--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I have learned first and foremost is…" description: "\"What I have learned first and foremost is to follow your instincts. As a filmmaker, there are no rules as to how to play this game. That is a big probl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/brad-furman-36514_big-problem_what-i-have-learned-first-and-foremost-i_3032383.jpg" --- # What I have learned first and foremost is to follow your… ![“What I have learned first and foremost is to follow your instincts. As a filmmaker, there are no rules as to how to play this game. That is a big problem I think that exists in the education on how to be a filmmaker or how to make movies.” quote by Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/brad-furman-36514_big-problem_what-i-have-learned-first-and-foremost-i_3032383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/brad-furman-36514_big-problem_what-i-have-learned-first-and-foremost-i_3032383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/brad-furman-36514_big-problem_what-i-have-learned-first-and-foremost-i_3032383.jpg) > “What I have learned first and foremost is to follow your instincts. As a filmmaker, there are no rules as to how to play this game. That is a big problem I think that exists in the education on how to be a filmmaker or how to make movies.” [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trusting intuition guides creative decisions when formal rules are lacking. **In simple terms:** Follow instincts in filmmaking. Key Takeaway Prioritize intuition over rigid guidelines. Themes creativity intuition education Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - film school - independent projects - creative blocks - career advice Key Concepts filmmaking self‑direction Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance instinct with learned technique? - When should you challenge your gut feeling? A Different Perspective Instincts can be biased; seek feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [National security is a really big problem for journalists, because no journalist worth his salt wants to endanger the national security, but the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee/national-security-is-a-really-big-problem-for-journalists-because-no/) [Ben Bradlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee/) > [ I think very highly of Expo and all is going well. We've seen big problems with \[corruption\] scandals \[at local government level\], but it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franca-sozzani/i-think-very-highly-of-expo-and-all-is-going-well-we-ve-seen-big/) [Franca Sozzani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franca-sozzani/) > [When the next big problem comes online, be it the Euro crisis, nuclear proliferation, an overstretched Internet, a killer flu, or any of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-casti/when-the-next-big-problem-comes-online-be-it-the-euro-crisis-nuclear/) [John L. Casti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-casti/) > [We have a presidential election coming up. And I think the big problem, of course, is that someone will win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-crimmins/we-have-a-presidential-election-coming-up-and-i-think-the-big-problem/) [Barry Crimmins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-crimmins/) > [The key thing about all the world's big problems is that they have to be dealt with collectively. If we don't get collectively smarter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-engelbart/the-key-thing-about-all-the-world-s-big-problems-is-that-they-have-to/) [Douglas Engelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-engelbart/) > [I quit drinking. That was a big problem for a lot of years. Then after that, I just started feeling grateful again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/i-quit-drinking-that-was-a-big-problem-for-a-lot-of-years-then-after/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [There is a big problem. The problem is the country borrowed too much. 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This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/there-are-no-big-problems-there-are-just-a-lot-of-little-problems/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) ## More by Brad Furman > [I think you don't break new ground in anything in life if you are willing to just follow the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-think-you-don-t-break-new-ground-in-anything-in-life-if-you-are/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I am a loyalist and I really absolutely love film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-am-a-loyalist-and-i-really-absolutely-love-film/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/the-process-of-casting-a-movie-has-many-complicated-variables/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I love the opportunity to shoot digital because you can shoot so many takes, it's really malleable, it's a ton of fun, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-love-the-opportunity-to-shoot-digital-because-you-can-shoot-so-many/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I am not interested in simply working as a director. 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I am crazy proud of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/here-is-the-thing-you-can-make-a-dope-movie-and-it-may-never-see-the/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I believe locations should try to be and evoke the characters in a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-believe-locations-should-try-to-be-and-evoke-the-characters-in-a/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I am always striving to be the best that I can be as a filmmaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-am-always-striving-to-be-the-best-that-i-can-be-as-a-filmmaker/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [Every time I trust my instincts I land on my feet and every time I don't, I go, "Why didn't I trust my instinct?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/every-time-i-trust-my-instincts-i-land-on-my-feet-and-every-time-i/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [I'm a big believer of "when there is a will there is a way" but from the studio's perspective I think it just seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/i-m-a-big-believer-of-when-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way-but-from/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) > [With the development of the web everything is instantaneous. Everything is about how quick you can get it. So with online gambling you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-furman/with-the-development-of-the-web-everything-is-instantaneous/) [Brad Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) [Explore all 13 Brad Furman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-furman/) ## More Big problem quotes > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [The big problem for comic art is you don't want to overwork it. If a drawing is overworked it isn't funny. 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You could scream, cry, and stamp your feet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-lonely-on-the-hill-and-cold-and-all-you-could-do-was-keep/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Its a big problem for American movies that all their movies are produced to be global.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-a-big-problem-for-american-movies-that-all-their-movies-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was-related-to-janine-s-but-he-d/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [The big problem is just this kind of gigantic piece, of kids reading less and liking it less and so getting worse at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/the-big-problem-is-just-this-kind-of-gigantic-piece-of-kids-reading/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [I do have a very, very big problem with someone who saw me coming and exploited me as a mascot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-vine/i-do-have-a-very-very-big-problem-with-someone-who-saw-me-coming-and/) [Stella Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-vine/) > [Don't tell GOD that u have a Big Problem,Tell your Problem that u have a Big GOD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/don-t-tell-god-that-u-have-a-big-problem-tell-your-problem-that-u/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [We're facing growing climate change, more floods, more droughts, more crisis on a planetary level, and the systems we put in place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-re-facing-growing-climate-change-more-floods-more-droughts-more/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“That's my big problem. 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