#313 Christopher Nolan

695 snips

Jul 25, 2023

Discover the fascinating world of Christopher Nolan's filmmaking journey, where obsession and meticulousness collide. Learn about his unique approach, emphasizing efficiency and control over budgets. Delve into the intersection of creativity and business, showcasing how storytelling parallels entrepreneurship. Nolan reflects on the importance of personal experiences that shape his narratives, while his minimalist techniques in films like Dunkirk demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges. A captivating exploration of a true cinematic craftsman!

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Obsessive Creation

Obsessive focus is key to Christopher Nolan's filmmaking.
He believes that his own obsession translates into audience engagement.

ADVICE

Analog Creativity

Limit technology overstimulation to foster imagination.
Nolan believes this allows for deeper creative thought.

ANECDOTE

Craftsman, Not Artist

Nolan considers himself a craftsman, not an artist, prioritizing the process over artistic expression.
This aligns with George Lucas' self-perception.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The Nolan Variations

The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan

Tom Shone

The Nolan Variations offers a comprehensive look at Christopher Nolan's career, featuring never-before-seen photographs, storyboards, and insights into his filmmaking process. The book delves into themes such as time, chaos, and dreams, providing an intimate portrait of one of Hollywood's most successful directors. Written with Nolan's full cooperation, it explores his influences, vision, and the evolution of his films.

Rolls-Royce: The Magic of a Name

The First Forty Years of Britain's Most Prestigious Company

Peter Pugh

This book tells the story of Rolls-Royce from its inception, beginning with the meeting of Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1904, to the development of iconic vehicles like the Silver Ghost and pivotal aero engines such as the Eagle and Merlin. It highlights the company's contributions to both World Wars and its impact on British industry.

Steven Spielberg

A Biography

Joseph McBride

This biography by Joseph McBride provides an in-depth look at Steven Spielberg's life and career, from his early days as a young filmmaker to his rise as a Hollywood legend. It covers his personal struggles, creative evolution, and the making of some of his most iconic films. The book offers rich behind-the-scenes information and critical analysis of Spielberg's work.

The futurist

Rebecca Keegan

Rebecca Keegan's 'The Futurist' offers a comprehensive look at James Cameron's life and films, from his early days as a model builder to his groundbreaking work on 'Avatar'. The book provides insights into Cameron's creative process and his impact on the film industry, showcasing his blend of artistic vision and technological innovation.

The Everything Store

Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Brad Stone

The Everything Store is a revealing and definitive biography of Amazon.com and its driven founder, Jeff Bezos. The book chronicles Amazon's journey from its humble beginnings as a mail-order book seller to its transformation into a global retail and technology giant. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, providing a detailed, fly-on-the-wall account of life at Amazon. The book highlights Bezos's relentless pursuit of new markets, his innovative ventures such as the Kindle and cloud computing, and how he transformed retail in a manner comparable to Henry Ford's impact on manufacturing.

George Lucas, A Life

Brian Jay Jones

What I learned from reading The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone.

---

Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book

---

(7:00) The only way I know how to work is to sort of burrow in on one project very obsessively.

(7:25) People will say to me, "There are people online who are obsessed with Inception or obsessed with Memento.”

They're asking me to comment on that, as if I thought it were weird or something, and I'm like, Well, I was obsessed with it for years. Genuinely obsessed with it. So it doesn't strike me as weird. . . I feel like I have managed to wrap them the up in it way I try to wrap myself up.

(8:30) The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron by Rebecca Keegan and The Return of James Cameron, Box Office King by Zach Baron. (Founders #311)

(11:00) I don’t think of myself as an artist. I’m a craftsman. I don’t make a work of art; I make a movie. — George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones.

(15:30) Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride. (Founders #209)

(22:45) Nolan is relentlessly resourceful. He wants to spend as as little money as possible so he can maintain as much control over the project as possible.

(23:30) He makes his first movie on the weekends while he working a full-time job!

(29:30) The efficiency of filmmaking is for me a way of keeping control. The pressure of time, the pressure of money. Even though they feel like restrictions at the time, and you chafe against them, they're helping you make decisions. They really are. If I know that deadline is there, then my creative process ramps up exponentially.

(34:00) The result of making a billion dollar blockbuster: Suddenly his position at Warner Brothers went from solid to unassailable.

(37:00) Stories can add to your own thinking but you need your own foundation to add them to first.

(38:00) I know it's more fun when we're all together and we can do the thing together. That's why we keep it as a family business.

(39:00) Rolls-Royce: The Magic of a Name: The First Forty Years of Britain s Most Prestigious Company by Peter Pugh. (Founders #287)

(43:30) Every time a new feature or product was proposed, he decreed that the narrative should take the shape of a mock press release. The goal was to get employees to distill a pitch into its purest essence, to start from something the customer might see—the public announcement—and work backward. Bezos didn’t believe anyone could make a good decision about a feature or a product without knowing precisely how it would be communicated to the world. — The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone. (Founders #179)

(45:30) Once your children are born, you can never look at yourself through your own eyes anymore; you always look at yourself through their eyes.

(49:30) I often have terrible luck with the weather, but my philosophy is to shoot no matter what the weather is, always shooting no matter what weather, just keeping going, keeping going. Letting everybody on the crew and cast know we're really serious about doing that, no matter what the conditions are, so they're not looking out the window first thing and going, Oh, we will or won't shoot today.

----

“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.” — Gareth

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

----

Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here.

----

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast