Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinsonis an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor. Levinson's best-known works are comedy-drama and drama films such as, Diner, The Natural, Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Bugsy, and Wag the Dog. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on Rain Man, which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth6 April 1942
CityBaltimore, MD
CountryUnited States of America
As soon as digital editing came about, I immediately made the switch to digital.
There was a time when I said, "I'm going to go do a television thing," after doing all these theatrical films, and heard, "Television? Why are you going to go back to television?" It's an interesting place.
You do understand that you can't force the situation, but in terms of how you edit, you can define that to take the audience along, whether it be a storyline or a character moment that we can play out. The more experience you've had, the more beneficial it is, period.
Even back in the '90s, I shot certain things on something that wasn't digital then, but it was on VHS with a smaller camera and we would up it to film.
I'm fascinated by documentaries, to begin with. Because of the nature of television, as opposed to theatrical, documentaries can be in this long form and take you on a journey.
There's no downside to having too much experience.
I would give the cameras to the kids in the swimming pools and they would play with them, and then I would collect them and we would upload it. If you're in the process, you're there.
I always think that there is the good and the bad of it all.
I think we are seeing a radical shift in the business in general. The studios are making much more of the real big extravaganzas and there are other kinds of films that are coming out. I think you are going to begin to see more diversification that we've seen in the past.
All I try to do is create an atmosphere that seems comfortable enough, that it removes tension and everyone feels free. If they feel free then behaviour happens, small moments happen and that's what ultimately works the best for me.
I think it's a promising time which will show a lot of diversification that we've seen in the past.
I got a chance to work with Mel Brooks on two of his films: Silent Movie and High Anxiety.
I never really wanted to be an actor. And that was the beginning of it, I began to write things down and eventually became a writer on a television show.
It's always hard to explain why an audience ultimately responds to a movie.