40 Inspirational Sam Mendes Quotes (DIRECTOR)

Top 10 Most Famous Sam Mendes Quotes (BEST)

“Directing [James Bond] Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theatre and other commitments, including productions of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and King Lear, that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond.”
Sam Mendes

Theater is the actor's medium, and film is the director's medium. The director's responsibilities are far more profound in film. — Theater is the actor’s medium, and film is the director’s medium. The director’s **responsibilities** are far more profound in film.

You can never predict whether the audience will embrace a film or not. You can only make the film that you believe in. — You can never predict whether the audience will embrace a film or not. You can only make the film that you **believe** in.

Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Take the opportunity and make it perfect. — Don’t wait for the perfect **opportunity**. Take the opportunity and make it perfect.

Great stories are the ones that leave you with more questions than answers.

Directing is about finding out what's inside you and illuminating it. — Directing is about finding out what’s inside you and illuminating it.

I think that's what great directors do They're quiet, they watch, they listen, and they learn. — I think that’s what great directors do: They’re quiet, they watch, they **listen**, and they **learn**.

When you're a film director, you have to be a combination of general and father confessor. — When you’re a film director, you have to be a combination of general and father confessor.

It's about finding your own voice and staying true to it. — It’s about finding your own voice and staying true to it.

Filmmaking is a collaborative process, and the best ideas can come from anyone on the team.

18 Sam Mendes Quotes About Movies & Being a Director

“The importance of rehearsal is maybe you want to talk about how the scene’s going to be designed, how it’s going to be staged, all of those things. It’s all about preparation, and deciding what mutually you don’t want to do, rather than necessarily what you do.”
Sam Mendes

The movies that influenced me were movies that told their stories through pictures more than words.

You've got to work. You've got to want an audience to sit forward in their chairs sometimes, rather than sit back and be bombarded with images. — You’ve got to work. You’ve got to want an audience to sit forward in their chairs sometimes, rather than sit back and be bombarded with images.

You've got to believe as a filmmaker that if a movie's good enough, it's going to survive; and if it's not, well, it won't. — You’ve got to believe as a filmmaker that if a movie’s good enough, it’s going to survive; and if it’s not, well, it won’t.

“I’ve directed bits of action and so I know that it’s long and it’s very detailed. Editing action is a good deal more exciting than shooting action. Shooting action is very, very meticulous, it’s increments, tiny little pieces.”
Sam Mendes

I think movies are a director's medium in the end. Theater is the actor's medium. Theater is fast, and enjoyable, and truly rewarding. I believe in great live performance. — I think movies are a director’s medium in the end. Theater is the actor’s medium. Theater is fast, and enjoyable, and truly rewarding. I believe in great live performance.

You think about taking audiences on a journey. — You think about taking audiences on a **journey**.

“It took me a long time to film the plastic bag, and then I had to get the cut of the scene right. But if you find it as beautiful as the character does, then suddenly it becomes a different movie, and so did he as a character.”
Sam Mendes

I want to try and work in different genres with different types of actors, on small movies and big movies.

You just never know when movies are going to take off or not. The lucky thing about this was that it didn't cost a lot of money, and therefore there wasn't loads of pressure on me. — You just never know when movies are going to take off or not. The **lucky** thing about this was that it didn’t cost a lot of **money**, and therefore there wasn’t loads of pressure on me.

I've made movies that cost less than one car chase. — I’ve made movies that cost less than one car chase.

“The perceived wisdom is that people do not go in large numbers to black-and-white movies anymore – which is a great shame, but I’d love to make a black-and-white movie one day.”
Sam Mendes

For me, certain shots or scenes are keys in the movie.

I wanted to keep exploring… I'm not about to choose a series of movies in which I can use the same bag of tricks and style that I used in the first film. — I wanted to keep exploring… I’m not about to choose a series of movies in which I can use the same bag of tricks and style that I used in the first film.

“Listen, you make a big movie, you’re going into the Coliseum, and people are going to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down. And that’s part of the game. It’s part of the fun as well.”
Sam Mendes

I don't think of it as a competition - which might surprise you, given the way movies are reported constantly. — I don’t think of it as a competition – which might surprise you, given the way movies are reported constantly.

I feel like the American years were my apprenticeship for doing a Bond movie.

“There have been screenwriters who I’m sure would gladly kill me, because I’ve been very fast and loose with their work, because I felt like it wasn’t up to my high standards. I would push and pull it on set, and make changes all the time. But then when you’re working with an original screenplay, my theater instincts kick in, and I suddenly become very keeper-of-the-words.”
Sam Mendes

7 Wise Sam Mendes Quotes About Working with Actors

“There’s one thing better than having a great actor, and that’s having a great actor who’s never done this kind of role before and is hungry to do it. They’re testing themselves every day. They want to get out of their trailer and get to work.”
Sam Mendes

Truly great actors carry their characters in silence with them. They communicate without words the relationships that predate the movie. — Truly great actors carry their characters in silence with them. They **communicate** without words the **relationships** that predate the movie.

“Actors get pigeonholed very quickly, particularly movie actors. In the theater, one is more used to casting people against type and trusting that their talent and skill will get them through.”
Sam Mendes

I am not a master-class director. I am not a teacher. I am a coach. I don't have a methodology. Each actor is different. And on the film set, you have to be next to them all. — I am not a master-class director. I am not a teacher. I am a coach. I don’t have a methodology. Each actor is different. And on the film set, you have to be next to them all.

“One of the reasons I loved working with Tom is people feel they know who he is… I think working with an actor who the audience already has a relationship with actually helps you in a film like this.”
Sam Mendes