Mike Figgis
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgisis an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in Leaving Las Vegas...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth28 February 1948
done ashamed
There's nothing I've done which I'm ashamed of or I thought was actually bad.
things-i-love cinema range
One of the things I love about cinema is the range.
musical littles film
I've held onto little musical sketches that I thought could be useful, and the more time that I spend doing them for each film, then the more I have to draw on.
singers way musician
When I do the music, I make the musicians listen to what's happening in the film. That way they treat the dialogue as if it was a singer.
mirrors development way
In a way, the history of jazz's development is a small mirror of classical music's development through the centuries. Now jazz is a living form of original music, while classical music has gotten to the end of its cycle in terms of exploring its form.
healthy actors agents
It's difficult working with very rich actors, because inevitably they become a little spoilt, and the managers and agents tend to control things more than is healthy.
sound harmony psychological
The power of sound to put an audience in a certain psychological state is vastly undervalued. And the more you know about music and harmony, the more you can do with that.
plot actors made
In discussing the process with the actors, I made it clear to them that they could improvise but that the sum total of their improvisation needed to impart certain plot points, and schematic material.
sadness thinking giving
There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there.
player interesting trying
You make sure that there's a structure that's interesting for them to play on top of, then do temp versions and try it on the film. By the time the players come to the recording session, I've found what works. So I'm not wasting their time.
theatre film periods
Films take up so much time, and with theatre, you do have to plan a period of time that you can be free.
play piano guitar
I might have a guitar or a piano on set to play something for the actors.
art live-theatre film
I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.
country cinema use
I'm a huge fan of world cinema, because each country uses cinema in a very individual way.