I think we're going to enter a phase where there's less interest in the CGI and there's a demand for story again. I think we've dropped the ball a little bit on stories for the sake of the amazing toys that we've played with.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the need for storytelling over visual effects in filmmaking.
Peter Jackson reflects on the shifting priorities in cinema, suggesting that while technological advancements like CGI have greatly enhanced visual storytelling, there is a growing desire for more compelling narratives. He implies that an overemphasis on special effects may have led to neglecting the foundational element of film: a well-crafted story.
In practice
In a film class, discussing the balance between special effects and story.
We're human beings, and we want stories. We're always going to be entertained and have our emotions touched by humanity and by things that we recognize in our own lives. So whilst every now and again we'll be happy to watch a bubblegum film, it's never gonna be the only things that get made.
I have a freedom that's incredibly valuable. Obviously my freedom is far smaller in scale than people like Zemeckis and Spielberg have here. But it's comparable. I can dream up a project, develop it, make it, control it, release it.
Adapting a novel is not really about being faithful to every word and every moment the author has created. It's more about that same story being filtered through somebody else's sensibility.
As a filmmaker, I believe in trying to make movies that invite the audience to be part of the film; in other words, there are some films where I'm just a spectator and am simply observing from the front seat. What I try to do is draw the audience into the film and have them participate in what's happening onscreen.
The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself.
I've always tried to make movies that pull the audience out of their seats... I want audiences to be transported.
That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity – that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
My whole artistic life has always been about change, change, change, move on, move on. It's the only thing I find interesting.
I had to get my camera to register things that were more important than how poor they were--their pride, their strength, their spirit.
It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.
Through music I either tame my demons or unleash them and allow them to be what they are. I don't want the music to be about provocation, I want the music to bring you to a place where you feel at home
Above all, a well-imagined story is organized around extraordinary human behaviors and unexpected and startling events, which help illuminate the commonplace and the ordinary.
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