Words from the Wise, vol. 1

Some choice words here about writing/directing/acting from people in the biz. You don't have to like them to think they make a good point. Just so happens, I'm a big fan of all the one's here:

"...ordinary people in extraordinary situations."

--Alfred Hitchcock, on the themes of his movies.

"You can always improve your dialogue by listening to how people speak. I don't mean listen to what they're saying and cpy it down; I mean listen ot how they say whatever they're saying. Listen for their inflections, their lazy grammar, their colloquialisms."

--Kevin Smith, on writing.

"Our primary function is to create an emotion, and our second job is to sustain that emotion."

--Alfred Hitchcock, on the role of a director.

"It's different when you're the director, because you have to negotiate with each and every actor. If I need someone to deilver a pizza in a scene, I don't need him to tell me he's doing it because his parents were alcoholics and he has a drug problem. I just need him to deliver the pizza. So you find that you're actually asking actors to do much less than they're capable of because that's what you need for the scene."

--George Clooney, on the transition from actor to director.

" The trick is to get in late and leave early. Whatever the point of the scene is, get to it and leave. Don't hang around."

--Brian Michael Bendis, on writing.

Also, check out the post on writer Gail Simone's blog entitled The Best Advice Ever About Writing, Period, Part One. It's a damn good read.

There will be a test on this later in the week.