I turn up in Los Angeles every now and then, so I can get some big money films in order to finance my smaller money films.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The major studios are by and large banks, and they give you what is by and large a loan to make a movie. Like banks, they want their money back plus.
I could not finance a movie on my own. Frankly, I could not even afford to take a year off. I, like most people in America, need to keep making money.
I lost a year or two in there, trying to get films financed that I didn't know would never get financing.
You can get money and make a really cheap movie. You can, from independent financers who are just giving you money to support artists. This is what was happening in the '90s, and I was very fortunate to be a part of that.
Without doing the big blockbusters, I wouldn't be able to find the money to go after little projects that I want to do.
Quite honestly, it's too tough to get your movies made and then also to get out there and sell them.
There's the concept that if I do this big budget project, then that will help me do the things I really want to do and bring more money to those films.
A lot of times when I've been offered film series and stuff, if they shoot in Los Angeles, I lose interest.
My choice of films has never been governed by money. That is perhaps why I don't have a very fancy bank account. I'd rather get respect and creative satisfaction through my work than just earn money.
I make movies for money, exclusively for money.