23+ Ray Harryhausen Quotes On Death, And Death And Worlds

Ray Harryhausen was an American director and special effects creator who worked in the fantasy and science fiction genres. He was best known for his stop motion animation, which he used to create some of the most iconic creatures in film history. His work can be seen in films such as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, and Clash of the Titans. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Ray Harryhausen on life, love, death.

Top 10 Ray Harryhausen Quotes

1. If you make things too real, sometimes you bring it down to the mundane.
2. There’s a strange quality in stop-motion photography, like in King Kong, that adds to the fantasy. If you make things too real, sometimes you bring it down to the mundane.
3. I took courses at USC in film editing and art direction and photography when I was still in high school.
4. You could believe that Sinbad could fight a skeleton because that's from a period in the past, a magical period. But if you had James Bond fighting a skeleton, it'd be almost comical.
5. I brought in the stories many times. I don't just do animation.
6. I prefer to work alone and do everything alone, even today.
7. I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided.
8. I had to learn to do everything because I couldn't find another kindred soul. Now you see eighty people listed doing the same things I was doing by myself.
9. The whole point of making a film is to tell a story.
10. So our films had a lot more to them than entertainment value, and I'm glad that a lot of people recognize that now. People realize now the value of them as educational.

Ray Harryhausen Quotes About Animation

Medusa was fascinating to work with because I gave her a snake's body so that she could pull herself with her hands which gave her a very creepy aura. I didn't want to animate cosmic gowns. Most Medusas you see in the classics have flowing robes which would be mad to even try to animate. — Ray Harryhausen

I know pretty well in the broad sense what I'm going to do, because I have to know that when we shoot the live-action, so that it'll synchronize. Then I know pretty well when I get to the animation stage, what that scene requires. — Ray Harryhausen

Animation requires a great deal of concentration, and I preferred to work alone because then I'm not deterred by somebody asking me if I want coffee, or the phone ringing or something. — Ray Harryhausen

One film critic back in the early days said "It's a pity Mr. Harryhausen didn't animated the actors, too." — Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen Quotes About Film

The whole point of making a film is to tell a story. That seems to be forgotten. Many films today just rely on special effects and they have an explosion every five minutes. Who needs it? It's rather repetitious. — Ray Harryhausen

Many times I felt like I'd do better than what the director did, but some of them got a little discouraged because they didn't have full charge of making the film, and sometimes there'd be battles of egos. — Ray Harryhausen

When you put a big budget into a film, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be a better picture, but it does help in creating new images on the screen. — Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen Famous Quotes And Sayings

Animation had been used only for things like King Kong and the destruction of cities, which was very popular in the 1950s. I got tired of destroying cities. I destroyed New York, I destroyed San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Rome, and Washington. I was looking for a new outlet, and I came across the Sinbad legends. — Ray Harryhausen

I still go to the conventions, and I like to hear the point of view of people today. I'm a little afraid they're being brainwashed by this new pop-culture. I think it's not really elevating our lives like it did in the good old days of Hollywood, where you had a happy ending. They used to criticize happy endings, but really, what's the point of going to a film if you have to come out hating your fellow man? — Ray Harryhausen

Today, they make films where you have to sit for an hour and a half and watch somebody in the process of dying and, for me, that's rather depressing. Films, in the good old days of the golden age of Hollywood, used to want to inspire people and give them uplift. You're paying good money to see a film, and you don't want to leave depressed! — Ray Harryhausen

That's why I never became a director. I never had patience with people. — Ray Harryhausen

With all the hype that computer graphics has been getting, everybody thinks there's nothing better than CGI, but I do get a lot of fan mail saying they prefer our films to anything with CGI in it. I'm grateful for that, and we made them on tight budgets, so they were considered B-pictures because of that. And, now here we are, and they've outlasted many so-called A-pictures. — Ray Harryhausen

I was never restricted. I was never told what to do. — Ray Harryhausen

Life Lessons by Ray Harryhausen

1. Ray Harryhausen's work demonstrates the power of imagination and creativity in filmmaking, showing that ambitious and visually stunning stories can be told without the use of modern technology.
2. His work also highlights the importance of practical effects, as the use of stop-motion animation and other techniques created a unique and believable world.
3. Finally, Harryhausen's work serves as a reminder of the importance of dedication and hard work, as his films were the result of countless hours of labor and attention to detail.