Good luck Richard Linklater!
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Adam Woodward

Richard Linklater is a man of many faces. To some he’s the low-budget indie champion who spawned the Slacker generation, to others he’s the visionary behind the Before… trilogy, the rotoscoping pioneer of Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, or the funny man who unleashed School of Rock and made Jack Black a movie star.
But he may be remembered above all for one historic film: Boyhood. On Sunday his groundbreaking coming-of-age drama filmed over 12 years is up for six Oscar nominations, including best picture and best director.
To wish him good luck at the 87th Academy Awards, here are five secrets to Richard Linklater’s success – in his own words – drawn from our sister publication Little White Lies, who devoted a whole issue to Boyhood.
Start young
“I was the kid in fifth grade whose short story would end up getting read to the principal.”
Learn on the job
“I meet filmmakers who are hot right now and I just think, ‘Go make your next film’. Just do it, don’t sit in LA developing it for four years because it’ll just drain you. They don’t even really pay you properly while you’re developing a film. Work with your hands, that’s my advice.”
Steer clear of the money men
“I avoid the industry as much as possible. The focus on business you get in Los Angeles is just so depressing; everyone’s focused on the commerce end. … I think anyone who’s on the path to be a gun-for-hire probably deserves to be. They probably don’t have a burning passion or enough of their own stories.”
Austin, Texas
“Austin is the place I escaped to. I came here as a high school kid, I had a lot of friends here and it’s where I first started seeing live music. It felt like a place of freedom and creativity. There were all these people in bands and a lot of artists. Where I came from, I didn’t think I needed to go to LA or New York, this was the big league. … I guess I just like the way folks’ brains work around here.”
Push Yourself
“I honestly don’t think I’ve changed as a filmmaker over the last 18 years. I’m always trying to push myself, but I feel confident in my ability to be consistent with a project over a number of years.”
Read the full interview, read the Little White Lies review or grab a copy of The Boyhood Issue.

You might like

Director Steve McQueen explores life under occupation
Steven McQueen provides a haunting examination of Amsterdam under Nazi occupation in contrast to its present in his documentary adapted from Bianca Stigter's book of the same name.

Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South
Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.
Written by: Miss Rosen

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.
Written by: Uwade

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer
Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.
Written by: Miss Rosen

A new documentary spotlights Ecuador’s women surfers fighting climate change
Ceibo — Co-directed by Maddie Meddings and Lucy Small, the film focuses on the work and story of Pacha Light, a wave rider who lived off-grid before reconnecting with her country’s activist heritage.
Written by: Hannah Bentley

In 1971, Pink Narcissus redefined queer eroticism
Camp classic — A new restoration of James Bidgood’s cult film is showing in US theatres this spring. We revisit its boundary pushing aesthetics, as well as its enduring legacy.
Written by: Miss Rosen