Taylor Sheridan Quotes For Writers, Directors & Producers

Taylor Sheridan

Taylor Sheridan got his start as an actor, his most notable role arriving in the form of Deputy Chief of Police David Hale in SONS OF ANARCHY.

He transitioned this experience into screenwriting. Over a few years, he wrote SICARIO, HELL OR HIGH WATER, and SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO, also writing and directing WIND RIVER.

All can be described as crime thrillers with no small amount of Western influence. Similarly, his Kevin Costner-starring TV series YELLOWSTONE is set on a ranch in Montana.

The Chris Pine-starring bank robbing thriller HELL OR HIGH WATER was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and all of his films have garnered high critical acclaim

Here are 10 of the best Taylor Sheridan quotes for producers, writers and directors…

10 Taylor Sheridan Quotes for Producers, Writers and Directors

  1. “You can actually use commercial breaks to your benefit, build tension with them. It can be a more communal viewing experience. People can get together to watch like they used to. I remember as a kid with MIAMI VICE, on Friday everyone went somewhere to watch it. That communal experience at home is gone; it’s dying in theatres, as well.” 

  2. “People have seen so many films that they can intuit what happens next. They can feel ‘Here’s what’s coming.’ I wanted it [SICARIO] to feel like anything could happen at any point.”

  3. “I’m fascinated with complex characters, and that doesn’t mix well with complex plots. When the plot is simple, you can move one piece around and make it feel fresh.” 

    'Hell or High Water' Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan: "I'm Allergic to Exposition" | Close Up With THR
  4. “I don’t like being lectured to when I go to the movies. I’m here to entertain. I like playing against expectations. And if you can tell my political affiliations by watching one of my movies, then I’ve failed. But I want people leaving the theatre with something to think – and think hard – about. My job is not to give you all the answers. My job is to ask the questions.”

  5. “Dialogue is a little bit of its own song. Sometimes you have to tweak dialogue based on the person who’s saying it and alter it because sometimes their natural cadence and rhythm is different than the one in my head. And then sometimes people come in and they embody it so perfectly you don’t change a thing. There’s no hard-and-fast rule.” 

  6. [on pre-existing properties] “Original content is the future, just as it has always been the lifeblood of our medium. Whether it’s a television network or a movie studio, this is about trusting that your artist will execute. If we do our job and tell a great story cinematically, people will come.”

  7. “The one thing about writing a spec is, it’s just you. You’re going to tell the story the way you want to tell it. The flip side of that is no one might make it. You may be the only one who ever sees it. That’s the challenge.”
    BTS Look at Yellowstone w/ Kevin Costner, Taylor Sheridan & More! | Paramount Network
  8. [on working with a director as a screenwriter] “You sort of surrender your vision as screenwriter, so you have two choices. Take a stand and argue it needs to be shot exactly the way that you wrote it—and then they will just hire someone else who doesn’t have your voice. Or you can offer whatever assistance you can to help him realise his vision. I may the build the ship but the director is the captain.”

  9. “I’ve always liked the notion of playing with who is a protagonist, and allowing our heroes to be flawed, and really question what they’re doing morally, ethically, and keep them really human.”

  10. “Realism is very important. I strive to accurately capture the world and make sure the world itself feels like a character, because it is in our lives. I try to make the landscape as present in the film as it is in our lives.” 

 

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