--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a certain time in the core of…" description: "\"There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production I don't read any project, my agent will tel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png" --- # There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from… ![“There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production I don't read any project, my agent will tell people that "he's not reading." And then when I know how the movie's probably gonna work halfway into post-production, I'll come along.” quote by Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png) > “There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production I don't read any project, my agent will tell people that "he's not reading." And then when I know how the movie's probably gonna work halfway into post-production, I'll come along.” [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ang Lee describes a phase where he steps back from reading scripts, letting his agent handle communication, and later intervenes when the film’s direction becomes clear. **In simple terms:** He steps back during early production and returns later to guide the film. Key Takeaway Recognize when to delegate and when to re‑engage. Themes filmmaking delegation creative control Mood reflective strategic Type advice process When to use this quote - early script development - mid‑post production review - finalizing vision Key Concepts production cycles creative decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - When should a director intervene early versus later? - How does delegation affect creative outcomes? A Different Perspective May miss early issues that could be corrected sooner. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Post production](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-production/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Actors play a small part in all the things that go into the making of a movie. I want to know about pre-production, post-production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/actors-play-a-small-part-in-all-the-things-that-go-into-the-making-of/) [Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/) > [My time on the set is the least of my involvement. Most of my time is in pre-production and post-production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/my-time-on-the-set-is-the-least-of-my-involvement-most-of-my-time-is/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [Thankfully, I have a very full life. I'm married with kids, so I have a lot of things to focus on, other projects either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/thankfully-i-have-a-very-full-life-i-m-married-with-kids-so-i-have-a/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [Kaante' will help the film industry. Very few films are like this one - pre-production in Europe, one-schedule shoot, well planned post-production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suniel-shetty/kaante-will-help-the-film-industry-very-few-films-are-like-this-one/) [Suniel Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suniel-shetty/) > [Making movies has not only been an incredibly collaborative process but there's three big parts: pre-production, shooting itself and then post-production, which leads into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/making-movies-has-not-only-been-an-incredibly-collaborative-process/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If you would ask me what my ideal process is, I would say, long pre-production, long production and long post-production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-chan-wook/if-you-would-ask-me-what-my-ideal-process-is-i-would-say-long-pre/) [Park Chan-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-chan-wook/) > [The first thing that your should do when you win an Oscar is thank God. The second thing you should do is forget it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-steiger/the-first-thing-that-your-should-do-when-you-win-an-oscar-is-thank/) [Rod Steiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-steiger/) > [I had my agent tell Bill Condon that Id be happy to do anything in Breaking Dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-had-my-agent-tell-bill-condon-that-id-be-happy-to-do-anything-in/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [We shoot in film. This means that we're making our movie during the shooting and not in post-production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/we-shoot-in-film-this-means-that-we-re-making-our-movie-during-the/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [ Only one time in my career I had that feeling \[that this is not gonna get made\], it was for this movie \[Life of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/only-one-time-in-my-career-i-had-that-feeling-that-this-is-not-gonna/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [It's just what I am. When I am in the zone making one movie, I just didn't want to read anything else or do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/it-s-just-what-i-am-when-i-am-in-the-zone-making-one-movie-i-just/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [ Making this movie as a period piece about a period that was very recent in people's minds. I was in Taiwan \[during the 1970s\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/making-this-movie-as-a-period-piece-about-a-period-that-was-very/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Hollywood has a longer pre-production period and they juggle shooting schedules more carefully for each cast. In Korea, we shoot day and night without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-byung-hun/hollywood-has-a-longer-pre-production-period-and-they-juggle-shooting/) [Lee Byung-hun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-byung-hun/) > [I have become a full-fledged producer. I spend a lot of time on pre-production work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-gopal-varma/i-have-become-a-full-fledged-producer-i-spend-a-lot-of-time-on-pre/) [Ram Gopal Varma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-gopal-varma/) > [You could get in rehearsals, pre-production, anything that would actually contribute to the understanding of how a film gets made. I actually find those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/you-could-get-in-rehearsals-pre-production-anything-that-would/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) ## More by Ang Lee > [When I'm not working, I get very down, but when I am working, I get very immersed in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-m-not-working-i-get-very-down-but-when-i-am-working-i-get-very/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-am-not-particularly-religious-but-i-think-we-do-face-the-question/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I'm not a romantic. In life I didn't have much experience with romance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-not-a-romantic-in-life-i-didn-t-have-much-experience-with-romance/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [When I see something I like, that's all that counts. What they use, how they get there, I never bother them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-see-something-i-like-that-s-all-that-counts-what-they-use-how/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Mostly it's like, I get inspired by something and I want to learn that part of filmmaking, I want to delve into that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/mostly-it-s-like-i-get-inspired-by-something-and-i-want-to-learn-that/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Film study was considered disgraceful by my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/film-study-was-considered-disgraceful-by-my-father/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I hope people don't compare 2D and 3D because 3D's new, it's unfair to compare to 2D which is really sophisticated, even when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-hope-people-don-t-compare-2d-and-3d-because-3d-s-new-it-s-unfair-to/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/on-a-chinese-film-you-just-give-orders-no-one-questions-you-here-you/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I had to test a new terror in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-had-to-test-a-new-terror-in-myself/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [My cultural roots are something illusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/my-cultural-roots-are-something-illusive/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Kids don't even read comic books anymore. They've got more important things to do - like video games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/kids-don-t-even-read-comic-books-anymore-they-ve-got-more-important/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't care about writing really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-care-about-writing-really/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't have incredible knowledge about films or of filmmaking history; I'm not that kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-have-incredible-knowledge-about-films-or-of-filmmaking/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [A lot of people will think I changed the book: ‘so you’re the tiger instead, you’re the tiger who ate the cook.’ That’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/a-lot-of-people-will-think-i-changed-the-book-so-you-re-the-tiger/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) [Explore all 163 Ang Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## More Agents quotes > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. 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Their job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-bellman/many-american-tv-actors-employ-agents-managers-business-managers/) [Gina Bellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-bellman/) > [The ultimate goal of radical politics is gradually to displace the limit of social exclusions, empowering the excluded agents (sexual and ethnic minorities) by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-ultimate-goal-of-radical-politics-is-gradually-to-displace-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My first job was a film called 'Storm Damage' for the BBC. 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If you’re a good writer, you’re a good writer.” And if not, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-gessen/honestly-he-says-i-judge-writers-on-how-they-write-queries-if-you-re/) [Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-gessen/) Browse all 1,567 Agents quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production I don't read any project, my agent will tell people that \"he's not reading.\" And then when I know how the movie's probably gonna work halfway into post-production, I'll come along.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ang Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-making-a-movie-from-pre/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-making-a-movie-from-pre/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/ang-lee-2496_agents_there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-ma_2227546.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production…” — Ang Lee", "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": "Ang Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's a certain time in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-making-a-movie-from-pre/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-making-a-movie-from-pre/#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 } } ] } ```