--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, like any time you're shooting…" description: "\"Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture wha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png" --- # Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff… ![“Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening” quote by Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png) > “Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening” [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective documentary work requires presence and control to capture reality as it unfolds. **In simple terms:** Be present and in control to film reality. Key Takeaway Stay alert, manage your tools. Themes creativity presence control Mood focused energetic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - news reporting - live events - field research - personal journals Key Concepts documentary filmmaking visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance control with authenticity? - When does preparation hinder natural moments? A Different Perspective Too much control can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Capture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capture/) [Capture Happening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capture-happening-844952/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-stuff-4167658/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Shooting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shooting/) [Shooting Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shooting-documentary-4167657/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Shooting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-shooting-729454/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [We set out to capture what was happening, and then we cut that into the series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/we-set-out-to-capture-what-was-happening-and-then-we-cut-that-into/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [I make the time between shooting 'Angie Tribeca,' 'Black-ish' and movies for my stand-up. You have to force yourself to make time for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/i-make-the-time-between-shooting-angie-tribeca-black-ish-and-movies/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [I had a really fantastic time shooting 'Bad Teacher.' I loved every second of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-smith/i-had-a-really-fantastic-time-shooting-bad-teacher-i-loved-every/) [Phyllis Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-smith/) > [Every time I'm shooting a movie I want to kill myself. Because I don't see the light in the end of the tunnel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emir-kusturica/every-time-i-m-shooting-a-movie-i-want-to-kill-myself-because-i-don-t/) [Emir Kusturica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emir-kusturica/) > [I am the kind who is always on time while shooting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-sharma/i-am-the-kind-who-is-always-on-time-while-shooting/) [Ashish Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-sharma/) > [TV takes up all your time, and you can't do anything else when you are shooting for a show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishita-dutta/tv-takes-up-all-your-time-and-you-can-t-do-anything-else-when-you-are/) [Ishita Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishita-dutta/) > [If you spend any time on the shooting of a drama, for television or movies, it's very slow and there's a lot of standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-eaton/if-you-spend-any-time-on-the-shooting-of-a-drama-for-television-or/) [Rebecca Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-eaton/) > [I can't really envision a time when I'm not shooting something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-can-t-really-envision-a-time-when-i-m-not-shooting-something/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [I haven't spoken to Oprah herself. She had so much going on, since her network show was wrapping up at the time we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-haven-t-spoken-to-oprah-herself-she-had-so-much-going-on-since-her/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [Shiney and I had a great time shooting 'Hijack.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esha-deol/shiney-and-i-had-a-great-time-shooting-hijack/) [Esha Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esha-deol/) > [The entire time I was up shooting 'Suits,' I was running back to my trailer to help get 'Nine Circles' produced. It's a no-brainer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-adams/the-entire-time-i-was-up-shooting-suits-i-was-running-back-to-my/) [Patrick J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-j-adams/) > [By calling it a memoir, I meant is as a collection of memories. I thought it was (a more) artful (title) than documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-merchant/by-calling-it-a-memoir-i-meant-is-as-a-collection-of-memories-i/) [Natalie Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-merchant/) > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) ## More by Brian De Palma > [You never can predict things. I knew the movie Peducted would get a reaction, because it's showing a different vision of our soldiers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/you-never-can-predict-things-i-knew-the-movie-peducted-would-get-a/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/when-you-make-a-movie-outside-the-system-and-it-s-successful/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/the-real-trouble-with-film-school-is-that-the-people-teaching-are-so/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/you-know-i-listen-to-contemporary-music-all-the-time/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [Well, I just think through your career you go through different phases, and I just got sort of uninspired by the whole studio process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/well-i-just-think-through-your-career-you-go-through-different-phases/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-ve-dropped-myself-into-straightforward-character-pieces-in-order-to/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [It's always great when you discover someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/it-s-always-great-when-you-discover-someone/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [And we've become very doubtful of our information sources, because they're all controlled by these huge multilateral corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/and-we-ve-become-very-doubtful-of-our-information-sources-because/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [If anyone's been around some very long cocaine evenings, there's nothing that's in SCARFACE that we all haven't seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/if-anyone-s-been-around-some-very-long-cocaine-evenings-there-s/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I hadn't done just a straight-out comedy in a long time, just letting an ensemble do really good character acting, having them carry the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-hadn-t-done-just-a-straight-out-comedy-in-a-long-time-just-letting/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I sometimes go for the strongest, most vivid colour on the palette, which in the case of movies is violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-sometimes-go-for-the-strongest-most-vivid-colour-on-the-palette/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [You really are as hot as your last movie. And it goes away really quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/you-really-are-as-hot-as-your-last-movie-and-it-goes-away-really/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I do like directing other people's material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-do-like-directing-other-people-s-material/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I've been obsessed with this kind of visual storytelling for quite a while, and I try to create material that allows me to explore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-ve-been-obsessed-with-this-kind-of-visual-storytelling-for-quite-a/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/you-know-when-people-want-to-get-any-information-research-information/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) [Explore all 39 Brian De Palma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian De Palma" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-documentary-stuff-you-ve-got-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-documentary-stuff-you-ve-got-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/brian-de-palma-16574_able_well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-docum_485800.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be…” — Brian De Palma", "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": "Brian De Palma", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Well, like any time you're shooting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-documentary-stuff-you-ve-got-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/well-like-any-time-you-re-shooting-documentary-stuff-you-ve-got-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```