--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: \"A good director is one that lets you…" description: "\"\"A good director is one that lets you improv,\" that's ridiculous. There's some actors who should not be improving and there are some scripts that shoul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/370/ben-younger-68116_cinema_a-good-director-is-one-that-lets-you-imp_1416391.jpg" --- # "A good director is one that lets you improv," that's… ![“"A good director is one that lets you improv," that's ridiculous. There's some actors who should not be improving and there are some scripts that should not be touched. I think it's just a case by case basis.” quote by Ben Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/370/ben-younger-68116_cinema_a-good-director-is-one-that-lets-you-imp_1416391.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/370/ben-younger-68116_cinema_a-good-director-is-one-that-lets-you-imp_1416391.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/370/ben-younger-68116_cinema_a-good-director-is-one-that-lets-you-imp_1416391.jpg) > “"A good director is one that lets you improv," that's ridiculous. There's some actors who should not be improving and there are some scripts that should not be touched. I think it's just a case by case basis.” Ben Younger ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directors should allow improvisation selectively, recognizing that not all actors or scripts benefit from it. **In simple terms:** Improvisation works case‑by‑case. Key Takeaway Assess each scene and talent before deciding. Themes directing improvisation collaboration Mood pragmatic analytical Type instructional strategic When to use this quote - movie set - workshop rehearsals - script development Key Concepts film theory creative control Questions to Reflect On - When is improvisation harmful? - How to balance structure and freedom? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on improvisation can derail vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Good director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-director/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Good is the director who lets you do what you have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/good-is-the-director-who-lets-you-do-what-you-have-to-do/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [It's very rare that you get a director that lets you be creative and bring what you feel your character should do or should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/it-s-very-rare-that-you-get-a-director-that-lets-you-be-creative-and/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [Also a good director and good dialogue. That's very important because you're bringing the words to life. So it's very important for an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-garner/also-a-good-director-and-good-dialogue-that-s-very-important-because/) [Julia Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-garner/) > [If the project has good writing and is something I get excited about, then I'll do the role. And if it's for TV, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbenga-akinnagbe/if-the-project-has-good-writing-and-is-something-i-get-excited-about/) [Gbenga Akinnagbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbenga-akinnagbe/) > [I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and-i-mean-that-sincerely-i-had/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [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/) > [No director wants to be directed, but no good director... would shy away from the good ideas of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/no-director-wants-to-be-directed-but-no-good-director-would-shy-away/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [There's a paraphrase about Orson Welles saying: "Great films are made by great directors and the rest are made by everyone else." I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/there-s-a-paraphrase-about-orson-welles-saying-great-films-are-made/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [After all these years, I'm starting to learn what a good director does, and I know what a good one does with actors: help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-geraghty/after-all-these-years-i-m-starting-to-learn-what-a-good-director-does/) Brian Geraghty > [A good director makes a playground and allows you to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/a-good-director-makes-a-playground-and-allows-you-to-play/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Directors know nothing. I never had the privilege of working with any good director. Except Satyen Bose and Bimal Roy, no one even knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-kumar/directors-know-nothing-i-never-had-the-privilege-of-working-with-any/) [Kishore Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-kumar/) > [I think the mark of a good director is that they surround themselves with good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-gadon/i-think-the-mark-of-a-good-director-is-that-they-surround-themselves/) [Sarah Gadon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-gadon/) > [Due to God's grace and a good director, I became successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajinikanth/due-to-god-s-grace-and-a-good-director-i-became-successful/) [Rajinikanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajinikanth/) > [I feel like a good director provokes you to ask questions about your character, but doesn't answer them for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-reed/i-feel-like-a-good-director-provokes-you-to-ask-questions-about-your/) [Crystal Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-reed/) > [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 Ben Younger > [As a director you already have a script, you have actors... you have collaborators when you're a director. When you're writing there's no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-younger/as-a-director-you-already-have-a-script-you-have-actors-you-have/) Ben Younger > [For me, the hardest part is getting up and writing, that's the hard part. I always felt like I could teach someone to direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-younger/for-me-the-hardest-part-is-getting-up-and-writing-that-s-the-hard/) Ben Younger > [You know, you kinda think you're gonna have to work for twenty years before you get to work with Meryl Streep. So getting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-younger/you-know-you-kinda-think-you-re-gonna-have-to-work-for-twenty-years/) Ben Younger Explore all 4 Ben Younger 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. 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 > [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": "\"A good director is one that lets you improv,\" that's ridiculous. 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