“To me, there's nothing funnier than funny people in peril, because it's just a great springboard for people to be at a heightened emotionality and things get funnier.” PeoplePerilFunny PeopleSpringboards Author:Paul Feig
“I'm not a painter who's saying, "I want people to see my work when I die; it will be this and that." That's not satisfying to me.” PeopleWantDiesPainterSatisfying Author:Paul Feig
“Handheld camera is approximating what we're seeing when we're looking at each other, and kind of looking around, and your eyes whipping around. It adds an immediacy, where you feel like you are watching something through your own eyes, standing there with them. And that just allows you to take more liberties and have more fun with people's behavior.” PeopleFeelsKindEyeFunLibertySeeingLike YouBehaviorStandingCamerasAddStanding ThereImmediacyWhipping Author:Paul Feig
“If some magic thing happens, and everybody goes completely nuts, and does something we never thought of, the cameras catch everything. That comes from having camera people who are almost like actors and writers themselves.” PeopleIfsDoeHappensActorsMagicCamerasThings HappenNuts Author:Paul Feig
“That's what I love about the mockumentary style, is the added thing of people knowing they are on-camera, which changes your behavior. That's why we sometimes do what we call spy shots.” PeopleSometimesKnowingStyleBehaviorShotsCamerasSpy Author:Paul Feig
“That's the thing with women's movies - there's so much about kind of catfighting. And my experience is women aren't - look, we all get in fights with people, but it's not that face-to-face aggression.” PeopleLooksKindFacesFightingAggressionFace To Face Author:Paul Feig
“People are like, "Why are you all dressed up? Did you dress up just for me?" I'm like "No, I dressed up because I'm an adult and I felt like putting on my suit." But I love it. Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren are my two heroes of clothing designers.” PeopleTwoFeltHeroAdultsDressesSuitsDesignerClothingsTomsDressed UpLauren Author:Paul Feig
“The good thing is that I really think that American television is in kind of a second golden age. Even though there's a lot of reality and all those contest shows, which aren't my kind of shows, the scripted stuff that's going on is so good right now because of basic cable. Everyone has stepped it up and realised that people like quality.” PeopleThinkingKindShowsRealityAgeStuffQualityTelevisionRight NowGood ThingsGoldenContestsCablesRealisedGolden AgeAmerican Television Author:Paul Feig
“Any ensemble - they didn't call it "the all-male Expendables," for example. But it's Hollywood's fault that people say that, because there have been so few movies that have allowed women to have these leading roles, so that's Hollywood's fault.” PeopleHas BeensRolesExampleFemaleHollywoodFaultsMalesEnsembleExpendables Author:Paul Feig
“One of the many things I want to do is dig us out of that hole so that guys, in particular, can go: "Oh, yeah. Those people are really funny. I've seen that person. It's a woman. They are funny."” PeopleWantPersonsGuyParticularYeahHolesThat Guy Author:Paul Feig
“I'm the biggest proponent of test screenings now. There's two ways to face test screenings. For dramas, I don't know if I would rely on them as much, although I still think you need them, because you're making a movie for an audience at the end of the day. But with comedy... You could go through a script or anything I ever worked on, where you go, "This is hilarious," and you put it in front of people and you get nothing. And then the other side of it, is something you're like, "I think this is really stupid," and it gets a giant laugh.” PeopleThinkingAudienceLaughingComedyStupidDramaRelyReally Stupid Author:Paul Feig
“I've made a career making stuff that nobody sees, so anything that I can do to help make something that people are going to enjoy and want to see over and over again, then I'm there.” PeopleHelpingEnjoy Author:Paul Feig
“Scripts are a house of cards and you can't just reach in the middle and pull out the middle card because the house of cards will fall down. But at a certain point you almost have to allow that house of cards to get knocked down a few times because you need to make it sturdier. How many times do you hear, "No, that doesn't make sense," or "Why would this happen?" That was a mistake. You shouldn't have those moments, because the moment you're knocked out of the story, then you're dead. And all you can go is moment to moment,or joke to joke. And that's gonna wear people out.” PeopleMomentsFallHouseMistakeJokesMake SenseFalling Down Author:Paul Feig
“If you're not connected emotionally to a story, then you're dead. You're as a filmmaker really just opening the door for people to lose interest and their minds to wander, for them to start picking it apart. That's what people will do, people will naturally tear stuff apart because they're trapped with it, they paid money for it. And they came into it wanting to love it. So all you can really do is piss off the audience. Unless you do things right.” PeopleMindInterestAudienceTearsWanderFilmmaker Author:Paul Feig
“I really put my heart and soul into everything and I don't want a project that doesn't feel real to me or I don't get invested in. In order to drive a show for eight or 10 years or whatever the target for doing a show is, it really has to be a part of you. Because then I can come up with stories for seasons and seasons on end. I wish I had the ability to just like the idea and get people in and drive it that way through their enthusiasm. For me, it has to be a little more of a personal thing, even if it's not a completely personal story.” PeopleHeartRealSoulWishAbilityMy HeartEnthusiasmHeart And Soul Author:Paul Feig
