I enjoyed this article on Peter Jackson (Director of Lord of the Rings) (linked by Joyce Wycoff) I focussed on this:
He makes the kind of movie he himself would like to see.
What does this really mean? Well in practice, it means that when he’s writing, he’s finding bits and pieces, ideas large and small that are surprising. This sequence surprised him, this bit gave him a thrill, this bit over there moved him to tears. And all those scenes did that to a guy who has seen thousands of movies. He’s seen it all, yet that script has got him excited enough to spend two, three, or more years of his life making it into a film.
Okay, so lots of us get passionate about what we do. But does the passion of the filmmaker guarantee any kind of satisfaction for the audience? Well, only a track record can tell you that. Jackson’s track record speaks for itself. If something excites him, you’d better believe it’s going to rock your world.”
