Mike Figgis Quotes

• There's nothing quite like the idea of failing spectacularly to excite a film maker

  Mike Figgis

  Ideas, Film, Failing

  45 Copy quote

• The world is an infinitely fascinating, tragic and humorous place.

  Mike Figgis

  Humorous, World, Tragic

  15 Copy quote

• I made my first film on 16mm. Then I began using 35mm.Then I began working in Hollywood. And I began to really understand how films were made by professionals. I have to say I wasn't very impressed.

  Mike Figgis

  Hollywood, Firsts, Film

  Mike Figgis (2012). “Digital Film-Making”, p.5, Faber & Faber

  6 Copy quote

• I never had any urge or desire to do like a big spectacular movie with thousands and thousands of extras. I'd rather watch paint drying. But put me in a room with three people having a hard time, like a character situation, and then you're into a really intense portraiture kind of concept.

  Mike Figgis

  Character, Hard Times, People

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

  6 Copy quote

• The function of camera movement is to assist the storytelling. That's all it is. It cannot be there just to demonstrate itself.

  Mike Figgis

  Cameras, Movement, Storytelling

  Mike Figgis (2012). “Digital Film-Making”, p.54, Faber & Faber

  4 Copy quote

• There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there.

  Mike Figgis

  Sadness, Thinking, Giving

  6 Copy quote

• Obviously, I try to make the films work for an audience. That's the main point of making a film, and in retrospect, one can see that certain films, let's say Leaving Las Vegas, demonstrated its own success.

  Mike Figgis

  Vegas, Leaving, Trying

  7 Copy quote

• I like to work my camera as if it were a musical instrument.

  Mike Figgis

  Musical, Cameras, Instruments

  8 Copy quote

• The power of sound to put an audience in a certain psychological state is vastly undervalued. And the more you know about music and harmony, the more you can do with that.

  Mike Figgis

  Sound, Harmony, Psychological

  4 Copy quote

• In discussing the process with the actors, I made it clear to them that they could improvise but that the sum total of their improvisation needed to impart certain plot points, and schematic material.

  Mike Figgis

  Plot, Actors, Made

  4 Copy quote

• When I do the music, I make the musicians listen to what's happening in the film. That way they treat the dialogue as if it was a singer.

  Mike Figgis

  Musician, Singers, Way

  7 Copy quote

• Then I became interested in drama, and almost by accident, I drifted into film.

  Mike Figgis

  Drama, Film, Accidents

  7 Copy quote

• It's difficult working with very rich actors, because inevitably they become a little spoilt, and the managers and agents tend to control things more than is healthy.

  Mike Figgis

  Healthy, Actors, Agents

  7 Copy quote

• In a way, the history of jazz's development is a small mirror of classical music's development through the centuries. Now jazz is a living form of original music, while classical music has gotten to the end of its cycle in terms of exploring its form.

  Mike Figgis

  Mirrors, Development, Way

  7 Copy quote

• I'm a huge fan of world cinema, because each country uses cinema in a very individual way.

  Mike Figgis

  Country, Fans, Cinema

  12 Copy quote

• I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.

  Mike Figgis

  Art, Live Theatre, Film

  7 Copy quote

• I might have a guitar or a piano on set to play something for the actors.

  Mike Figgis

  Guitar, Play, Piano

  10 Copy quote

• But I don't have such a strong desire to need to get away from filmmaking.

  Mike Figgis

  Movie, Strong, Desire

  52 Copy quote

• I had no plans to be a director.

  Mike Figgis

  Directors, Plans

  7 Copy quote

• I am intrigued enough to want to continue, and also to try and work with companies like Sony on modifying the cameras and making them more user-friendly and efficient.

  Mike Figgis

  Trying, Friendly, Cameras

  60 Copy quote

• Each film is different. Time Code was very quick - a matter of months. Miss Julie has been on my shelf as a script for some seven or eight years. But then the shooting process was very quick - 16 days.

  Mike Figgis

  Eight, Years, Missing

  4 Copy quote

• You make sure that there's a structure that's interesting for them to play on top of, then do temp versions and try it on the film. By the time the players come to the recording session, I've found what works. So I'm not wasting their time.

  Mike Figgis

  Player, Interesting, Trying

  4 Copy quote

• I play piano and trumpet. I studied classical guitar.

  Mike Figgis

  Guitar, Play, Piano

  8 Copy quote

• Films take up so much time, and with theatre, you do have to plan a period of time that you can be free.

  Mike Figgis

  Theatre, Film, Periods

  4 Copy quote

• I've spent my life hearing people trying to apologize for music.

  Mike Figgis

  Apology, People, Trying

  8 Copy quote

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