---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think when you're a director, it's hard…"
description: "\"I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something unless you're absolutely over-the-moon in love with it. The audience, they spend 90 minutes w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg"
---

#  I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something…

![“I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something unless you're absolutely over-the-moon in love with it. The audience, they spend 90 minutes with it, but for you, it's anywhere between a year and a half to three years of your life, every day, working on it.” quote by Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg)

> “I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something unless you're absolutely over-the-moon in love with it. The audience, they spend 90 minutes with it, but for you, it's anywhere between a year and a half to three years of your life, every day, working on it.”

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A director must love a project deeply because it consumes years of effort while the audience experiences only a short viewing.

**In simple terms:** Deep passion is needed for long‑term creative work.

Key Takeaway

Commit fully to what you love.

Themes

creativity passion commitment film career

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- script development
- production planning
- personal projects
- team motivation

Key Concepts

artistic vision dedication time investment

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance personal love for a project with audience expectations?
- What signs indicate a project is worth the long investment?

A Different Perspective

Passion alone may not guarantee audience success.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

## Related quotes

> [Sometimes you think, "Oh man, this is going to be a fantastic movie," and then when you see it put together, you're like, "Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-faris/sometimes-you-think-oh-man-this-is-going-to-be-a-fantastic-movie-and/)

[Anna Faris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-faris/)

> [I'm not a real film buff. Unfortunately, I don't have time. I just don't go. And I become very nervous when I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/i-m-not-a-real-film-buff-unfortunately-i-don-t-have-time-i-just-don-t/)

[David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/)

> [I would say that it's mainly about the director. It's a hard quality to find, but I always know whether I want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/i-would-say-that-it-s-mainly-about-the-director-it-s-a-hard-quality/)

[Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/)

> [You don't get anywhere unless you've had a little bit of a complicated life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/you-don-t-get-anywhere-unless-you-ve-had-a-little-bit-of-a/)

[Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/)

> [It was clear to me as a civil rights leader in the '60s that unless we put the social and economic underpinnings beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-was-clear-to-me-as-a-civil-rights-leader-in-the-60s-that-unless-we/)

[Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/)

> [I think a director is hugely responsible for the fate of a film, so if it does well, he should be appreciated. As an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diljit-dosanjh/i-think-a-director-is-hugely-responsible-for-the-fate-of-a-film-so-if/)

[Diljit Dosanjh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diljit-dosanjh/)

> [At best, I think of a director as a magnet. You get all the metal fillings in all the individual actors and crew, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-miller/at-best-i-think-of-a-director-as-a-magnet-you-get-all-the-metal/)

[Rebecca Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-miller/)

> [But I don't think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-foreigner-or-a-frenchman-i-just/)

[Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/)

> [I think every director's different. Every director's got his own style. I mean, when I directed, I basically just screamed for eight hours a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biehn/i-think-every-director-s-different-every-director-s-got-his-own-style/)

[Michael Biehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biehn/)

> [I think of myself more as a director than as an actress. But I do like to perform and express myself in different ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-labaki/i-think-of-myself-more-as-a-director-than-as-an-actress-but-i-do-like/)

[Nadine Labaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-labaki/)

> [The thing that I think a director has to have in order to make a movie really work, and to certainly make a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-nolfi/the-thing-that-i-think-a-director-has-to-have-in-order-to-make-a/)

[George Nolfi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-nolfi/)

> [But you really - I always think that a director has got to adapt to whatever the needs of the actor are. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-condon/but-you-really-i-always-think-that-a-director-has-got-to-adapt-to/)

[Bill Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-condon/)

> [I want the look of a movie to be secondary. I really want people to be engaged in the story and the characters and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-holofcener/i-want-the-look-of-a-movie-to-be-secondary-i-really-want-people-to-be/)

[Nicole Holofcener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-holofcener/)

> [I think the director is becoming more important. To work under rushed conditions, you need to have an extremely professional director. If the director's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ford/i-think-the-director-is-becoming-more-important-to-work-under-rushed/)

[Glenn Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ford/)

> [I need to gain a lot more experience. I think so much of being a director, other than the technical aspect and the artistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/i-need-to-gain-a-lot-more-experience-i-think-so-much-of-being-a/)

[Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/)

