You develop a voice and a process that's unique to yourself.
— Michael Pitt
I don't really have hobbies. I paint. I write. I direct videos. I take photos. I'm a creative person. A normal day for me is doing all of those things. Sometimes I stay up until 5 A.M. writing a song because I make music. It's the same with writing.
I get really into research. I know people say that, but I'm really into research.
What I'm trying to do is to make films - 'I Origins' is one of them - with the new generation of filmmakers. I want to support that.
I do feel like I'm spiritual, without getting too personal.
Your experiences are what made you what you are today. So when tragedy happens in people's lives, and things are left unsaid, it can be very unsettling. The lack of closure can linger.
When I make movies, I have a lot of respect for my audience. I think my audience is smart. If there's a way to be entertained and get things out - real things, not stupid moral crap - that's the best.
I have fun making films. I love making films. It's the only thing I know how to do. And I do it well.
To be honest, I make very controversial films. The films that I've made have been very, very bold choices.
I don't get to see a lot of films, so I want to watch films I learn from.
'Dawson's Creek' was my introduction to the industry. It put some money in my pocket and it put me in the position I wanted to be in, where I could audition for projects that I wanted to be a part of. I didn't find it creatively fulfilling in any way though.
'Boardwalk' has kind of exposed me to a different demographic. And it upped my skills in terms of the speed with which I can prep a scene, and I'm excited to apply that.
Well, the first thing I wanted to be was a carpenter. Then I wanted to be a painter and then a singer. It was when I first saw 'Lawrence of Arabia' that I wanted to be an actor.
I think Van Sant is the most important American director we have. He takes the most risks. He's just pure to me.
When actors give their input, it can be very ego-driven, and directors are scared of that.
All these directors who do different locations forget that one room can be shot from a million different angles and a million different ways. When I direct a movie, I'm going to use that.
All directors are different. Certainly, the directors that I respond to the most are guys that figure it out by doing it, not by thinking or studying. Also, the kind of actor that I think I am - I learned about theater doing theater, not studying theater. I think that traditional school can be great, but also it can stifle original thought.
Scientists have this stigma of being guys or women in white lab coats with no sense of humor, no passion, devoid of all emotion, and that has been the complete opposite of the scientists I've met.
When you look into someone's eyes, it may be like your connection to self. Two intuitive people, at the right moment, at the right time, could know they're in love at that moment.
Brooklyn is definitely the only place to live in the New York area. I love Brooklyn. Go Brooklyn!
Writers, directors often can get too precious with their words.
You always have nerves. And it's important to respect your nerves and your doubts. And then you have to ultimately overcome them.
I don't choose characters with the intention of working something out in my personal life.
If I cared what people think about my career, I would have not done - just look at my work. Don't look at me; look at what I've done.
There's something very, very powerful about having a life mate that you are attracted to but then can also have a beer with.
I don't have a lot of time to surf the net and see what everyone's wearing.
Different films have different places in people's lives. I don't get to see a lot of films, so I want to watch films I learn from.
A kid now can practically record a song or edit a short film on his way to school. I think that will produce, perhaps, more less-interesting things - or you'll have to search more to find the interesting things. But I also think it's exciting.
'Boardwalk' begins literally on the first day of Prohibition, which I think was a wonderful way to start - to have the story kind of come out of this massive historical phenomenon. And the more I researched the '20s, the more I discovered just how interesting it was.
It sounds cliche, but success is your friends, your family, what you do, and if you're happy when you wake up.
People don't want to be plagued by not knowing-they want answers.
There are two kinds of directors: There's the kind where two plus two equals four, and you have to help them figure it out. And then there's the kind that throws you in a room, locks the door, sets the house on fire and films it.
Film is a collaborative art form. If you're not being collaborative, you probably shouldn't be working in film. You don't do it on your own. People who understand that, cultivate that, get the best results.
I don't believe Wikipedia about anything. I don't go there for anything but keywords.
I think people can just make things now. It's kind of what happened with the music industry. Before, a band couldn't afford to go into a nice studio, or if they were going to go into a nice studio, they had to record twenty-five songs in two days. That's not a healthy workflow for anyone.
I'm going to write films, star in films, direct films. Write records. Perform live.
I'm a closeted nerd. I studied Richard Dawkins. I watched every lecture. He's sort of the leading scientific atheist of our time. He's very provocative. His whole thing is science over spirituality.
What I've learned - after working for, I guess, some time now - is when you're approaching a relationship like that, like, any working relationship, it's good to be open. To know that someone might have a different way of doing things and listen to them. And hopefully, you come to a common understanding.
If you saw me trying to do laundry or something, well, I'm not really equipped to do anything else.
Every movie that I've picked, from my first film on, has been considered by everyone to be 'career suicide.' And I have an amazing life. I have an amazing career. I work with artists. But I'm not making 'Spider-Man.'
I'm not prejudiced about what type of movies I'm in, what form they take or whether they're studio or independent. I just want to make films that are going to be good.
Personally, I'm very classic. If I'm going to wear a suit, it's going to be classic, black, and fit very well. There's nothing like it.
There are directors who, their direction is high, but then when you challenge it, it crumbles. They can't back up what they're asking.
I'm doing a record that has a story that runs through all of the songs, and then there is also a film that goes along with it.
Acting is really scary, but it's also challenging, fun, hard work. There's always an element of improvisation with every actor, even when something is really scripted.
I feel that film, as opposed to theatre, is about capturing that one, real moment.
I think in some ways you learn more from the things you don't like than the things you do.
