“I encourage film students who are interested in cinematography to study sculpture, paintings, music, writing and other arts. Filmmaking consists of all the arts combined. Students are always asking me for advice, and I tell them that they have to be enthusiastic, because it's hard work. The only way to enjoy it is to be totally immersed. If you don't get involved on that level, it could be a very miserable job. I only have one regret about my career: I'm sorry that we are not making silent movies any more. That is the purest art form I can imagine.” IfsWayWritingArtI CanHardJobsFilmFormEnjoyLevelsMusicCareersStudyImagineAdviceStudentsPaintingRegretHard WorkInvolvedPureAskingSilentSorryMiserableCombinationCinemaMovieFilmmakingI'm SorrySculptureGet InvolvedEnthusiasticInvolvementCinematographySilent MoviesMusic WritingFilm Students Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“You always like to be the collaborator. I don't want to take over the movie, because if I want to do that, I should really become a director because then you have the control of everything, basically. I'm very happy to just be the visual part of it, doing the visual part of the movie.” IfsWantShouldDirectorsVisualsVery HappyCollaborators Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I think that film is still an artform and it doesn't really matter if you're using a digital camera or a film camera.” IfsThinkingStillsMatterFilmCamerasDigitalDigital Cameras Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“Each story has a different approach for me and I try to work with lighting that will tell you visually the story better than if it was shot in available light.” IfsTryingDifferentStoriesLightApproachShotsAvailableLightingDifferent Approach Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I look at a picture like Scarecrow and think, 'Jesus, how could they have let us make that?' I mean, if you used technology that old nowadays, it would look like old Hollywood.” IfsThinkingLooksMeanUsedJesusTechnologyHollywoodScarecrowOld Hollywood Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“It's all about special effects and explosions now. It leaves me just cold when I walk out of the theater. There's no heart; there's no soul. Movies used to be about people. It's as though we don't tell stories any more. The studios have to make money, and if you want to make $20 million, you have to spend $200 million.” PeopleIfsWantHeartSoulStoriesUsedWalksMillionsSpecialEffectsColdTheaterStudiosUsed To BeMaking MoneyLeaving MeExplosionsSpecial Effects Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“The studios are never going to make $200 million a picture with those types of movies. It's not familiar to them, and it's not a model that can necessarily be sustained. Now, if they go back to making movies about people ... well, I hope they do that.” PeopleIfsWellsMillionsTypeModelsStudiosFamiliar Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“If you use hand-held techniques just to make the film stylish I think it's wrong.” IfsThinkingUseHandsFilmTechniqueStylish Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I think that the audience should not be able to tell if it is real or not real - it should be an enhanced version of reality, or an artistic view of reality, that captures not only what is physically there, but what is not visible - the mood.” IfsThinkingShouldRealRealityAbleViewsAudienceMoodVersionsArtisticVisibleCapture Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“If you need to strap a camera to you or get in a small space, then it makes sense to use digital.I do think it is possible to use a digital camera artistically, but it can only be good if you are using film technique. Film has grain, and digital has pixels, and there is not that much of a difference, but digital does not replace the need to create a scene and light it properly and spend time considering the shot.” IfsThinkingNeedsDoeUseLightFilmDifferencesSpaceSceneShotsCamerasBe GoodTechniqueMake SenseDigitalGrainConsideringEnd TimesSpend TimeSmall SpacesDigital CamerasPixels Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“If you do not bother to take the time to compose and to light properly, then you end up with something almost less than reality. You end up without the soul, the heart, the art of the moment.” IfsHeartArtSoulEndsMomentsRealityLightBother Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“I think film is about images. Cinema needs good images. I think that if you don’t have good images, it’s not going to be a good film. I think all films should be really visual.” IfsThinkingNeedsShouldFilmCinemaVisualsGood Films Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
“For me, movies should be visual. If you want dialogue, you should read a book.” IfsWantShouldBookDialogueVisuals Author:Vilmos Zsigmond
