Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Leeis an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth20 March 1957
CityAtlanta, GA
CountryUnited States of America
school kids eight-ball
I am very fortunate I can send my kids to private school, but everybody does not have the money. If you cannot get your kid in a good school today, your kids are going to be behind the eight ball.
independent hollywood-films hybrid
I am a hybrid. I do independent films and also do Hollywood films - I love them both.
thinking feelings want
I think there's a lot of hope in my work. I don't think I'm a total pessimist, so I think you can find hope in all my films. Some more than others, but there's definitely... I think we want to convey the feeling of hope with the montage at the end.
art children grandmother
My grandmother lived to be 100 years old. Her grandmother was a slave, yet she was a college graduate in the Spellman class of 1917. She taught art for 50 years and she saved her Social Security checks for her children's education.
real character differences
What's the difference between Hollywood characters and my characters? Mine are real.
writing media phones
The truth is I've been doing Kickstarter before there was Kickstarter; there was no Internet. Social Media was writing letters, making phone calls, beating the bushes.
jobs dancer slavery
Since the days of slavery, if you were a good singer or dancer, it was your job to perform for the master after dinner.
editing acting tools
Music is, for me, a great tool of a filmmaker, the same way cinematography, the acting, editing, post-production, the costumes are. You know, to help you tell a story.
photography looks costumes
Any time you talk about the look of the film, it's not just the director and the director of photography. You have to include the costume designer and the production designer.
positive
A lot of times, we censor ourselves before the censor even gets there.
long grace sticks
Stick around long enough, you'll get some grace.
people research asks
You have to do the research. If you don't know about something, then you ask the right people who do.
new-york mean home
'25th Hour,' like a lot of my films, takes place in New York City. I've been very fortunate to make films in the city that I live. I mean, it's great going home at night instead of being on location.
doe hollywood wells
And one thing Hollywood does well is sequels.