## More by Adam Green

> [I have found that my fan base is a bit above average when compared to the common horror fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-have-found-that-my-fan-base-is-a-bit-above-average-when-compared-to/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [To all the other dreamers out there, don't ever stop or let the world's negativity disenchant you or your spirit. If you surround yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/to-all-the-other-dreamers-out-there-don-t-ever-stop-or-let-the-world/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [As a writer, Chris Columbus was a big influence. 'The Goonies' was the first movie I ever saw that kids speak normally and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/as-a-writer-chris-columbus-was-a-big-influence-the-goonies-was-the/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> ['Jaws' was the ultimate man vs. nature movie, and it was a movie that was basically three people against the elements, so that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/jaws-was-the-ultimate-man-vs-nature-movie-and-it-was-a-movie-that-was/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [Wes Craven's 'Shocker' is one of my favorite soundtracks. I don't know where that movie stands in the critical eye of cinema, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/wes-craven-s-shocker-is-one-of-my-favorite-soundtracks-i-don-t-know/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> ['E.T.' was the movie that made me want to make movies in the first place, and it was the first movie that made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/e-t-was-the-movie-that-made-me-want-to-make-movies-in-the-first-place/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [Hollywood is a roulette wheel. Each project dictates what's going to happen for you next, and it doesn't really matter that your project is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/hollywood-is-a-roulette-wheel-each-project-dictates-what-s-going-to/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [Hollywood would make a holocaust an animated comedy if people would pay to see it; they don't care... they just want your money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/hollywood-would-make-a-holocaust-an-animated-comedy-if-people-would/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [I write back to every fan who writes me, which is kind of a full-time job in some regards 'cause I don't want people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-write-back-to-every-fan-who-writes-me-which-is-kind-of-a-full-time/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [I like that conventions want me to appear and festivals want me to come speak because they like the climate I attract. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-like-that-conventions-want-me-to-appear-and-festivals-want-me-to/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [I was lucky enough to have an older brother who shared the splatter flicks with me, and I had parents who were cool and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-an-older-brother-who-shared-the-splatter/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [Every day is like Halloween or Christmas eve for me. I go to bed, and I'm so excited to get back to work. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/every-day-is-like-halloween-or-christmas-eve-for-me-i-go-to-bed-and-i/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [The honest truth is no, I don't feel like I arrived. I don't feel like I'm worthy. My publicist says I'm not supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/the-honest-truth-is-no-i-don-t-feel-like-i-arrived-i-don-t-feel-like/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [When I wrote 'Hatchet,' I knew that I was not re-inventing the wheel. That was never my intention. My goal was to make an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/when-i-wrote-hatchet-i-knew-that-i-was-not-re-inventing-the-wheel/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

> [When you go to Best Buy and see a DVD of your movie, you think it's amazing. But then there's a whole other world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/when-you-go-to-best-buy-and-see-a-dvd-of-your-movie-you-think-it-s/)

[Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

[Explore all 25 Adam Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/)

## More 90 minutes quotes

> [If you don't have to drag yourself off the field exhausted after 90 minutes, you can't claim to have done your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nichols/if-you-don-t-have-to-drag-yourself-off-the-field-exhausted-after-90/)

[Bill Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nichols/)

> [Sometimes you have faced no shots during 90 minutes, and in minute 91, there is a shot. You always need to be focused, concentrated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-ter-stegen/sometimes-you-have-faced-no-shots-during-90-minutes-and-in-minute-91/)

[Marc-Andre ter Stegen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-ter-stegen/)

> [It gives me a lot of confidence to play with my feet, and I have to be focused for 90 minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisson/it-gives-me-a-lot-of-confidence-to-play-with-my-feet-and-i-have-to-be/)

[Alisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisson/)

> [The truth is I would always like to play 90 minutes, do it in every game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-jimenez/the-truth-is-i-would-always-like-to-play-90-minutes-do-it-in-every/)

[Raul Jimenez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-jimenez/)

> [I used to play Sunday football, but I have all but given up, because I'm too old and fat. After a 45-minute match I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/i-used-to-play-sunday-football-but-i-have-all-but-given-up-because-i/)

[Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/)

> [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/to-work-effectively-you-need-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-in-which/)

[Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/)

> [I just have to put even more focus and concentration in for 90 minutes and try to be mistake-free, while also expressing myself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-doherty/i-just-have-to-put-even-more-focus-and-concentration-in-for-90/)

[Matt Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-doherty/)

> [In football, the only game I know is the 90-minutes game. It's not mind games; I don't try to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/in-football-the-only-game-i-know-is-the-90-minutes-game-it-s-not-mind/)

[Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/)

> [You have 22 episodes to start from zero to hero; you can really take a nice, big, long arc. In a film, it's tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-horner/you-have-22-episodes-to-start-from-zero-to-hero-you-can-really-take-a/)

[Craig Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-horner/)

> [When I was a kid, I played maybe seven or eight hours a day. So, to play 90 minutes every three days or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/when-i-was-a-kid-i-played-maybe-seven-or-eight-hours-a-day-so-to-play/)

[Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/)

> [You're out there on a high wire without a net, and that's the way actors operate. They have to be fearless about how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-durning/you-re-out-there-on-a-high-wire-without-a-net-and-that-s-the-way/)

[Charles Durning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-durning/)

> [I don't think that anyone should be working out more than 60 to 90 minutes, four to five days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/i-don-t-think-that-anyone-should-be-working-out-more-than-60-to-90/)

[Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/)

> [It's really not that hard. If I do a Tonight Show, it's six or seven minutes. If I do a concert, it's 90 minutes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/it-s-really-not-that-hard-if-i-do-a-tonight-show-it-s-six-or-seven/)

[Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/)

> [It's war for 90 minutes in the Manchester Derby. You cannot give anything less than 100 percent concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelechi-iheanacho/it-s-war-for-90-minutes-in-the-manchester-derby-you-cannot-give/)

[Kelechi Iheanacho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelechi-iheanacho/)

> [It's a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used to train for a 190 minute game so that when the whistle blew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/it-s-a-90-minute-game-for-sure-in-fact-i-used-to-train-for-a-190/)

[Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/)

Browse all 101 90 minutes quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something unless you're absolutely over-the-moon in love with it. The audience, they spend 90 minutes with it, but for you, it's anywhere between a year and a half to three years of your life, every day, working on it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adam Green"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard-to-do-something-unless-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "90 minutes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard-to-do-something-unless-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81a/adam-green-23853_90-minutes_i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard_2080951.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think when you're a director, it's hard to do something unless you're absolutely over-the-moon in love…” — Adam Green",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Adam Green",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think when you're a director,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard-to-do-something-unless-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/i-think-when-you-re-a-director-it-s-hard-to-do-something-unless-you/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
