Known as the “Pope of Pop Cinema,” Roger Corman certainly was the authority on film.

Corman served as a director for films like It Conquered the World (1956) and A Bucket of Blood (1959). Later, the director pivoted into producing and founded his own studio, New World Pictures. Years later, Corman would remain active in the industry, producing movies like Dinocroc (2004) and Dinoshark (2010).

With so many years of experience, Corman had developed his own, unique view of the industry.

In a 2011 article, Corman looked back on his career. “Movies are the only modern art form because they embody movement, which could not be done before, and because they are both an art and a business,” Corman said during an interview with The Guardian. “They are a compromised art, but that’s entirely fitting, because we live in a compromised world.”

Despite this opinion, Corman was reluctant to title himself as an “artist.”

“I don’t know if I would say I’m an artist,” said the producer. “I would say that I’m a craftsman. I attempt to ply my trade in the best possible way. If occasionally something transcends the craft, then that’s wonderful. It doesn’t happen very often.”

Despite this humble belief, Corman wasn’t just a powerful producer in his own way. The director also served as a popular mentor for new, burgeoning film directors like Ron Howard.