D. A. Pennebaker Quotes

Powerful D. A. Pennebaker for Daily Growth

About D. A. Pennebaker

D.A. Pennebaker, born on March 15, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an influential American documentary filmmaker, best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of direct cinema. Pennebaker's interest in filmmaking began during his time at the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy but found himself captivated by the university's film society. After a brief stint in the U.S. Army, he moved to New York City and worked as an editor for ABC News before co-founding Cinema Associates with Richard Leacock and Robert Drew in 1958. This partnership marked the beginning of the direct cinema movement, characterized by its emphasis on unobtrusive camerawork, long takes, and synchronous sound. Pennebaker's major works include "Primary" (1960), a documentary about the Democratic primary election between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey; "Don't Look Back" (1967), a film chronicling Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England; and "Monterey Pop" (1968), a documentary of the legendary Monterey Pop Festival featuring Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Otis Redding. Pennebaker's films often blurred the lines between fact and fiction, capturing the raw essence of their subjects in a way that felt intimate and immediate. His innovative techniques and unconventional approach to documentary filmmaking have had a lasting impact on the genre, inspiring generations of filmmakers who followed in his footsteps. In addition to his filmmaking career, Pennebaker was also a pioneer in the field of music video production, working with artists such as The Velvet Underground and David Bowie. He continued to produce groundbreaking work until his retirement in 2014. D.A. Pennebaker passed away on July 30, 2019, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire filmmakers today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The job of a documentary is to fuck you up."

This quote by D.A. Pennebaker emphasizes that the purpose of documentaries, particularly impactful ones, is not merely to inform or entertain but also to challenge and provoke viewers, stirring emotions and encouraging critical thinking. The intent is to evoke strong reactions, to create discomfort in addressing uncomfortable truths, and ultimately, to inspire meaningful change.

"A good documentary should make people uncomfortable in a way that encourages them to think about things they might not want to think about."

This quote underscores the power and role of documentaries as catalysts for introspection and critical thought. By presenting challenging, uncomfortable, or unconventional subjects, good documentaries push viewers to confront their own beliefs, prejudices, and biases, thus fostering a deeper understanding of complex societal issues. In essence, the quote suggests that discomfort is not just tolerated in great documentary-making but actively embraced as a means to prompt meaningful reflection.

"I've always been a believer that if it feels real, it is real."

This quote emphasizes the subjective nature of truth and reality, suggesting that if an experience or emotion resonates deeply with us as genuine (feels 'real'), then it should be considered as such, regardless of any objective validation. It encourages people to trust their instincts, feelings, and personal experiences as valid sources of knowledge and understanding about themselves and the world around them.

"The camera is a medium of the mind."

This quote by D.A. Pennebaker suggests that cameras are not just physical tools, but an extension of the human mind, capturing and preserving moments as we perceive them. Like our memory, they record experiences, interpret reality through framing, angles, and lighting, and can even evoke emotions similar to a human's recalling past events. Essentially, Pennebaker is emphasizing that cameras reflect the creative and cognitive abilities of humans in documenting their world.

"Filmmaking is like being a detective - trying to find out what really happened and why."

This quote by D.A. Pennebaker highlights the investigative, inquisitive nature of filmmaking. He compares the process of making a movie to that of a detective solving a mystery. The "what really happened" refers to the events captured on camera, while "why" suggests an exploration into the underlying motives or themes that drive those events. Essentially, Pennebaker is saying that, like a detective, filmmakers search for truth and understanding in their work, revealing the hidden stories behind the scenes.

When I did 'Don't Look Back,' I no longer had Time-Life looking over my shoulder, so I could kind of do it as I wanted, and it was like I was really correcting 'Jane.'

- D. A. Pennebaker

Over, Like, Could, Shoulder

When the fearsome foursome of rock music, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis, decided to show up in Toronto for a rock and roll festival, I knew we had to go there to try to get them all on film.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Rock And Roll, Show, Berry, Lewis

Theater is where you go to find out something new that you don't know. It goes through somebody's brain and comes out in a comprehensible way that is beautiful, that's really interesting.

- D. A. Pennebaker

New, Through, Goes, Comprehensible

Before the camera, you only had secondhand takes - someone had to tell you what they saw or draw a picture of it or sing a song. Because of the camera, sometimes to our horror, we now know everything that happens in the world - things that before we were sheltered from.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Sometimes, Tell, Before, Camera

The very first thing I ever did, I was doing some work for the French Cultural Center. They wanted a little recording set up. And I got wire. A wire recorder. The wire came off spools, and to cut and edit, you tied it together in little square knots. Can you imagine?

