Well, I certainly was exposed to and learned to appreciate the work of great directors early on. As a kid, my mother used to take me to see really interesting arty films in Los Angeles.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I became a director just for the love of movies, because of the power of cinema.
If you were in the film industry at that time, you were always picked up by directors who were much older. You were whisked about and shown things. I did work very hard though.
Film schools didn't exist when I was growing up. I learned by working with clever people. Good writers and cinematographers.
Of course, like all film-makers I've been mesmerised by cinema since I was a child.
I loved cinema while growing up and, for the longest time, wanted to be a director.
I've been lucky to learn by playing all kinds of roles and watching all kinds of really good cinematographers, actors, and directors for many years before people were even aware of me in terms of audience.
I had become a film director because I thought I could express something in an artful way.
I was never that kid who grew up in New York and was always at the arthouse watching important films. I was the kid who grew up in the Midwest where there weren't any art films, and I watched TV. And that was really the medium that affected me and that I fell in love with.
Very early on, I was writing stories, and I was amazed at Spielberg's movies when I was young. Coming from the countryside, I was so impressed with the way he was able to tell stories and the way he was able to deal with le merveilleux - the wonders. Very quickly, he became for me a massive hero, and he introduced me to the world of a director.
My interest in filmmaking was always very much the visuals and images.
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