--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't tell particularly smart stories…" description: "\"We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to keep our audience big enough to pay for these big spectacle films that we want to do.\" — Duncan ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg" --- # We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to… ![“We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to keep our audience big enough to pay for these big spectacle films that we want to do.” quote by Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg) > “We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to keep our audience big enough to pay for these big spectacle films that we want to do.” [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claims commercial constraints limit ability to tell complex, smart stories for big‑budget films. **In simple terms:** Big films must simplify stories for profit. Key Takeaway Balance artistic depth with audience size. Themes film creativity commercialism Mood critical optimistic Type industry creative When to use this quote - independent filmmaking - studio negotiations - script development - marketing strategies Key Concepts storytelling budget constraints audience expectations Questions to Reflect On - How can studios support smarter films? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective May undervalue audience intelligence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [For the theatrical experience to survive, spectacle films need to expand their definition of what they can be. They need to be unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/for-the-theatrical-experience-to-survive-spectacle-films-need-to/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [If you're doing a big spectacle film, you've got to be mindful of large masses. Even then, you've got to be responsible only to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/if-you-re-doing-a-big-spectacle-film-you-ve-got-to-be-mindful-of/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [You never really know until you put the movie in front of an audience. I am a big advocate of screenings, which are getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keenen-ivory-wayans/you-never-really-know-until-you-put-the-movie-in-front-of-an-audience/) [Keenen Ivory Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keenen-ivory-wayans/) > [People don't know where to place me, and I think that's why my audience is so big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/people-don-t-know-where-to-place-me-and-i-think-that-s-why-my/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [I will not do festivals. The thought of an audience that big frightens the life out of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-will-not-do-festivals-the-thought-of-an-audience-that-big-frightens/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [The audience is a big part of the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/the-audience-is-a-big-part-of-the-show/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [The audience is an absolutely critical part of 'Question Time' and selecting that audience is a big and very important job every week. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-bruce/the-audience-is-an-absolutely-critical-part-of-question-time-and/) [Fiona Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-bruce/) > [I don't photograph for other people. I love an audience, mind you. Once I've got them there, then I love an audience. Not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-weston/i-don-t-photograph-for-other-people-i-love-an-audience-mind-you-once/) [Brett Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-weston/) > [Somewhat predictably, I'm much more comfortable in front of an audience - and a big audience is even better - than faced with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/somewhat-predictably-i-m-much-more-comfortable-in-front-of-an/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [In my films, I either want the music to be very subtle and very buried or just put it right out in front and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/in-my-films-i-either-want-the-music-to-be-very-subtle-and-very-buried/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [With each of my films, I want to look/be different from the real me and want my performance to be different from the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram/with-each-of-my-films-i-want-to-look-be-different-from-the-real-me/) [Vikram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram/) > [My influences are all over the place. Different films have spoken to me at different times in my life, and they've helped create my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-haigh/my-influences-are-all-over-the-place-different-films-have-spoken-to/) [Andrew Haigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-haigh/) > [I will do films I want to make. I will never make a film for commerce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-krishna-acharya/i-will-do-films-i-want-to-make-i-will-never-make-a-film-for-commerce/) [Vijay Krishna Acharya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-krishna-acharya/) > [I've always traveled with the films because I want the audience to be my teacher so that I can learn for the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-potter/i-ve-always-traveled-with-the-films-because-i-want-the-audience-to-be/) [Sally Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-potter/) > [As long as I can make the films I want to make in decent conditions, I am happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/as-long-as-i-can-make-the-films-i-want-to-make-in-decent-conditions-i/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) ## More by Duncan Jones > [Here in the UK the audience immediately reacts and they get the fact that: "What would be the most annoying thing in the world?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/here-in-the-uk-the-audience-immediately-reacts-and-they-get-the-fact/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [One of the things I think is unique and signature about Blizzard is that whenever they do their games, and with Warcraft in particular,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/one-of-the-things-i-think-is-unique-and-signature-about-blizzard-is/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Maybe there is a sort of a sweet middle ground there, where you can do something with something with like 20 to 40 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/maybe-there-is-a-sort-of-a-sweet-middle-ground-there-where-you-can-do/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [The beauty of science fiction is its open canvas. You can hypothesize about any element of the world. It doesn't have to be laser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/the-beauty-of-science-fiction-is-its-open-canvas-you-can-hypothesize/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Life and career kind of catches up with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/life-and-career-kind-of-catches-up-with-you/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Sometimes there's a disjoint between what works on the page and what works with visual story telling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/sometimes-there-s-a-disjoint-between-what-works-on-the-page-and-what/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Every film I try and make it the way I see it in my head, and it really just depends on the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/every-film-i-try-and-make-it-the-way-i-see-it-in-my-head-and-it/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [You go through different stages when you're working on the music in film. At least, I do. You have a temp score, so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/you-go-through-different-stages-when-you-re-working-on-the-music-in/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [I really don't see CG as a goal in its own right. I really do believe it's a tool. In the advertising industry I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-really-don-t-see-cg-as-a-goal-in-its-own-right-i-really-do-believe/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [I had a real comfort with being on a set and in particular working with special effects and because of that background, it became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-had-a-real-comfort-with-being-on-a-set-and-in-particular-working/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [My biggest difference with our film and those kinds of science fiction films is that they are going from one special effect set piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/my-biggest-difference-with-our-film-and-those-kinds-of-science/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [When I said that something was going to cost a certain amount of money, I actually knew what I was talking about. The biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/when-i-said-that-something-was-going-to-cost-a-certain-amount-of/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [I do enjoy the puzzle-solving aspect of making a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-do-enjoy-the-puzzle-solving-aspect-of-making-a-movie/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Every time you want to reset your set and pull walls out and reset the lighting, you're burning up half an hour to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/every-time-you-want-to-reset-your-set-and-pull-walls-out-and-reset/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [I think that idea of being far away from the people that you love is something that everyone can relate to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-think-that-idea-of-being-far-away-from-the-people-that-you-love-is/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) [Explore all 54 Duncan Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to keep our audience big enough to pay for these big spectacle films that we want to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Duncan Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories-if-we-want-to-keep-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories-if-we-want-to-keep-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ed/duncan-jones-12555_audience_we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories_3043017.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can't tell particularly smart stories if we want to keep our audience big enough to pay for these big…” — Duncan Jones", "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": "Duncan Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can't tell particularly smart stories...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories-if-we-want-to-keep-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/we-can-t-tell-particularly-smart-stories-if-we-want-to-keep-our/#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 } } ] } ```