--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a director, you're only as good as…" description: "\"As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators. You surround with collaborators that are going to understand what you're trying to do. Not on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg" --- # As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators… ![“As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators. You surround with collaborators that are going to understand what you're trying to do. Not only that, they're going to push and fight for what you're trying to do.” quote by Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg) > “As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators. You surround with collaborators that are going to understand what you're trying to do. Not only that, they're going to push and fight for what you're trying to do.” [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership depends on choosing partners who grasp and champion your vision, amplifying collective success. **In simple terms:** Good leaders pick teammates who understand and support their goals. Key Takeaway Choose collaborators who share and defend your vision. Themes leadership collaboration vision Mood inspired determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - film production - startup teams - research projects - political campaigns Key Concepts team dynamics creative synergy trust Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate a potential collaborator’s commitment? - What steps ensure shared understanding early on? A Different Perspective If collaborators lack alignment, they may dilute or derail the vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collaborators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaborators/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ## Related quotes > [It would have to stand on the basis of what somebody had done to it and that would be the basis on which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-foner-gyllenhaal/it-would-have-to-stand-on-the-basis-of-what-somebody-had-done-to-it/) [Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-foner-gyllenhaal/) > [I have been lucky to find very good collaborators who have taught me a lot, have introduced me to several new fields of mathematics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-have-been-lucky-to-find-very-good-collaborators-who-have-taught-me/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [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/) > [Yes, they allowed us to play around a lot because, like we said, the director's such a good comedy director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcdonald/yes-they-allowed-us-to-play-around-a-lot-because-like-we-said-the/) [Kevin McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mcdonald/) > [I will continue to work with newbies as long as the script and the director are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-pandit/i-will-continue-to-work-with-newbies-as-long-as-the-script-and-the/) [Radhika Pandit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-pandit/) > [It's more fun to play a good character with a good director and good actors around you. That's what makes it fun, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/it-s-more-fun-to-play-a-good-character-with-a-good-director-and-good/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [I think a good director is a good listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-villeneuve/i-think-a-good-director-is-a-good-listener/) [Denis Villeneuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-villeneuve/) > [I think the most important thing for an actor is reading the script and trying to figure out if you can play that character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-think-the-most-important-thing-for-an-actor-is-reading-the-script/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [If the script is good, the cast and director good, I'll go anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-watanabe/if-the-script-is-good-the-cast-and-director-good-i-ll-go-anywhere/) [Ken Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-watanabe/) > [There are definitely reasons to do certain things, but I like to stick to good director, good actor, good script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seyfried/there-are-definitely-reasons-to-do-certain-things-but-i-like-to-stick/) [Amanda Seyfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seyfried/) > [I will work with a director who has good material because at the end of the day, that's what counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-bardem/i-will-work-with-a-director-who-has-good-material-because-at-the-end/) [Javier Bardem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-bardem/) > [What is a good script without a good director or a good director without a good actor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-haydon/what-is-a-good-script-without-a-good-director-or-a-good-director/) [Lisa Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-haydon/) > [Working with Ravi Shastri as Team Director was a good experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shikhar-dhawan/working-with-ravi-shastri-as-team-director-was-a-good-experience/) [Shikhar Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shikhar-dhawan/) > [You always have to figure out what the director is good at before you work with them; then you can fill in if need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/you-always-have-to-figure-out-what-the-director-is-good-at-before-you/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [It is true that I got recognition. But however good the comedies are, nobody will accept a good comedy director as a good director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyadarshan/it-is-true-that-i-got-recognition-but-however-good-the-comedies-are/) [Priyadarshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyadarshan/) ## More by Alfonso Cuaron > [I was 8 when we landed on the moon. I was so into the space program as a kid. Eventually, I realized it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-was-8-when-we-landed-on-the-moon-i-was-so-into-the-space-program-as/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [My mom, she was, she studied chemistry. And later on she changed and majored, she changed later in her career, in her life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/my-mom-she-was-she-studied-chemistry-and-later-on-she-changed-and/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I love that process in which there is no safety net. Then the actor also can allow mistakes, because there's no such a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-love-that-process-in-which-there-is-no-safety-net-then-the-actor/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [For me, my films are not like my children. They are like my ex-wife. They gave me so much; I gave them so much;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/for-me-my-films-are-not-like-my-children-they-are-like-my-ex-wife/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I produce the way I would love to be produced: In ways to create the best conditions to make your movie, but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-produce-the-way-i-would-love-to-be-produced-in-ways-to-create-the/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [When I finish a movie, I don’t ever see the movie again. The moment I finish the color correction and the mix, I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/when-i-finish-a-movie-i-don-t-ever-see-the-movie-again-the-moment-i/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [Cautionary tales were fantastic in the '70s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/cautionary-tales-were-fantastic-in-the-70s/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I left Mexico for artistic