“The British model, which I've always thought was great, is that you do a TV show and then they sell it. Then you can buy it at the video stores forever, so it never went away. But American TV used to be if you had a show and it got cancelled, then it never existed. It was just this thing you heard about and you couldn't see it again. There is something so great about shows getting released and people getting to watch them over and over again. It definitely takes the sting out of it.” PeopleForever Author:Paul Feig
“I love funny people, and when I'm with funny people, or people who are amusing in their weirdness, I love it. Because that to me is funny, as opposed to someone who stops and says, 'Hey let me tell you a joke.'” PeopleJokesLet MeHeyAmusingWeirdnessFunny People Author:Paul Feig
“I always hated high-school shows and high-school movies, because they were always about the cool kids. It was always about dating and sex, and all the popular kids, and the good-looking kids. And the nerds were super-nerdy cartoons, with tape on their glasses. I never saw 'my people' portrayed accurately.” PeopleShowsKidsSchoolSexSawsHigh SchoolDatingGlassesHatedTapeCartoonLooking GoodNerdNerdyCool KidHigh School Movie Author:Paul Feig
“At the end of the day if you want to entertain people, you've got to take your ego out of the equation.” PeopleIfsWantEndsEgoThe End Of The DayEquations Author:Paul Feig
“As a director, I really wanted to learn and I needed to get away from my own stuff to figure out how to just do things and work with good people.” PeopleWantedStuffMy OwnFiguresNeededDirectorsGet AwayGood People Author:Paul Feig
“I can't impress enough upon people that if you tell an honest story that people relate to and people believe and invest in, you can do anything.” PeopleIfsBelieveI CanEnoughStoriesCan DoHonestRelateImpress Author:Paul Feig
“My wife and I don't have kids and people are down on us about it. But we're just not wired that way, so don't tell me I have to.” PeopleWayKidsWifeMy Wife Author:Paul Feig
“The hard thing is getting people to come to the theater to see something, no matter if it's good or not.” PeopleIfsMatterHardTheaterHard Things Author:Paul Feig
“Hey, I'm like the Wayne Gretsky of the entertainment biz - I have other people do my dirty work while I skate around and get to be a nice guy. What can I say? I'm a coward.” PeopleGuyNiceEntertainmentHeyDirtyCowardWayneSkatesNice GuyDirty Work Author:Paul Feig
“If you're not connected emotionally to a story, then you're dead. You're really just opening the door for people to lose interest and their minds to wander, for them to start picking it apart.” PeopleIfsMindStoriesInterestLosesDoorsConnectedOpeningWander Author:Paul Feig
“At the end of the day, successful box office just means that more people saw what you did and liked it, and that to me is the most important thing. That a lot of people saw it and liked it.” PeopleMeanImportantEndsSuccessfulSawsOfficeImportant ThingsBoxesThe End Of The DayBox Office Author:Paul Feig
“Period costume films are fun to discover, but they're not relatable. It's more, 'Wow, that's cool - did it really look like that back then?' Whereas with a comedy, you're like, 'Yeah, that's me, that's my friends.' No matter what, I want people to relate.” PeopleWantLooksMatterFilmFunComedyPeriodsMy FriendsNo Matter WhatYeahRelateWowCostumesRelatable Author:Paul Feig
“At the end of the day, I just want a movie that's great, that people are going to love and laugh at and be affected by, and also have an emotional journey.” PeopleWantEndsLaughingJourneyEmotionalThe End Of The DayAffected Author:Paul Feig
“I'm extremely, extremely lucky to be who I am and do what I do and work with the people I work with. Even though I can always find something to complain about, I find it very hard to complain.” PeopleI CanHardLuckyComplainingWho I Am Author:Paul Feig
“I'm not looking for people to bow down to me or do things in my name or even pass around a collection plate for me. I say that I'd like to be God for a while because He really can get away with anything. I mean, ANYTHING.” PeopleMeanNamesCollectionsGet AwayBowsPlates Author:Paul Feig
“I've always enjoyed people studying themselves in the mirror, and I also enjoy those 'walk and feel bad' shots. I like anything that isolates people and focuses them on themselves, or makes us focus on their faces as they're going through something.” PeopleFeelsFacesEnjoyWalksStudyFocusShotsMirrorsEnjoyed Author:Paul Feig
“So many stars who have shows are intimidated by having people around them be funnier than them. It's always the unsuccessful ones. Look at Seinfeld - he's great because he let everyone be hilarious.” PeopleLooksShowsStarsIntimidatedUnsuccessful Author:Paul Feig
“The greatest way for people to experience a comedy is to go in not knowing anything about it. But because of marketing, it's impossible. Marketing meaning that in order to get people to come you can't just go, 'Hey, there's a great movie - we're not going to show you anything from it but trust us!” PeopleWayShowsOrderKnowingComedyImpossibleMarketingHeyNot Knowing Author:Paul Feig
“Women's humor seems to be a little more supportive. It's just kind of trying to make the other one laugh through funny voices and kind of talking about other people. I respond to that. I feel less like I'm going to get beat up in a room full of women than I do in a room full of guys.” PeopleFeelsTryingKindLittlesSeemsGuyVoiceRoomsTalkingLaughingBeatsSupportiveTalking About Others Author:Paul Feig
