--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about film is it is a very…" description: "\"The thing about film is it is a very precise form. You know if you have it and you know if you don't have it. There's not really a middle bit where you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/chiwetel-ejiofor-4438_bits_the-thing-about-film-is-it-is-a-very-pre_1722859.jpg" --- # The thing about film is it is a very precise form. You… ![“The thing about film is it is a very precise form. You know if you have it and you know if you don't have it. There's not really a middle bit where you're like, "I think we kind of have that scene."” quote by Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/chiwetel-ejiofor-4438_bits_the-thing-about-film-is-it-is-a-very-pre_1722859.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/chiwetel-ejiofor-4438_bits_the-thing-about-film-is-it-is-a-very-pre_1722859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/chiwetel-ejiofor-4438_bits_the-thing-about-film-is-it-is-a-very-pre_1722859.jpg) > “The thing about film is it is a very precise form. You know if you have it and you know if you don't have it. There's not really a middle bit where you're like, "I think we kind of have that scene."” [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Film demands exactness; you either have the right element or you don’t, with no vague middle ground. **In simple terms:** Film needs precise elements, no half‑measures. Key Takeaway Focus on clear, decisive choices. Themes precision creativity film art decisionmaking Mood analytical critical Type observational reflective When to use this quote - directing - screenwriting - acting - editing Key Concepts aesthetic narrative structure visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you know when a scene truly works? - What criteria define “having it”? A Different Perspective Even precise elements can be interpreted differently by audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Precise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-precise-1355135/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-scene-1355138/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Precise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precise/) [Precise Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precise-form-1355137/) [Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene/) [Thing Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-film-1355136/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The precise form of an individual's activity is determined, of course, by the equipment with which he came into the world. In other words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-precise-form-of-an-individual-s-activity-is-determined-of-course/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The realm of superstitions, fortune-telling, presentiments, intuition, dreams, all this is the inner life of a human being, and all this is the hardest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-kieslowski/the-realm-of-superstitions-fortune-telling-presentiments-intuition/) [Krzysztof Kieslowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-kieslowski/) > [The main thing on film is you want to be innocent to the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/the-main-thing-on-film-is-you-want-to-be-innocent-to-the-moment/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I think I've done every disgusting thing you can in a film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-i-ve-done-every-disgusting-thing-you-can-in-a-film/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people look at the surface, while some see what's deep down. The most important thing is that the film should somehow stay with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esra-saydam/some-people-look-at-the-surface-while-some-see-what-s-deep-down-the/) [Esra Saydam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esra-saydam/) > [My thing is film, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyriq-bent/my-thing-is-film-really/) [Lyriq Bent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyriq-bent/) > [And also, that's the kind of wonderful thing about film culture, is the interaction between films and who works on what, where they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-yelchin/and-also-that-s-the-kind-of-wonderful-thing-about-film-culture-is-the/) [Anton Yelchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-yelchin/) > [The weird thing about film, which I don't really care for, is that I'm always surprised when I see the film. One way or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/the-weird-thing-about-film-which-i-don-t-really-care-for-is-that-i-m/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [Fundamentally, the most important thing is to get the film made for me and to get as many people to see it as possible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/fundamentally-the-most-important-thing-is-to-get-the-film-made-for-me/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [You make films to give people something, to transport them somewhere else, and it doesn't matter if you transport them to a world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-kieslowski/you-make-films-to-give-people-something-to-transport-them-somewhere/) [Krzysztof Kieslowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-kieslowski/) > [The wonderful thing about film is that you have something that has a beginning, middle, and end, and you have a concrete amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-liu/the-wonderful-thing-about-film-is-that-you-have-something-that-has-a/) [Lucy Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-liu/) > [The theater's a live thing, and film is, to some extent, a discipline where you're putting everything together and trying to execute something exactly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/the-theater-s-a-live-thing-and-film-is-to-some-extent-a-discipline/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [My thing is whether my film is small, I am still playing the protagonist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-roy/my-thing-is-whether-my-film-is-small-i-am-still-playing-the/) [Rahul Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-roy/) > [When I got onto set with him we were given a folder of storyboards. I thought that was pretty incredible because I hadn't worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/when-i-got-onto-set-with-him-we-were-given-a-folder-of-storyboards-i/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) ## More by Chiwetel Ejiofor > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I wouldnt be the same actor if I couldnt do theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-wouldnt-be-the-same-actor-if-i-couldnt-do-theater/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [It's a strange thing, but you get this click in your brain; the wonderful feeling that the entirety of a character is suddenly available…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/it-s-a-strange-thing-but-you-get-this-click-in-your-brain-the/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [We always want to live in an environment where there's no artificial block to good work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/we-always-want-to-live-in-an-environment-where-there-s-no-artificial/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I do like sci-fi. When I was a kid, I was always sort of locked into sci-fi stories. So, sci-fi has always had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-do-like-sci-fi-when-i-was-a-kid-i-was-always-sort-of-locked-into/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Ive always liked the idea of being a father. And Ive always romanticised it, because I lost my father when I was young. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/ive-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-father-and-ive-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I've always liked the idea of being a father. And I've always romanticised it, because I lost my father when I was young. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-father-and-i-ve-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [My favorite thing to cook is anything that comes out okay. I'm very fond of certain pastas and sauces that I can just about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/my-favorite-thing-to-cook-is-anything-that-comes-out-okay-i-m-very/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [It's hard to maintain a life when you do a play. You feel you have to pretend to go through a normal day, knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/it-s-hard-to-maintain-a-life-when-you-do-a-play-you-feel-you-have-to/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Reporters tend to launch on what seems to be the clearest, most stark aspects of someone's life in terms of an interview.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/reporters-tend-to-launch-on-what-seems-to-be-the-clearest-most-stark/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Working in this industry, I do feel that science and creativity turned out to be a very useful combination for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/working-in-this-industry-i-do-feel-that-science-and-creativity-turned/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [The history of slavery and the complication of slavery is that it is an international concept. It is something that affected people who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/the-history-of-slavery-and-the-complication-of-slavery-is-that-it-is/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [All roads lead home in the end. You've got to keep that in mind always - in your work and in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/all-roads-lead-home-in-the-end-you-ve-got-to-keep-that-in-mind-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [That global poverty would end. That people would be able to eat. It's the worst shame in the world that people go hungry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/that-global-poverty-would-end-that-people-would-be-able-to-eat-it-s/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) [Explore all 111 Chiwetel Ejiofor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [He referred to me as an 'insufferable puffed-up prat'. This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [We, as pop stars, are people not androids. We’ve got views. I’ve got opinions and I don’t see why I shouldn’t use a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-meddows-taylor/we-as-pop-stars-are-people-not-androids-we-ve-got-views-i-ve-got/) [Roger Meddows Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-meddows-taylor/) > [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) [Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing about film is it is a very precise form. You know if you have it and you know if you don't have it. 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