I don't really know what I want, other than good sequences, whatever that means. What I find is always a matter of chance, judgment, and luck.
Frederick WisemanThere's the internal rhythm within a sequence, and then there's the rhythm between the sequences, and that's extremely important in constructing the narrative. For example, you don't put two big dramatic scenes right next to each other. But you can use the rhythm of the transition shots; they can often serve a double purpose.
Frederick WisemanI don't like to read novels where the novelist tells me what to think about the situation and the characters. I prefer to discover for myself.
Frederick WisemanEven if I know I'm going to go to a church, I don't know what the minister's going to say.
Frederick WisemanI think my movies aren't sentimental. I think my movies are funny and sad and realistic. Not realistic in the sense that they're documentaries, but realistic in the sense that they're not idealistic, they're not optimistic, not pessimistic, and not propagandistic. They're an analysis of a situation. I call it as I see it, so to speak.
Frederick Wiseman