---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was so used to documentary filming…"
description: "\"I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take. You can't really say, 'Make that elephant charge again!' And you talk to the camera. With mo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg"
---

#  I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take…

![“I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take. You can't really say, 'Make that elephant charge again!' And you talk to the camera. With movie filming, you're talking to someone else.” quote by Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg)

> “I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take. You can't really say, 'Make that elephant charge again!' And you talk to the camera. With movie filming, you're talking to someone else.”

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Transitioning from documentary to narrative film changes the relationship with subjects and audience, requiring a shift from direct address to acting for unseen viewers.

**In simple terms:** Switching film styles changes how you interact with subjects and viewers.

Key Takeaway

Adapt your communication style to suit the medium.

Themes

filmmaking communication artistic adaptation

Mood

reflective creative thoughtful

Type

instructional inspirational

When to use this quote

- documentary shoots
- narrative film sets
- acting workshops
- director‑actor rehearsals

Key Concepts

subjectivity audience perception performance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does medium influence your storytelling approach?
- What challenges arise when shifting from direct to indirect audience engagement?

A Different Perspective

Documentary authenticity may be lost when adopting scripted storytelling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Filming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-filming-3581701/) [Elephant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephant/) [Elephant Charge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elephant-charge-3581702/) [Filming Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filming-really-1814457/) [Filming Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filming-talking-3581700/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/)

## Related quotes

> [During the actual filming, I’m not really listening to dialogue. I’m watching to see if the actors are communicating something and expressing something. I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/during-the-actual-filming-i-m-not-really-listening-to-dialogue-i-m/)

[John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/)

> [Movies are fun because it's usually anywhere from a month to six months that you're filming and you can really connect to some great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-sprayberry/movies-are-fun-because-it-s-usually-anywhere-from-a-month-to-six/)

[Ellery Sprayberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-sprayberry/)

> [Wayne Wang, the director, really helped me become a more mature actress. When I first started filming, I was really over the top. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annasophia-robb/wayne-wang-the-director-really-helped-me-become-a-more-mature-actress/)

[AnnaSophia Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annasophia-robb/)

> [I like my stationery to be funnier, like, 'Here's my note, and it's an elephant with a lady smoking a cigarette on top.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-spade/i-like-my-stationery-to-be-funnier-like-here-s-my-note-and-it-s-an/)

[Kate Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-spade/)

> [And that is how Goodwin problems were always fixed. Fix them on the surface but don't go to the root, always ignoring the elephant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/and-that-is-how-goodwin-problems-were-always-fixed-fix-them-on-the/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/unlike-the-primate-hand-the-elephant-s-grasping-organ-is-also-its/)

[Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/)

> [If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/if-you-ve-never-seen-an-elephant-ski-then-you-ve-never-been-on-acid/)

[Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/)

> [My first experience with film was through a still camera. I would sit, very much against my will, with my father in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/my-first-experience-with-film-was-through-a-still-camera-i-would-sit/)

[Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/)

> [I've been told I looked like I swallowed an elephant or a pig, whichever was more fitting that day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-ve-been-told-i-looked-like-i-swallowed-an-elephant-or-a-pig/)

[Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/)

> [“The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/the-best-way-to-eat-an-elephant-is-one-bite-at-a-time/)

[Wayne Nakoneczny high school track coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-nakoneczny-high-school-track-coach/)

> [“Money, you could say, was the elephant in The Room .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/money-you-could-say-was-the-elephant-in-the-room/)

[Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/)

> [“How much does an elephant weigh? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-patton/how-much-does-an-elephant-weigh/)

[Rhonda Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-patton/)

> [I think success is a relative term. If you're a caveman, success is capturing an elephant. Success is achieving better than the norm. Success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/i-think-success-is-a-relative-term-if-you-re-a-caveman-success-is/)

[Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/)

> [I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-a-film-called-elephant-recently-its-not-stylish-in-the/)

[Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/)

> [“As I remarked before, the Asiatic elephant is smaller than the African, which is frequently twelve feet high, and its tusks are in proportion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/as-i-remarked-before-the-asiatic-elephant-is-smaller-than-the-african/)

[Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/)

