My easiest judgment for a script is 'do I want to keep reading it?' Jason Blum More Quotes by Jason Blum More Quotes From Jason Blum I really like to work with theater actors. Theater actors tend to do lots of independent movies, and those are the actors that I like. Jason Blum independent theater actors I think the most honest responses to the movies you get to watch are in houses and people's most private spaces, like the bedroom or in your own intimate space. I think that's where you feel safest, so when you're threatened in the place you feel safest, it makes for the scariest situations. Jason Blum space people thinking The only way I think about kids in production is practically, the younger the kids are the harder it is to shot the movie. Jason Blum kids way thinking One thing I am very strict about is that I don't like spending a lot of money on movies because the more money you spend I think the worse that they get. Jason Blum more-money spending thinking Directors typically have three choices - you do a studio movie and get a paycheck up front, you do an independent movie, which is for your heart and you don't get paid up front and probably don't make any money on it, but it hopefully goes to Sundance and is more of an art movie, and then you do TV. Jason Blum independent choices art But, it's much easier to do that than produce the movies from scratch. It excites the same thing in me, whether we build it from the ground up, or whether we come on when the movie is done or almost done. The idea of supporting the underdog and getting a smaller movie out there in a big way is equally exciting. Jason Blum underdog scratches ideas I think the mistake people make with horror movies and what makes them successful is a lot of horror movies get made by people who don't really like them, so they don't respect them. And when you like horror and have admiration for it, that community knows that what's important for a horror movie is important for every other kind of movie. Jason Blum successful mistake thinking Horror is great storytelling with scary elements on top of it, but if you don't have great storytelling, you can have all the scares in the world, but the movie won't work. Jason Blum scare elements scary You can't be a creative person and not fall in love with everything. Every movie I've made there's a complicated, twisted love affair with. Jason Blum falling-in-love creative complicated For me it's much more like a little kid rebelling. The minute I was told what to do at any age, I did the opposite. Hopefully I'll do that for the rest of my life. I come from the business side and Mark comes from the creative side, but every time a decision came up about Creep it was two emails, and we agreed. I've not had that ever with someone on the creative or the business side. Jason Blum opposites two kids The model we established was to give creative people complete creative freedom in exchange for betting on themselves, so they work for the minimums you're allowed to work for, and if the movies work in a big way, everyone does very well. If the movies don't, nobody loses too much money. The benefit to doing all the movies low budget is we can tell different types of stories and take creative risks. The Purge would have been irresponsible to do for $20M, but to do it for $3M makes sense. Jason Blum creative giving people I really am passionate about making low-budget movies. You can try new stuff and unusual stuff, and you can break the rules. Jason Blum passionate stuff trying There's S-VOD, which is 3 1/2 months after the theatrical release. The windows are going to get closer and closer, and the sooner they collapse in my mind the better it'll be for everybody. It's coming, but change is hard. It will be more profitable for everybody, including exhibitors. Jason Blum months mind window Halloween is woke, and there's nothing we can do about it. Jason Blum woke about nothing halloween I don't believe in ghosts or paranormal activity, but one time I think I saw - I might have seen - no, I think I did see a ghost. Jason Blum ghosts think time believe Success stems from the producer creating the optimal conditions for the filmmaker's own creative process. Not from steering the filmmaker through a one-size-fits-all approach. Jason Blum own creative process success Growing up in the '70s and '80s when my dad had an art gallery, one of the things that frustrated me was the world seemed so tiny, and to appreciate contemporary art, you needed a history of art, a formal education. I was more interested in the people, and that's why I went into the movie business in the first place. Jason Blum me education history art The one thing I am very strict about is that I don't like spending a lot of money on movies because the more money you spend, I think the worse that they get. Jason Blum i-am think you money 'Paranormal Activity' had fifty versions because it was $250 to reshoot. We'd screen it, see one thing wrong, shoot for an hour, fix it, and then screen it again. You don't have to be disciplined about it. On a regular movie, you have to screen it and think of every problem, reshoot for three days and solve every problem, and then you're done. Jason Blum see think you problem I really love 'Poltergeist.' I think that's a great, terrific movie. I did really love the first 'Friday the 13th.' I thought that was such a crazy movie. Jason Blum great think crazy love