- D. A. Pennebaker

Doing, Some, Very, Recorder

I didn't know Jack Kennedy that well, but Bobby was a hero to me.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Me, Bobby, Kennedy, Jack

You don't necessarily need a script or actors to tell a compelling tale. Finding a person at a key moment in his life and rendering the truth as you see it - that's the truest form of drama.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Need, Truest, Compelling, Rendering

I think, in general, independents don't have a lot of access to really good scriptwriters or actors or actresses, so they're very limited in what they can do.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Think, I Think, Very, Independents

I think the films we see, the Hollywood films, which are basically entertainment, will still be there, but they'll be in a totally different category. People won't take them seriously. They'll kind of end up the way comic books have. A side view of things.

- D. A. Pennebaker

I Think, Comic Books, Category

One of the things we found out as we filmed with people who dealt with chimps, and with all animals, and it's really incredible, is their levels of intelligence that we don't recognize right away.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Away, One Of The Things, Right Away

Albert Grossman called my office and spoke with my partner Richard Leacock and asked if we'd be interested in making a film with his client, Bob Dylan.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Making, Spoke, Richard, None

I wanted James Carville to never die. I wanted Dylan, the poet, to not die. I wanted to put these people in a place where they would be inviolate. It wasn't enough to have a still life of them. I wanted to surround them with the lives they led.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Die, Still, Lives, Dylan

I had maybe heard 'The Times Are A-Changing' on the radio, but I had no idea who Dylan was. No idea.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Idea, Maybe, Times, Dylan

Animals are companions on this planet, not necessarily our feedbags.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Animals, Planet, Our, Companions

Well, it is curious what lasts and what doesn't. Publishing empires and whatnot would pay anything to figure it out. But they can't figure it out.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Curious, Lasts, Figure, Empires

Somebody like Bowie was so interesting because when you got him off stage, he was like a businessman. But on stage, he was just dazzling. It was like watching butterflies grow.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Grow, Butterflies, Like, Dazzling

If you're setting up lights and tripods, and you've got three assistants running around, people will want to get you out as fast as they can. But if you go the opposite way, if you make the camera the least important thing in the room, then it's different.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Got, Important Thing, Least, Camera

I think the process is one of using the camera and sound in the way a detective uses a magnifying glass: to find the clues. They're discovery devices, not performance devices - you're watching things the way a cat does. You're not judging. You're there to witness something.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Watching, Sound, I Think, Clues

I heard the new film, 'Tangerine,' was filmed entirely on iPhones. No cameras were involved!

- D. A. Pennebaker

New, Cameras, Involved, Entirely

It was interesting to shoot history as it happens, without anyone demanding a huge story.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Interesting, Anyone, Huge, Shoot

We're actually thinking about distributing 'Moon Over Broadway' on-line. It's tempting, because when you go to a major studio, it's sort of like a farm, you know? They make all the money, since it's kind of a buyer's market.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Broadway, Studio, About, Farm

To make theater out of real life, you need to catch dialogue when it happens.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Dialogue, Need, Theater, Real Life

Two of my sons are themselves filmmakers, and we can't afford them nor they us. They work in the real world and earn money and are pretty good at it.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Work, Pretty, Pretty Good, Filmmakers

Filming is a witnessing process. You don't try to control it, even though sometimes you wish you could because it can go really, really wrong for you.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Process, Could, Though, Filming

If you're filming somebody doing something they really want to do, you're probably not very high on their list of problems to deal with. You see James Carville on the phone - he's like that whether you have a camera or not. He isn't doing it just for you, and that's hard to explain.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Doing, Explain, Very, Filming

I kind of liked the idea of filming musicians. I could like a musician and know, at the same time, maybe nobody else maybe liked them much or appreciated them.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Kind, Like, Maybe, Filming

When you're editing, you're putting it together in a way that makes sense metaphysically. You're not inventing it, but you're finding the story that's there. You're making a play that's eventually going to go on stage and present itself to an audience. You want to show what happened, not exactly what you have evidence of happening.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Play, Evidence, Putting, Editing

I think of all my movies as home movies! It's just that some are more expensive than others.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Think, Some, I Think, Expensive

A film is made in somebody's head - out of their determination to do it at all.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Head, Film, Made, Determination

Nobody would let us do 'Crisis' again.

- D. A. Pennebaker

Let Us, Again, Would, Crisis

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