## More by Bindi Irwin

> [It's human nature that if you get 20 positive comments and one negative one, you're going to focus on the negative. We all do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/it-s-human-nature-that-if-you-get-20-positive-comments-and-one/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [Give me a 15-ft. crocodile any day over a bee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/give-me-a-15-ft-crocodile-any-day-over-a-bee/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [If I am able to pass on what I've learnt in my life, that's really wonderful, especially after losing Dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/if-i-am-able-to-pass-on-what-i-ve-learnt-in-my-life-that-s-really/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [I'm driving my dad's old ute. So it's a manual ute. It's massive, so when people see me coming, they just kind of run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-m-driving-my-dad-s-old-ute-so-it-s-a-manual-ute-it-s-massive-so/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [There is someone special in my life right now, and I'm really happy with that, life is wonderful at the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/there-is-someone-special-in-my-life-right-now-and-i-m-really-happy/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-know-that-daddy-had-an-important-job-he-was-working-to-change-the/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [I'm very lucky to have such a beautiful family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-m-very-lucky-to-have-such-a-beautiful-family/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [Family doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have a mother, a father, a little brother, and an older sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/family-doesn-t-necessarily-mean-that-you-have-to-have-a-mother-a/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [I know I can count on my mum and brother to be there for me through good and bad times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-know-i-can-count-on-my-mum-and-brother-to-be-there-for-me-through/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/you-don-t-need-to-be-accepted-by-others-you-need-to-accept-yourself/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [I'm trying to carry on my dad's legacy, and it is tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-m-trying-to-carry-on-my-dad-s-legacy-and-it-is-tough/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [My life is certainly not common, but I think of myself as... a 'normal' teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/my-life-is-certainly-not-common-but-i-think-of-myself-as-a-normal/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [It's every little girl's dream to have an exact look-alike doll. It's amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/it-s-every-little-girl-s-dream-to-have-an-exact-look-alike-doll-it-s/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [Our human population continues to expand at such a scary rate - it's unbelievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/our-human-population-continues-to-expand-at-such-a-scary-rate-it-s/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

> [So many people have touched my heart and made an impact on my world. I'm thankful for every lesson and learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/so-many-people-have-touched-my-heart-and-made-an-impact-on-my-world-i/)

[Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

[Explore all 113 Bindi Irwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/)

## More Camera quotes

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/)

[Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/)

> [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/)

[John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/)

> [When I made my debut as an actor in 'Rock On!' I was confident to get in front of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/when-i-made-my-debut-as-an-actor-in-rock-on-i-was-confident-to-get-in/)

[Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/)

> [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/)

[Mitra Farahani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitra-farahani/)

> [To be honest, I don't know... something about the camera like turns me into such a diva. Like when it's on and I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-something-about-the-camera-like-turns-me/)

[Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/)

> [When the camera is on, I am an actor; otherwise, I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/when-the-camera-is-on-i-am-an-actor-otherwise-i-am-an-ordinary-person/)

[Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/)

> [“A camera is an opening in a box: that is the best emblem of the fact that a camera holding an object is holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-cavell/a-camera-is-an-opening-in-a-box-that-is-the-best-emblem-of-the-fact/)

[Stanley Cavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-cavell/)

> [It's such a weird thing, because you have a whole crew of people standing over there, on the other side. There's a camera pointing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/it-s-such-a-weird-thing-because-you-have-a-whole-crew-of-people/)

[Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/)

> [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/)

[Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/)

> [I was so green, and my background was mostly in theater. The only thing I'd done in front of a camera, besides an infomercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-britton/i-was-so-green-and-my-background-was-mostly-in-theater-the-only-thing/)

[Connie Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-britton/)

> [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/)

[Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/)

> [It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-photographer-not-the-camera-that-is-the-instrument/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't like to move the camera that much anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/i-don-t-like-to-move-the-camera-that-much-anyway/)

[Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/)

> [I feel like 'Preacher's Daughter' was my Trojan horse, in a way. I'm excited to pull back, be behind the camera instead of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-feel-like-preacher-s-daughter-was-my-trojan-horse-in-a-way-i-m/)

[Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/)

[Browse all 2,026 Camera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take. You can't really say, 'Make that elephant charge again!' And you talk to the camera. With movie filming, you're talking to someone else.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bindi Irwin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-where-it-s-one-take-you-can-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Camera"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-where-it-s-one-take-you-can-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db8/bindi-irwin-4302_camera_i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-whe_1198111.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was so used to documentary filming, where it's one take. You can't really say, 'Make that elephant charge…” — Bindi Irwin",
                "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": "Bindi Irwin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was so used to documentary...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-where-it-s-one-take-you-can-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/i-was-so-used-to-documentary-filming-where-it-s-one-take-you-can-t/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
