I cannot state enough how important post-production is for the success of a horror movie. You bring so much to it with the way you edit it, the way it is sound-designed, and the way the music works with it.
— James Wan
I want to start off making the kinds of films that I loved growing up as a kid. Fun horror films that are scary but at the same time, after you finish the movie, it leaves you excited to see more.
I'm terrified of the supernatural things, which is why I'm very grateful that I don't see things like that. Because if I did see things of the paranormal persuasion, I don't think I'd be able to continue making scary movies.
My first film out of the gate was financially so successful that I guess, being in Hollywood, you get kind of put into a certain box.
I try to pull my inspirations from everyday life. If I came across a situation that is like, 'Oh, that's going to be scary, that's going to be frightening,' that's when I get inspired, and I put that into my films.
I come from a very straight and adjusted suburban background.
That's the thing about Aquaman that's cool is he's not an alien, right? He's from our planet, and he's from a society that we're not privy to in the context of the story.
I always say, what is cool for me with 'The Conjuring', is it's not just another scary set piece or another scary case; it's more about what I can do with the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren.
I think, ultimately, if you create characters that people like and can relate to, your characters are grounded on a human level even if your cars are not.
I think I try to look at all my films and break them down because, at the end of the day, it's about creating characters that you like.
I think I should have made 'Dead Silence' as an independent movie.
I like the 'Twilight' films.
I think you cannot be too complacent. I think that's dangerous, and you cannot take anything for granted.
Supernatural movies generally have a much more brooding pace. If you look at films like 'The Sixth Sense' or 'The Others,' it's more building up the characters and building up the situation as opposed to just opening with a big action set piece.
I don't have anything against CGI.
I'm very heavily involved in the editorial post-production process, and the camera - it's just such a big part of my storytelling language. I like creating the tension; I like creating the emotion through the movement of my camera, or the lack of movement through my camera, depending on what fits the scene best.
I don't think action alone is enough to sustain a film franchise. There are tons of action movies out there that come and go and people don't care about.
You can only go by the instinct that you have.
I'm always excited when I can discover new filmmakers.
I'm a big fan of the 'Fast' franchise. I remember when I met Neal Moritz early on, I joked if Justin Lin ever left the franchise, I would be the perfect guy to slip right in and take over, and no one would know the difference.
I love to be scared in the safety of a movie theater. It is like a thrill ride; like a roller-coaster ride.
I hope people will like 'The Conjuring 2' because I think it is a very natural and organic progression of the first movie.
If people want to watch a CG movie, there's plenty out there.
I think, like most people, we are familiar with Aquaman. We grew up reading or watching this character on the peripheral. I was never so in depth with Aquaman as, let's say, I was with X-Men.
My low-budget films, more than anything, taught me that you've got to create cool, likable characters and great stories because, if you don't, it doesn't matter how cool it might look - no one is going to care about it.
Making a movie with people of all different ethnicity, all different skin color and different backgrounds, meant that the movie can literally play all around the world. It's not just a blanket whitewash film like most Hollywood films tend to be.
I am a student of cinema, and I love filmmaking of all kinds.
'Poltergeist' was the film that scarred me for life. I saw it at such a young age - 5 or 6 years old - and it has one of the creepiest doll sequences with the clown, and ever since then, I've just been fascinated by dolls.
Favorite movie of all time? I hate being asked... that's like being asked, 'What's your favorite song?'
I feel like, with most filmmakers of my generation, I like the over-the-top stuff. I like to be wacky and really in your face.
Still one of my favorite movies is the original 'The Haunting.' I love that style.
One of the things I learned very early on is you need to cast the kids for the characters you want them to play. They need to be who they are, right? If you want a loud, boisterous kid character, you need to find that kid.
You know what's funny is, when I made 'Saw,' I got accused of being a fascist; when I made 'Insidious,' I got accused of being godless, and now I made the 'Conjuring' films, and I'm accused of being too much God.
Our culture today that we live in is getting so diverse, yet in Hollywood, there's not a lot of diversity.
I think you kind of need to acknowledge that the reason why sequels do well is because people that loved the first one come back.
I think, in a lot of ways, directing is puppeteering. I guess I see a lot of analogies between what puppeteers and filmmakers do. There's something about creating life out of things that have no life.
I love 'MacGyver.'
I use myself as a measuring yardstick, and so if I come up with an idea that really scares me, then I'd like to think that people out there would feel the same way as well.
I'm a big fan of cel animation, I'm a big fan of computer animation, and, most of all, I'm a big fan of stop-motion animation.
I love Sam Peckinpah.
I love Carpenter, I love Craven - these are all the classics - the Romeros of the world, but I think the biggest influence on me as a storyteller and as a filmmaker is actually Steven Spielberg. I love that even though Steven isn't known for being a horror director, he started out his career making scary movies.
When you create those characters that people love and care about and put them in a dark hallway, already the audience is on edge, and they feel empathy for that character. Then it's up to me to decide what jumps out in that hallway. So I think laying that foundation of strong characters and strong story is the most important thing in a horror film.
It all comes down to what is best for those particular genres, and if you believe in the stories that you're telling and the characters that you like that you want to tell those stories with, you can pretty much apply it to any genre.
I guess, deep down, there's a dark side to us. I guess that's why movie fans really love the revenge drama. We like to go into dark movie theaters and fantasize.
'The Exorcist' is one of the finest movies ever made, and it just so happens to be a scary movie.
I always try to better myself with every movie I make. I don't take anything sitting back, and so I try to learn from every film I make and carry that onto the next movie because I think it's important as a filmmaker to keep growing with each film, and I think I am growing with each movie.
'Insidious' is independent. It's like the 'Clerks' of horror films, you know?
When I'm making a big movie, I miss and appreciate all the subtleties that come with making a smaller film that is more intimate, more personal.
If I have to point to something specific with the way I move my camera, I love to do it with a wide lens. I like to show you as much of the space as I can, even if I'm following a character.
I think, when you're a director, you get sucked into your project whether you like it or not, right?
