--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For my first movie, I think my first cut…" description: "\"For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three hours, because when you first direct a movie, you want to keep everything. But I'm not one of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg" --- # For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three… ![“For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three hours, because when you first direct a movie, you want to keep everything. But I'm not one of those directors who falls in love with the stuff they've done. Already when I'm doing my first cut, I'm willing to cut out everything that is…” quote by Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg) > “For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three hours, because when you first direct a movie, you want to keep everything. But I'm not one of those directors who falls in love with the stuff they've done. Already when I'm doing my first cut, I'm willing to cut out everything that is necessary.” [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) ## 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 learn to discard excess footage early to focus on essential storytelling. **In simple terms:** Cutting early sharpens the film. Key Takeaway Embrace editing discipline early. Themes filmmaking editing discipline Mood reflective determined Type advice process When to use this quote - first cut - film editing - creative decision making Key Concepts storytelling creative restraint process optimization Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what is essential? - When does cutting become harmful? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip needed nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cut Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cut-necessary-5819882/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Direct Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct-movie/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Doing Cut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-cut-4523492/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Falling in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-in-love/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Think Cut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-cut-321646/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-directors-941415/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a professional... with a capital P. I know what I'm doing. Always cut the blue wire. Doesn't matter if there's green, yellow, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-jonas/i-m-a-professional-with-a-capital-p-i-know-what-i-m-doing-always-cut/) [Joe Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-jonas/) > [I decide intuitively what I want to do. When directors like Imtiaz Ali, Ayan Mukerji, Anurag Basu and Anurag Kashyap, who have stories to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranbir-kapoor/i-decide-intuitively-what-i-want-to-do-when-directors-like-imtiaz-ali/) [Ranbir Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranbir-kapoor/) > [I'm a student. I want to do better, and I want directors who can find the actress in me and be my teachers. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/i-m-a-student-i-want-to-do-better-and-i-want-directors-who-can-find/) [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/) > [I've learned so many things from directors in my acting career. There are even some things I've learned that I didn't want to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-golino/i-ve-learned-so-many-things-from-directors-in-my-acting-career-there/) [Valeria Golino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-golino/) > [I don't think I am cut out for reality shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukul-dev/i-don-t-think-i-am-cut-out-for-reality-shows/) [Mukul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukul-dev/) > [I sometimes think less is more. If you cut yourself in too many places, it is hard to execute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-green/i-sometimes-think-less-is-more-if-you-cut-yourself-in-too-many-places/) [Philip Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-green/) > [I think if you would have cut Houdini with a knife, blood wouldn't come out, PR would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/i-think-if-you-would-have-cut-houdini-with-a-knife-blood-wouldn-t/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [The more lucidly we think, the more we are cut off: the more deeply we enter into reality, the less we can think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-more-lucidly-we-think-the-more-we-are-cut-off-the-more-deeply-we/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If you think I cut you off, you probably handed me the scissors !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-think-i-cut-you-off-you-probably-handed-me-the-scissors/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ What you need to know to direct a movie is \[of\] such great variety. I've worked with people who were maestros, who know everything.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gilroy/what-you-need-to-know-to-direct-a-movie-is-of-such-great-variety-i-ve/) [Tony Gilroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gilroy/) > [No, I wouldn't direct a movie, no. I couldn't. I don't have the patience for it, I don't have the people skills. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/no-i-wouldn-t-direct-a-movie-no-i-couldn-t-i-don-t-have-the-patience/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I make a deal with the audience every time I direct a movie. The deal always is this: I'm showing you this world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-oz/i-make-a-deal-with-the-audience-every-time-i-direct-a-movie-the-deal/) [Frank Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-oz/) > [That was always my hope that that is exactly what I would do. It was always part of the dream of this story -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/that-was-always-my-hope-that-that-is-exactly-what-i-would-do-it-was/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [What an amazing opportunity to do something like direct a movie and step out of your creative comfort zone and yet do something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgina-chapman/what-an-amazing-opportunity-to-do-something-like-direct-a-movie-and/) [Georgina Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgina-chapman/) > [I really desperately want to write and direct my own movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/i-really-desperately-want-to-write-and-direct-my-own-movie/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) ## More by Alejandro Amenabar > [My movies, in general, I have the impression that when they finish of course they're never originally what you had in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-movies-in-general-i-have-the-impression-that-when-they-finish-of/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [ “I was brought up Christian, then I was agnostic and then I realized I was atheist... This movie \[Agora\] is about fundamentalism and hate.