Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld discusses his journey in filmmaking, from cinematographer for the Coen brothers to director of blockbuster films like the Men in Black series; and his views on the business of filmmaking.
On the art of filmmaking: “Film is all about pre-production. What you learn is that you never want to get on a movie set, scratch your head and try to figure out where to put the camera. The worst thing in the world is to be on a movie set, look out the window and see the grips and electricians throwing Frisbees while you're trying to make a decision. So, I think whatever profession you're in, it's all about pre-production. What can go wrong? What can you do ahead of time to figure everything out?... Preparing for everything.”
On the key to filming great comedies: “I always say that close-ups are the enemy of comedy because it's close up, the director's saying here, ‘I'm cutting to the punchline.’ I want the audience to be smarter than me. I want them to figure out where the punchline is. It's why I always tell actors never to be funny in comedy. That’s why you never want two funny people in your comedy.”