Stacey Snider

I have always felt that my career was not going to be a straight shot up, but more of a kind of rolling wave, so that I could raise my children. So I got pregnant when I was the head of production at a studio, and I became chairperson at a bigger studio when I was pregnant with my second daughter. You just do it!

One day I was asked to pick up $50,000 worth of gold chains for Mr. T. For real!

Don't be limited by your job description.

Be serious. You've got to do the job you were hired to do well, but there's always more you can do. When I was an assistant, I would say to myself, 'You may not be an executive, but act like one.' I would volunteer for any creative assignment - read scripts, do 'coverage,' write notes.

You have to have a strong idea for a hit movie, a strong core idea that resonates emotionally. It also has to technically achieve its goal - it's got to be well-written, well-paced, and interestingly told.

Get a hobby. Maintain your friendships. Hang out with other people.

You need to be grounded internally and excited about the world around you. If I were out of touch, it would be hard for me to know why Michael Cera is so cool.

The bulk of my calls are from agents who are letting you know about material that's coming your way.

You can't do everything, at the same time, always, and forever. But if you look at your life and your career as a long, winding river, you can get to your destination.

The only way the gender divide affected me was the social things the younger guy executives could do with their bosses. I don't know what went on in the clubs, because I didn't go. I made sure my work was stellar, and that compensated for whatever social time we weren't spending together.

This is fundamentally true of the media business, the rigmarole you go through while trying to make 25 movies while not seeing your kids.

I had a passion to not be a secretary forever. I was mindful of the customary career trajectory, and I knew I had to do something remarkable.

What is compelling with 'War Horse' is the jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring craftsmanship in this movie.

For 'Fright Night,' we really want to convey the fun attitude of the movie and show the intensity of Colin Farrell as a predator. He's not a brooding vampire - he's dark and dangerous.