?
Several - film directing, game project direction, and a couple of personal reflections on wanting (or not wanting) that kind of responsibility and title.
Is there a quote about claiming the "filmmaker" title with confidence?
Yes - "I learned that you have to say that you're a filmmaker. You're not a screenwriter; you're not a director for hire. You've got to take charge. You're a filmmaker, and you're going to make a film," advice about owning your creative identity rather than hedging it.
Is there a quote from someone who doesn't want to direct?
Yes - "I don't want to be a director, or to have responsibility for hundreds of people," an honest admission that not everyone wants that level of responsibility, even in a creative field.
Is there a quote about directing a video game rather than a film?
Yes - "I conceived the original 'Deus Ex' and was the project director on the game," a specific credit from the games industry rather than film.
Is there a quote celebrating a historic milestone for directors?
Yes - "I'm incredibly proud to be the first trans director to be nominated for an Oscar," a proud, direct statement marking a genuine first for trans representation in the industry. See also our Directors quotes or Leadership quotes pages.

There's also a genuinely notable milestone referenced here, a barrier-breaking directing achievement tied to a major awards nomination. See Directors or Film.