--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you've written a film and directed…" description: "\"When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring.\" — Christopher McQuarrie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg" --- # When you've written a film and directed it and it comes… ![“When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring.” quote by Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg) > “When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring.” [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that when a filmmaker’s vision is fully realized without surprise, the result can feel dull, implying value in unexpected elements. **In simple terms:** Exact control can make a film boring. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty to keep work engaging. Themes creativity control surprise artistic risk Mood inspirational critical Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - Film production - scriptwriting - creative workshops - storyboarding Key Concepts Narrative tension directorial freedom Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected element could improve your project? - How do you balance vision with spontaneity? A Different Perspective Too much control may stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The first film I directed (Explicit Ills), I did when I was like 27 years old. 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I'd just like to be doing things that are good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-corden/i-d-love-to-have-written-a-film-and-it-to-be-regarded-as-good-i-d/) [James Corden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-corden/) > [I could, of course, have written about the film world and the jealousy there and the frequent belief that others don't have talent. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-could-of-course-have-written-about-the-film-world-and-the-jealousy/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [There are people who've told me cinema is a visual medium and you don't need to say so much. When I write the script,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautham-menon/there-are-people-who-ve-told-me-cinema-is-a-visual-medium-and-you-don/) [Gautham Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautham-menon/) > [Having written for film and television, I had little interest in turning 'The Good Father' into a Hollywood thriller. I was writing a novel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/having-written-for-film-and-television-i-had-little-interest-in/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Novels written with film contracts in mind have a faint but unmistakable, and ruinous, odor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/novels-written-with-film-contracts-in-mind-have-a-faint-but/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [If you have written something that the film people want, like a book, it does give you a way in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/if-you-have-written-something-that-the-film-people-want-like-a-book/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [The good thing about directing a screenplay that you've written is that you see the film in your head as you're writing it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-whannell/the-good-thing-about-directing-a-screenplay-that-you-ve-written-is/) [Leigh Whannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-whannell/) > [The only music I've ever written was for a film called Frank, and the idea was that it was the worst music in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domhnall-gleeson/the-only-music-i-ve-ever-written-was-for-a-film-called-frank-and-the/) [Domhnall Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domhnall-gleeson/) > [It's one of those scenarios where no, I never imagined that I'd be directed in a love scene - not even a love scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/it-s-one-of-those-scenarios-where-no-i-never-imagined-that-i-d-be/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [The design of those commissioners, frigates and warlike force is directed rather against Long Island and these your Honors' possessions, than to the imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stuyvesant/the-design-of-those-commissioners-frigates-and-warlike-force-is/) [Peter Stuyvesant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stuyvesant/) > [I'm pretty boring in my real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-macdonald/i-m-pretty-boring-in-my-real-life/) [Danielle Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-macdonald/) > [I'm actually pretty boring, to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-barrett/i-m-actually-pretty-boring-to-be-honest/) [Gabby Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-barrett/) ## More by Christopher McQuarrie > [I love traveling around promoting different movies because I'm always looking at different places, and I always walk around to see the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-love-traveling-around-promoting-different-movies-because-i-m-always/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [I used to be a die-hard defender of physical film, which I still am. I love shooting on physical film and I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-used-to-be-a-die-hard-defender-of-physical-film-which-i-still-am-i/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [The challenge in most car chases is you're trying to hide the fact that it's not the actor driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/the-challenge-in-most-car-chases-is-you-re-trying-to-hide-the-fact/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Directing has completely changed the way I write and watch films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/directing-has-completely-changed-the-way-i-write-and-watch-films/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [A lot of books, if you take them at face value, they're just not gonna work as films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/a-lot-of-books-if-you-take-them-at-face-value-they-re-just-not-gonna/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [“Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Söze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/well-i-believe-in-god-and-the-only-thing-that-scares-me-is-keyser-s-ze/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [I always feel like an outsider. I'll always feel like the nerd at the party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-always-feel-like-an-outsider-i-ll-always-feel-like-the-nerd-at-the/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [To me, the ultimate crime in an adaptation is the crime of reverence. A novel is one form of media, a screenplay is another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/to-me-the-ultimate-crime-in-an-adaptation-is-the-crime-of-reverence-a/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [If you're surrounded by good people and you're really honest with yourself, you'll be delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/if-you-re-surrounded-by-good-people-and-you-re-really-honest-with/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Evil is a really tough concept for me. The idea of a villain that is bad for bad's sake seems kind of absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/evil-is-a-really-tough-concept-for-me-the-idea-of-a-villain-that-is/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [With 'Rubicon,' Mark Long and Dan Capel have created the perfect environment for an intense action franchise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/with-rubicon-mark-long-and-dan-capel-have-created-the-perfect/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [You know that certain things that you use in the film are going to be shown to audiences five hundred times before they ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/you-know-that-certain-things-that-you-use-in-the-film-are-going-to-be/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [The truth of the matter is movies are a reflection of life and violence is a real part of life. I don't think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-movies-are-a-reflection-of-life-and/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [There is no 'Top Gun 2' in which Maverick is not the starring role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/there-is-no-top-gun-2-in-which-maverick-is-not-the-starring-role/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Knowledge is death in my experience. The more I know about film, the harder it is to create freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/knowledge-is-death-in-my-experience-the-more-i-know-about-film-the/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) [Explore all 47 Christopher McQuarrie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) ## More Boring quotes > [Normal is so Boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/normal-is-so-boring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [I'd be very controversial if I said why, and I don't do controversial anymore. That's too passé. So last year. Being controversial is boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-d-be-very-controversial-if-i-said-why-and-i-don-t-do-controversial/) M.I.A > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I'm bored of being bored because being bored is very boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachithra/i-m-bored-of-being-bored-because-being-bored-is-very-boring/) [Sachithra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachithra/) > [The films I find boring are the ones that have no space for the audience's misconceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/the-films-i-find-boring-are-the-ones-that-have-no-space-for-the/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I've always felt that dark lyrics with dark music is pretty useless. Maybe that's a strong statement - not useless, but for me, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/i-ve-always-felt-that-dark-lyrics-with-dark-music-is-pretty-useless/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then rewrite the procedures. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/something-is-wrong-if-workers-do-not-look-around-each-day-find-things/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [Plumbing is usually boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/plumbing-is-usually-boring/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-something-is-boring-after-two-minutes-try-it-for-four-if-still/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-an-escape-from-the-boring-person-that-i-am-in-real-life/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) Browse all 3,123 Boring quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher McQuarrie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed-it-and-it-comes-out-exactly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed-it-and-it-comes-out-exactly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_boring_when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed_2341903.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring.” — Christopher McQuarrie", "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": "Christopher McQuarrie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you've written a film and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed-it-and-it-comes-out-exactly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/when-you-ve-written-a-film-and-directed-it-and-it-comes-out-exactly/#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 } } ] } ```