survival. If I had stayed, I would have been forced by the government, who control the movie business, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-left-mexico-for-artistic-survival-if-i-had-stayed-i-would-have-been/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [Once I finish a film, I don't ever see it again. Never ever. I have never seen any of my films since I finished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/once-i-finish-a-film-i-don-t-ever-see-it-again-never-ever-i-have/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I find it very stupid that teenagers could only see caricatures of teenagers but they couldn't see films that you try to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-find-it-very-stupid-that-teenagers-could-only-see-caricatures-of/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [This is the thing I have with awards: If awards would make your movie more pretty, I would really get super excited about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/this-is-the-thing-i-have-with-awards-if-awards-would-make-your-movie/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I have my set rigged with the biggest sound system possible and have a mini jack for my iPod attached to my director's chair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-have-my-set-rigged-with-the-biggest-sound-system-possible-and-have/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I have my misgivings about 3-D. I don't like the lack of blacks and whites, how it dulls the image, how the color gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-have-my-misgivings-about-3-d-i-don-t-like-the-lack-of-blacks-and/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [“The way I see it, there are only two possible outcomes. Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/the-way-i-see-it-there-are-only-two-possible-outcomes-either-i-make/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [Style is just an impression. Style itself is hollow. Style, its ok style as long as it is part of a language. Style for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/style-is-just-an-impression-style-itself-is-hollow-style-its-ok-style/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) [Explore all 71 Alfonso Cuaron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) ## More Collaborators quotes > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Well it's not possible to win this kind of thing. This is a continuous striving that people have done for a long time. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/well-it-s-not-possible-to-win-this-kind-of-thing-this-is-a-continuous/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [It was astonishing when at one point, I got the idea of how to make artifical clouds with a collaborator, we had pictures made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/it-was-astonishing-when-at-one-point-i-got-the-idea-of-how-to-make/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [With every script, I write a note to my collaborator that says: 'I write full script. But see it as a guide. You take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/with-every-script-i-write-a-note-to-my-collaborator-that-says-i-write/) [Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/) > [Even though I design my own jewelry, one of the great things about my job is being able to bring in really talented collaborators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monika-chiang/even-though-i-design-my-own-jewelry-one-of-the-great-things-about-my/) [Monika Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monika-chiang/) > [With the exceptional talent that is Guy Sigsworth as producer and collaborator, we have recorded a collection of original songs that sees me moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/with-the-exceptional-talent-that-is-guy-sigsworth-as-producer-and/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Spending a lot of time in London not only gave me inspiration, but also the opportunity to meet in person some great collaborators, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santhosh-narayanan/spending-a-lot-of-time-in-london-not-only-gave-me-inspiration-but/) [Santhosh Narayanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santhosh-narayanan/) > [Why hire these geniuses if they're forced to stick with the script? You want to empower your actors as collaborators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-levy/why-hire-these-geniuses-if-they-re-forced-to-stick-with-the-script/) [Shawn Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-levy/) > [I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-that-in-the-minds-of-many-the-press-is-being-seen-less-and/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [You have to know that your collaborators want you to make the movie that you want. Don't back down because you think it's nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/you-have-to-know-that-your-collaborators-want-you-to-make-the-movie/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [I've been very fortunate in my collaborators throughout my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-neuwirth/i-ve-been-very-fortunate-in-my-collaborators-throughout-my-career/) [Bebe Neuwirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-neuwirth/) > [I did not set out to explain the extinction of the dinosaurs. I'm a particle physicist, and I was actually thinking about dark matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-randall/i-did-not-set-out-to-explain-the-extinction-of-the-dinosaurs-i-m-a/) [Lisa Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-randall/) > [I think the power of the short film is incredibly underrated. It is way easier to get someone to watch a 15-minute film then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/i-think-the-power-of-the-short-film-is-incredibly-underrated-it-is/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [Particularly, the actors, to have analyzed the script in great detail from the point of view of their specific character. So that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/particularly-the-actors-to-have-analyzed-the-script-in-great-detail/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [I have an incredible team of collaborators that work with me on all my films. I adore them and respect them tremendously. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dori-berinstein/i-have-an-incredible-team-of-collaborators-that-work-with-me-on-all/) [Dori Berinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dori-berinstein/) [Browse all 152 Collaborators quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaborators/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators. You surround with collaborators that are going to understand what you're trying to do. Not only that, they're going to push and fight for what you're trying to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alfonso Cuaron" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-your-collaborators-you-surround/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Collaborators" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-your-collaborators-you-surround/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/alfonso-cuaron-9576_collaborators_as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-you_1068970.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a director, you're only as good as your collaborators. You surround with collaborators that are going to…” — Alfonso Cuaron", "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": "Alfonso Cuaron", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a director, you're only as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-your-collaborators-you-surround/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/as-a-director-you-re-only-as-good-as-your-collaborators-you-surround/#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 } } ] } ```