I lost a year or two in there, trying to get films financed that I didn't know would never get financing.
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.
A government institution called the Finnish Film Foundation funds filmmaking there, and I wrote several screenplays but never got any money. They were sent back to me, and they said that they were too commercial for them.
In Australia, they set up a special fund to kick films off. It was quite an enlightened sort of move. You could go to this government bureau with scripts and and get finance for films.
I think there's only one or two films where I've had all the financial support I needed. All the rest, I wish I'd had the money to shoot another ten days.
I never turned down a movie because they wouldn't give me enough money.
I've been in this business 31 years. I've never had a movie deal.
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 never did films for the money or because I needed to buy a house or car. I do it because I love my job.
Mid-range to low-budget movies have to have a name in the lead to get financing for it.
I've never made a film that lost money.