--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The comedies I have been in that have…" description: "\"The comedies I have been in that have been successful were the ones where the set was the most tense. It seems that the comedies where you have a real ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/austin-pendleton-86312_cinema_the-comedies-i-have-been-in-that-have-be_1592792.jpg" --- # The comedies I have been in that have been successful were… ![“The comedies I have been in that have been successful were the ones where the set was the most tense. It seems that the comedies where you have a real nice time on the set, the film just sits there on the screen. Now that just may be the pictures I have made, I don't know.” quote by Austin Pendleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/austin-pendleton-86312_cinema_the-comedies-i-have-been-in-that-have-be_1592792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/austin-pendleton-86312_cinema_the-comedies-i-have-been-in-that-have-be_1592792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/austin-pendleton-86312_cinema_the-comedies-i-have-been-in-that-have-be_1592792.jpg) > “The comedies I have been in that have been successful were the ones where the set was the most tense. It seems that the comedies where you have a real nice time on the set, the film just sits there on the screen. Now that just may be the pictures I have made, I don't know.” Austin Pendleton ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Successful comedies arise from on‑set tension; relaxed sets produce flat films. **In simple terms:** Tension fuels humor; relaxed atmosphere dulls it. Key Takeaway Embrace creative tension for better comedy. Themes comedy creativity collaboration Mood reflective analytical Type observational insightful When to use this quote - film production - theatre rehearsals - writing workshops Key Concepts dramatic tension performance dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance tension and harmony on set? - What signs indicate productive tension? A Different Perspective Too much tension can cause conflict and burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Comedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedies/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not the biggest fan of comedies where nothing is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/i-m-not-the-biggest-fan-of-comedies-where-nothing-is-real/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [I have enjoyed doing comedies the most because in real life, I don't take myself or anyone else too seriously!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manini-mishra/i-have-enjoyed-doing-comedies-the-most-because-in-real-life-i-don-t/) [Manini Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manini-mishra/) > [I had this spooky psychological thing about 'The Piano' before it began, which was how everybody was going to go nuts on the set.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-campion/i-had-this-spooky-psychological-thing-about-the-piano-before-it-began/) [Jane Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-campion/) > [Until I'm on the set of a film, to me it's still not for real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/until-i-m-on-the-set-of-a-film-to-me-it-s-still-not-for-real/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [It's very difficult to set a film in one setting without giving the audience some intensity and some relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/it-s-very-difficult-to-set-a-film-in-one-setting-without-giving-the/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [I'm planning some films in the U.K., and it will have pros and cons. It takes a lot more time to set up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-m-planning-some-films-in-the-u-k-and-it-will-have-pros-and-cons-it/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [With the films, it starts off with certain coordinates in the world and seeing what happens. What happens if you place yourself at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/with-the-films-it-starts-off-with-certain-coordinates-in-the-world/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [I was only 16 when I was selected for 'Madrasapattinam.' I celebrated my 17th birthday on the set of the film. That was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jackson/i-was-only-16-when-i-was-selected-for-madrasapattinam-i-celebrated-my/) [Amy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jackson/) > [My pay packet is reasonable. But I prefer doing films where I have a meaty role. 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You have to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-christensen/when-on-the-set-of-a-film-you-have-to-play-natural-for-entire-scenes/) [Helena Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-christensen/) > [Your principal motive on a movie set is to get the film made, but on a Woody Allen set, there's an ulterior thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/your-principal-motive-on-a-movie-set-is-to-get-the-film-made-but-on-a/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [There's no bigger rush than working as a huge team on a set in film and television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-cassie/there-s-no-bigger-rush-than-working-as-a-huge-team-on-a-set-in-film/) [Kyle Cassie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-cassie/) > [When a woman didn't enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-malema/when-a-woman-didn-t-enjoy-it-she-leaves-early-in-the-morning-those/) [Julius Malema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-malema/) > [I wanted to write music, and cook, and play cards, and have a nice time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodney-bennett/i-wanted-to-write-music-and-cook-and-play-cards-and-have-a-nice-time/) [Richard Rodney Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodney-bennett/) > [“He gave me a kiss and said good night.” “He didn’t! The bastard.” “Yeah,” I muttered to the tabletop. “He said he’d had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-merrow/he-gave-me-a-kiss-and-said-good-night-he-didn-t-the-bastard-yeah-i/) [J.L. Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-merrow/) ## More by Austin Pendleton > [I'm drawn to roles that people don't think I'm right for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-pendleton/i-m-drawn-to-roles-that-people-don-t-think-i-m-right-for/) Austin Pendleton > [People's relationship to what they want from theatre is changing. People, including me, are still looking for the next STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. And people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-pendleton/people-s-relationship-to-what-they-want-from-theatre-is-changing/) Austin Pendleton Explore all 3 Austin Pendleton quotes ## 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. 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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 > [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": "The comedies I have been in that have been successful were the ones where the set was the most tense. It seems that the comedies where you have a real nice time on the set, the film just sits there on the screen. 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