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/i-was-brought-up-christian-then-i-was-agnostic-and-then-i-realized-i/) [Alejandro Amenábar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [My movies are not movies of answers but of questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-movies-are-not-movies-of-answers-but-of-questions/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [What's really exciting for me is communicating to other people and not just going somewhere to make a movie. That's Hollywood to me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/what-s-really-exciting-for-me-is-communicating-to-other-people-and/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [My first cut is always pretty similar to the final cut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-first-cut-is-always-pretty-similar-to-the-final-cut/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [I wouldn't say I'm a very controlling person. For instance, when I talk to the actors, I don't tell them exactly what I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/i-wouldn-t-say-i-m-a-very-controlling-person-for-instance-when-i-talk/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [My mother used to take my brother and me to get any books we wanted, but they were second hand books published in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-mother-used-to-take-my-brother-and-me-to-get-any-books-we-wanted/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [Sometimes a piece of music in the score isn't effective. When a score is too well finished with too many elements, sometimes it's too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/sometimes-a-piece-of-music-in-the-score-isn-t-effective-when-a-score/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [In horror movies today it's lots of fast cut shot and lots of loud noises on the soundtrack. I tried to do the opposite.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/in-horror-movies-today-it-s-lots-of-fast-cut-shot-and-lots-of-loud/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [I would love to stay alone when I'm creating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/i-would-love-to-stay-alone-when-i-m-creating/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [In horror movies today its lots of fast cut shot and lots of loud noises on the soundtrack. I tried to do the opposite.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/in-horror-movies-today-its-lots-of-fast-cut-shot-and-lots-of-loud/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [I could feel the real interaction between directing and acting, when an actor or an actress really suggests very interesting things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/i-could-feel-the-real-interaction-between-directing-and-acting-when/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [I think the concept of the sea is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/i-think-the-concept-of-the-sea-is-very-important/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [In Hollywood you always feel a bit like a hake. The publicists march people up and down in front of you and they interview…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/in-hollywood-you-always-feel-a-bit-like-a-hake-the-publicists-march/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [An Oscar means a lot of things because it's like the ultimate award for a filmmaker so it feels great. But I think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/an-oscar-means-a-lot-of-things-because-it-s-like-the-ultimate-award/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) [Explore all 17 Alejandro Amenabar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) ## More Cutting quotes > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I didn't understand Southland Tales script at all! Is there a single word to describe it? Cacophony? It's celebrity meets pornography meets politics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-didn-t-understand-southland-tales-script-at-all-is-there-a-single/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [God holds each of us by a string. When we sin, we cut the string. But God ties it up again, making a knot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/god-holds-each-of-us-by-a-string-when-we-sin-we-cut-the-string-but/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [What's the difference between obsolete and cutting edge? Obsolete works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/what-s-the-difference-between-obsolete-and-cutting-edge-obsolete-works/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) [Browse all 6,010 Cutting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three hours, because when you first direct a movie, you want to keep everything. But I'm not one of those directors who falls in love with the stuff they've done. Already when I'm doing my first cut, I'm willing to cut out everything that is necessary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alejandro Amenabar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut-was-like-three-hours-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cutting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut-was-like-three-hours-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/alejandro-amenabar-30151_cutting_for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut_3179392.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For my first movie, I think my first cut was like three hours, because when you first direct a movie, you…” — Alejandro Amenabar", "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": "Alejandro Amenabar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For my first movie, I think...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut-was-like-three-hours-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/for-my-first-movie-i-think-my-first-cut-was-like-three-hours-because/#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 } } ] } ```