--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'How the West was Won' was very hard…" description: "\"'How the West was Won' was very hard, because it was a three cameras technique, meaning three cameras wide. Therefore I wasn't speaking to my fellow pe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png" --- # 'How the West was Won' was very hard, because it was a… ![“'How the West was Won' was very hard, because it was a three cameras technique, meaning three cameras wide. Therefore I wasn't speaking to my fellow performer, I was speaking to a camera, or a line next to the camera. It was difficult to do, because its not real acting. I had to pretend that I was…” quote by Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png) > “'How the West was Won' was very hard, because it was a three cameras technique, meaning three cameras wide. Therefore I wasn't speaking to my fellow performer, I was speaking to a camera, or a line next to the camera. It was difficult to do, because its not real acting. I had to pretend that I was 'seeing' Agnes Moorhead or Jimmy Stewart or Carroll Baker. I wasn't, I was acting to a drawn line. It took me personally two years to make the film, because my character starts at age 16 and I end up being 92 years old in the film. By the end of that production, I was ready for a long nap.” [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting to a camera demands imagination, turning a flat line into a living character across decades. **In simple terms:** Acting to a camera requires imagination to make a flat line alive. Key Takeaway Use imagination to bridge reality and performance. Themes acting film imagination technique Mood reflective analytical Type cinematic educational When to use this quote - film production - acting workshops - directing actors Key Concepts method acting cinematic technique character development Questions to Reflect On - How does camera technique affect authenticity? - What methods help actors stay present? A Different Perspective The technique can feel artificial, limiting emotional depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Pretend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-pretend-2110851/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Bakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bakers/) [Cameras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cameras/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-real-2085682/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Fellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Jimmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jimmy/) [Jimmy stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jimmy-stewart/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Naps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naps/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Old Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-film-587888/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Productions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productions/) [Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-acting-385040/) [Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing/) [Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technique/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Wasn Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-acting-247554/) [West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [The point of acting is to pretend you're someone else and sell a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/the-point-of-acting-is-to-pretend-you-re-someone-else-and-sell-a-story/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [I've been acting since I was 2 and have always been on camera but doing a video is different because when you're acting, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bleu/i-ve-been-acting-since-i-was-2-and-have-always-been-on-camera-but/) [Corbin Bleu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bleu/) > [That's one of the great things about acting - you get to pretend you're somebody else, which is great if you get bored with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/that-s-one-of-the-great-things-about-acting-you-get-to-pretend-you-re/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [Music means freedom to me. 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They don't say, 'Well, I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/i-think-it-s-very-touching-to-see-young-people-interested-in-what-we/) [Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/) > [In our home we have many movie props from old film productions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-hearst/in-our-home-we-have-many-movie-props-from-old-film-productions/) [Lydia Hearst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-hearst/) > [Obeying all rules in life is like watching a century old film.. …S0 boRing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/obeying-all-rules-in-life-is-like-watching-a-century-old-film-s0/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was twelve, the passage from silent film to the talkies had an impact on me-I still watch silent films. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-resnais/when-i-was-twelve-the-passage-from-silent-film-to-the-talkies-had-an/) [Alain Resnais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-resnais/) > [I just don't want to make the same old movies. I'm not interested in it. Directing's hard. It takes up a lot of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-just-don-t-want-to-make-the-same-old-movies-i-m-not-interested-in/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) ## More by Debbie Reynolds > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [ I always found that kind of hard, and even though Gene Kelly was also a taskmaster, Bobby \[Fosse\] was tougher. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-always-found-that-kind-of-hard-and-even-though-gene-kelly-was-also/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I'm a sucker for a good movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-a-sucker-for-a-good-movie/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [You don't get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/you-don-t-get-there-the-easy-way-if-you-feel-sorry-for-yourself-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I don't think you can ever be bitter about anything, because if you don't allow your heart to stay open, then all you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-don-t-think-you-can-ever-be-bitter-about-anything-because-if-you/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I just think there's more paparazzi, there's more cable TV, there's millions of networks now, there's more paparazzi. People liked gossip then, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-just-think-there-s-more-paparazzi-there-s-more-cable-tv-there-s/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [That's what I love about dance. It makes you happy, fully happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/that-s-what-i-love-about-dance-it-makes-you-happy-fully-happy/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [For 'Singin' in the Rain,' I bought most of the costumes - the 'Fit as a Fiddle' costumes and the 'Make Them Laugh' Donald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/for-singin-in-the-rain-i-bought-most-of-the-costumes-the-fit-as-a/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [If I ever stop working, I might have a problem. But I never seem to be able to stop working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/if-i-ever-stop-working-i-might-have-a-problem-but-i-never-seem-to-be/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I stopped making movies because I don't like taking my clothes off. Maybe it's realism, but in my opinion, it's utter filth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-stopped-making-movies-because-i-don-t-like-taking-my-clothes-off/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [Everyone I dated was gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/everyone-i-dated-was-gay/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I've had to walk through a lot of my tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-ve-had-to-walk-through-a-lot-of-my-tears/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I think people want to stay home and run movies with their whole family at home. It become a family hobby instead of going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-think-people-want-to-stay-home-and-run-movies-with-their-whole/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [It is very rewarding to walk out on stage, feeling the love and reception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/it-is-very-rewarding-to-walk-out-on-stage-feeling-the-love-and/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I love having my ghosts, and I love having my memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-love-having-my-ghosts-and-i-love-having-my-memories/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) [Explore all 201 Debbie Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. 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I had to pretend that I was 'seeing' Agnes Moorhead or Jimmy Stewart or Carroll Baker. I wasn't, I was acting to a drawn line. It took me personally two years to make the film, because my character starts at age 16 and I end up being 92 years old in the film. By the end of that production, I was ready for a long nap.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Debbie Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-because-it-was-a-three-cameras/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-because-it-was-a-three-cameras/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/debbie-reynolds-1883_acting_how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-becau_1810606.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'How the West was Won' was very hard, because it was a three cameras technique, meaning three cameras wide…” — Debbie Reynolds", "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": "Debbie Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'How the West was Won' was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-because-it-was-a-three-cameras/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/how-the-west-was-won-was-very-hard-because-it-was-a-three-cameras/#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 } } ] } ```