--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I keep trying to train myself to stop…" description: "\"I keep trying to train myself to stop saying 'filmmaker' and start saying 'storyteller.' We're telling stories.\" — Christine Vachon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e27/christine-vachon-33491_filmmaker_i-keep-trying-to-train-myself-to-stop-sa_2553723.jpg" --- # I keep trying to train myself to stop saying 'filmmaker'… ![“I keep trying to train myself to stop saying 'filmmaker' and start saying 'storyteller.' We're telling stories.” quote by Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e27/christine-vachon-33491_filmmaker_i-keep-trying-to-train-myself-to-stop-sa_2553723.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e27/christine-vachon-33491_filmmaker_i-keep-trying-to-train-myself-to-stop-sa_2553723.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e27/christine-vachon-33491_filmmaker_i-keep-trying-to-train-myself-to-stop-sa_2553723.jpg) > “I keep trying to train myself to stop saying 'filmmaker' and start saying 'storyteller.' We're telling stories.” [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She shifts language from 'filmmaker' to 'storyteller' to emphasize narrative over technical label. **In simple terms:** Storytelling matters more than title. Key Takeaway Focus on narrative. Themes storytelling identity craft Mood inspirational thoughtful Type creative professional When to use this quote - screenwriting - directing - teaching - branding Key Concepts narrative focus creative mindset Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape your creative role? - What stories do you want to tell? A Different Perspective Industry may still label roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Telling stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-stories/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I've never seen a great military, political, or corporate leader who was not a great storyteller. Telling stories is a core competency in business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bran-ferren/i-ve-never-seen-a-great-military-political-or-corporate-leader-who/) [Bran Ferren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bran-ferren/) > [When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you're telling a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bell/when-you-play-a-violin-piece-you-are-a-storyteller-and-you-re-telling/) [Joshua Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bell/) > [I love telling stories. I think of myself as a storyteller, and I don't feel bound by being just a singer or an actress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/i-love-telling-stories-i-think-of-myself-as-a-storyteller-and-i-don-t/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [Whether I'm telling stories in songs or if directing is the next step, being a storyteller is what I like doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-jones/whether-i-m-telling-stories-in-songs-or-if-directing-is-the-next-step/) [Kelly Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-jones/) > [I love being a storyteller. I love telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-love-being-a-storyteller-i-love-telling-stories/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I come from a family of storytellers. My grandmother was great at telling stories, and my mother was an amazing storyteller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/i-come-from-a-family-of-storytellers-my-grandmother-was-great-at/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [I love telling stories, and I'm a born storyteller. That's what I do, and that's what I want to continue to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brynn-cartelli/i-love-telling-stories-and-i-m-a-born-storyteller-that-s-what-i-do/) [Brynn Cartelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brynn-cartelli/) > [I feel that we should try and understand how we as women storytellers have often fallen into the mode of telling stories in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danae-elon/i-feel-that-we-should-try-and-understand-how-we-as-women-storytellers/) Danae Elon > [My parents and I always put great emphasis on telling stories that appeal to a child's sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/my-parents-and-i-always-put-great-emphasis-on-telling-stories-that/) [Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/) > [“It’s not just about entertainment. It’s about telling stories that audiences connect with emotionally. The way to do this is to make our films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-levy/it-s-not-just-about-entertainment-it-s-about-telling-stories-that/) [Lawrence Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-levy/) > [I love telling stories. You know why I love it? Because people love listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-bastianich/i-love-telling-stories-you-know-why-i-love-it-because-people-love/) [Lidia Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-bastianich/) > [Films are artifice. We're telling stories on film. At the same time, when it works, there is a real tough immediacy and spontaneity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mcgann/films-are-artifice-we-re-telling-stories-on-film-at-the-same-time/) [Paul McGann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mcgann/) > [For me, growing-up music was always about telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/for-me-growing-up-music-was-always-about-telling-stories/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [I have always wanted to tell stories. Even as a classical dancer, I revel in telling stories through my dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sobhita-dhulipala/i-have-always-wanted-to-tell-stories-even-as-a-classical-dancer-i/) [Sobhita Dhulipala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sobhita-dhulipala/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More by Christine Vachon > [Being on a set where the director has lost control is just sickening. No one goes the extra mile, theres a lot of eye-rolling...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/being-on-a-set-where-the-director-has-lost-control-is-just-sickening/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [I always say, what really makes a movie commercial is that it makes its money back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/i-always-say-what-really-makes-a-movie-commercial-is-that-it-makes/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [There were Hollywood movies and then there were those aggressively anti-narrative films that they showed at the Collective for Living Cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/there-were-hollywood-movies-and-then-there-were-those-aggressively/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [I think that when you're doing an under-four-million-dollar movie, you just can't throw money at the problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/i-think-that-when-you-re-doing-an-under-four-million-dollar-movie-you/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [The only way to sustain a career is to be as prolific as you can be, and open to opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/the-only-way-to-sustain-a-career-is-to-be-as-prolific-as-you-can-be/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [In film producing, there is an inherent tension between the director, the money and the producer, and that's what keeps it flowing and honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/in-film-producing-there-is-an-inherent-tension-between-the-director/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [It's humiliating to have to explain your value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/it-s-humiliating-to-have-to-explain-your-value/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [Theatrically seeing a movie with a group of people and having a collective experience has an authenticity that you can't get with your big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/theatrically-seeing-a-movie-with-a-group-of-people-and-having-a/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [Ultimately when I throw myself behind a movie, I have to really believe in that directors vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/ultimately-when-i-throw-myself-behind-a-movie-i-have-to-really/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [ There's something in the Zeitgeist now. A lot of \[film\] scripts I get have these very dark themes, a cornucopia of dysfunction. You know,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/there-s-something-in-the-zeitgeist-now-a-lot-of-film-scripts-i-get/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [My first job, honestly, was as a proofreader. I say that a little disparagingly, but it actually was this sort of incredible thing, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/my-first-job-honestly-was-as-a-proofreader-i-say-that-a-little/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [Ultimately when I throw myself behind a movie, I have to really believe in that director's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/ultimately-when-i-throw-myself-behind-a-movie-i-have-to-really-2/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [I came to New York, and it was a really cool time. People like Jim Jarmusch and Spike Lee were making their first movies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/i-came-to-new-york-and-it-was-a-really-cool-time-people-like-jim/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) > [When a crisis occurs, I feel that one of my greatest responsibilities is to set a tone of calm no matter what the problems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-vachon/when-a-crisis-occurs-i-feel-that-one-of-my-greatest-responsibilities/) [Christine Vachon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) [Explore all 15 Christine Vachon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-vachon/) ## More Filmmaker quotes > [I still don't feel I know Hitchcock at all. I find that the more one looks, the more elusive he becomes. 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I think it is in general depressing how few women there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/i-think-it-is-kind-of-depressing-how-few-female-filmmakers-there-are/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [What I would say to filmmakers, if I may be so bold or so arrogant, is to draw inspiration from other filmmakers, but go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/what-i-would-say-to-filmmakers-if-i-may-be-so-bold-or-so-arrogant-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [Filmmakers get into trouble when they're watching too many DVDs and quoting all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mangold/filmmakers-get-into-trouble-when-they-re-watching-too-many-dvds-and/) [James Mangold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mangold/) > [Even from a really young age I was a huge movie buff - five, six, seven, eight. 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I think they are more accurate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughes/most-of-my-characters-are-romantic-rather-than-sexual-i-think-that-s/) [John Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughes/) [Browse all 1,456 Filmmaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I keep trying to train myself to stop saying 'filmmaker' and start saying 'storyteller.' 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