When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting.

I only storyboard scenes that require special effects, where it is necessary to communicate through pictures.

And you poor creatures--who conjured you out of the clay? Is God in show business, too?

You can't get an actor to do something that is beyond his range, so you have to be aware of the range of the actor and, if necessary, alter the part to suit the actor.

It's so easy to manipulate an audience, but it's nearly always clear that you are being manipulated. I think even people that are not critically attuned are aware of cynical manipulation in film.

I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew.

The resistance to black-and-white is huge, in the way that you have to sell the film. It's difficult to distribute around the world.