Jason Penopolis

"Art isn't about being perfect; it's about being honest."

"The camera doesn't lie, but it sure can distort the truth."

"I've learned more from making mistakes on film than I ever would in school."

"Sometimes the best stories are the ones nobody asked you to tell."

"If you're not willing to embarrass yourself, you're not really living."

"Love is like a scene that doesn't quite work—you keep shooting it until it does."

"The future belongs to people who can tell good stories."

"Happiness is pressing record on something that actually matters."

"You can't learn about the world from inside your house... well, you can, but it's way less interesting."

"Every person is a story waiting to be documented."

"Money doesn't matter if you've got a decent camera and a good friend."

"Patience is just editing footage while you wait for inspiration to strike."

"The hardest scenes to film are the ones where nothing happens."

"If at first your idea doesn't work, add more explosions."

"Real power is getting someone to watch what you made."

"Death would be okay if someone filmed it right."

"I believe in second takes, not second chances."

"Gratitude is thanking the person holding the camera."

"Knowledge is just footage you haven't watched yet."

"The most important thing in life is having a good sound guy."

"Time moves differently when you're behind the camera."

"Freedom is having a camcorder and no one telling you what to film."

"Peace comes from finishing a scene on the first take."

"Nature's beautiful, but it's more beautiful when it's in focus."

"Science is just filmmaking with equations."

"Music is what makes bad cinematography seem intentional."

"Faith is believing your final cut will be better than your rough draft."

"A leader is someone people actually want in their background."

"Work is less exhausting when you love what you're documenting."

"Dreams are just scripts you haven't filmed yet."