--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just because I make films doesn't mean I…" description: "\"Just because I make films doesn't mean I think they're great. I just make them and then when I'm done with them I'm just a filmgoer like I always am. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/alexander-payne-5223_cinema_just-because-i-make-films-doesn-t-mean-i_2411312.png" --- # Just because I make films doesn't mean I think they're… ![“Just because I make films doesn't mean I think they're great. I just make them and then when I'm done with them I'm just a filmgoer like I always am. They're all lessons. I'm still in film school, honestly. And this one is just a dry run for whatever the next one is.” quote by Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/alexander-payne-5223_cinema_just-because-i-make-films-doesn-t-mean-i_2411312.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/alexander-payne-5223_cinema_just-because-i-make-films-doesn-t-mean-i_2411312.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/alexander-payne-5223_cinema_just-because-i-make-films-doesn-t-mean-i_2411312.png) > “Just because I make films doesn't mean I think they're great. I just make them and then when I'm done with them I'm just a filmgoer like I always am. They're all lessons. I'm still in film school, honestly. And this one is just a dry run for whatever the next one is.” [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating films does not guarantee belief in their greatness; the process is a learning experience, treating each work as practice. **In simple terms:** Making movies is a learning process, not a claim of excellence. Key Takeaway Treat each creative effort as a learning step. Themes creativity humility learning process self‑assessment Mood thoughtful inspirational Type educational reflective When to use this quote - film school - independent projects - career development - artistic experimentation Key Concepts growth mindset artistic development self‑critique Questions to Reflect On - What does each project teach you? - How does humility affect artistic growth? A Different Perspective Risk of undervaluing genuine achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-school/) [Films Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-doesn-1767196/) [Honestly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honestly/) [Just Filmgoer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-filmgoer-6071571/) [Lessons Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons-film-2228692/) [Make Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-films/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Ive had plenty of lessons about film acting and theatre acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/ive-had-plenty-of-lessons-about-film-acting-and-theatre-acting/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [I've had plenty of lessons about film acting and theatre acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/i-ve-had-plenty-of-lessons-about-film-acting-and-theatre-acting/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [I learned some big lessons on my first film, a horror film which was never released in the U.S., even though we sold it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-learned-some-big-lessons-on-my-first-film-a-horror-film-which-was/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [When I started this profession, I wanted to make films that entertain but that have content. When I went to film school, they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/when-i-started-this-profession-i-wanted-to-make-films-that-entertain/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [I went back to Jamaica after living in New York and started to work on experimental stuff and basically I grew as a filmmaker.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-saulter/i-went-back-to-jamaica-after-living-in-new-york-and-started-to-work/) [Storm Saulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-saulter/) > [You graduate from film school and move to Hollywood. 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I want to make films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-alexakis/i-like-acting-but-i-like-filmmaking-better-i-went-to-film-school-i/) [Art Alexakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-alexakis/) > [I went to film school when I was 17, and of course when you are very young you think that there is nothing else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/i-went-to-film-school-when-i-was-17-and-of-course-when-you-are-very/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [It wouldn't have existed without France, and it's a French initiative. As a filmmaker, I owe everything to France - I got accepted at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deniz-gamze-erguven/it-wouldn-t-have-existed-without-france-and-it-s-a-french-initiative/) [Deniz Gamze Erguven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deniz-gamze-erguven/) > [Most young people make films to be accepted, to be discovered, when in fact that was the last idea with the group I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-gerima/most-young-people-make-films-to-be-accepted-to-be-discovered-when-in/) [Haile Gerima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-gerima/) > [Actors spend a great deal of their time making films. And that doesn't mean that they're not educated. But we haven't gone to law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/actors-spend-a-great-deal-of-their-time-making-films-and-that-doesn-t/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Just because you have given five successful films doesn't make you God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/just-because-you-have-given-five-successful-films-doesn-t-make-you-god/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [In truth, making films doesn't feel like hard work because I always have such a good time doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/in-truth-making-films-doesn-t-feel-like-hard-work-because-i-always/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [I think with comedy I get very sort of critical of myself and try and do the best I can and it doesn't come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisha-cuthbert/i-think-with-comedy-i-get-very-sort-of-critical-of-myself-and-try-and/) [Elisha Cuthbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisha-cuthbert/) ## More by Alexander Payne > [I want all of my films to belong to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-want-all-of-my-films-to-belong-to-me/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [I spend a long time casting, but once I've cast a film there's a reason why I selected those people. So I'm hands-on in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-spend-a-long-time-casting-but-once-i-ve-cast-a-film-there-s-a/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [You just never know when you're living in a golden age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/you-just-never-know-when-you-re-living-in-a-golden-age/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [I don't feel despair because I am able to make the films I want to make, and that gives me hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-don-t-feel-despair-because-i-am-able-to-make-the-films-i-want-to/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [Jesuits encourage an intellectual rigor in a way that I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/jesuits-encourage-an-intellectual-rigor-in-a-way-that-i-like/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [Forgiving yourself may be for many people, at least for myself, extremely difficult. And then in a larger context, I will say that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/forgiving-yourself-may-be-for-many-people-at-least-for-myself/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [In a general sense, to convert any short story, novel, play, or opera into a movie, you have to re-rig it. Even though they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/in-a-general-sense-to-convert-any-short-story-novel-play-or-opera/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [If you have your movies so that everyone understands everything, I think that's probably not a very good movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/if-you-have-your-movies-so-that-everyone-understands-everything-i/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [I like actors who, when you see them on screen, you sense a person, not just an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-like-actors-who-when-you-see-them-on-screen-you-sense-a-person-not/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [If you're trying to recreate life, the life that you best know is the one you grew up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/if-you-re-trying-to-recreate-life-the-life-that-you-best-know-is-the/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [I think about what movie I would like to see. I don't think of them as a correction or palliative. I certainly am irritated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-think-about-what-movie-i-would-like-to-see-i-don-t-think-of-them-as/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [If you were falling in love and you could go back in time and relive a day and see the banal things you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/if-you-were-falling-in-love-and-you-could-go-back-in-time-and-relive/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [Omaha, like Rome, is built on seven hills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/omaha-like-rome-is-built-on-seven-hills/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [Hollywood films have become a cesspool of formula and it's up to us to try to change it... I feel like a preacher! But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/hollywood-films-have-become-a-cesspool-of-formula-and-it-s-up-to-us/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [I don't want all of American cinema to be big cartoons that are just made to be digested by the entire world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-don-t-want-all-of-american-cinema-to-be-big-cartoons-that-are-just/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) [Explore all 102 Alexander Payne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) [Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/) > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Just because I make films doesn't mean I think they're great. I just make them and then when I'm done with them I'm just a filmgoer like I always am. They're all lessons. I'm still in film school, honestly. 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