--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind…" description: "\"In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. When you watch so much of the programmers and the films that you just think you've ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/edgar-wright-3794_cinema_in-a-weird-way-riffing-on-genres-is-kind_589052.jpg" --- # In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to… ![“In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. When you watch so much of the programmers and the films that you just think you've seen before, it's kind of going back to the well in terms of trying to conjure up the spirit of what made you excited about films in the first place.” quote by Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/edgar-wright-3794_cinema_in-a-weird-way-riffing-on-genres-is-kind_589052.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/edgar-wright-3794_cinema_in-a-weird-way-riffing-on-genres-is-kind_589052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/edgar-wright-3794_cinema_in-a-weird-way-riffing-on-genres-is-kind_589052.jpg) > “In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. When you watch so much of the programmers and the films that you just think you've seen before, it's kind of going back to the well in terms of trying to conjure up the spirit of what made you excited about films in the first place.” [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Riffing on genres is a response to formulaic content, seeking the original excitement of cinema. **In simple terms:** Genre riffing reacts to formula, reviving original excitement. Key Takeaway Embrace creative play to rediscover passion. Themes creativity cinema originality Mood reflective inspired Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - film criticism - writing workshops - directing classes - personal creative projects Key Concepts genre blending audience fatigue artistic rebellion Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance homage with innovation? - What fresh elements can you add to familiar genres? A Different Perspective May still feel nostalgic without offering new substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Programmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programmers/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The '80s was an interesting, confining time for songwriters, so we were just sort of riffing in our own language, off to the side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/the-80s-was-an-interesting-confining-time-for-songwriters-so-we-were/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [I do lots of crowd work in my set, because I enjoy writing material through riffing and conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/i-do-lots-of-crowd-work-in-my-set-because-i-enjoy-writing-material/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [As long as the world keeps spinning, I'll keep riffing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/as-long-as-the-world-keeps-spinning-i-ll-keep-riffing/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [I know you're supposed to hide your influences, but I suppose I see writing as riffing, really, about whatever you have been reading or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/i-know-you-re-supposed-to-hide-your-influences-but-i-suppose-i-see/) [Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-toltz/) > [The idea of just improvising and riffing can sometimes be at the expense of story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rash/the-idea-of-just-improvising-and-riffing-can-sometimes-be-at-the/) [Jim Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rash/) > [So the actual riffing came out of us just sitting there and doing it the way I think some people think we really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-hodgson/so-the-actual-riffing-came-out-of-us-just-sitting-there-and-doing-it/) [Joel Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-hodgson/) > [I love crowd work, I love riffing, I love the intersection of when I have a bit and I can ask you something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-dillon/i-love-crowd-work-i-love-riffing-i-love-the-intersection-of-when-i/) [Tim Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-dillon/) > [I was always getting told off by my choir teacher for, you know, riffing when I shouldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/i-was-always-getting-told-off-by-my-choir-teacher-for-you-know/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [Riffing on language will create wonderful effects you never intended. Which leads me to this writing advice: 'Always take credit for good stuff you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-peter-clark/riffing-on-language-will-create-wonderful-effects-you-never-intended/) [Roy Peter Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-peter-clark/) > [I think, in a way, the stand-up prepped me for the improv, because I do a lot of riffing in my stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/i-think-in-a-way-the-stand-up-prepped-me-for-the-improv-because-i-do/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [I think when I feel I'm at my best is when I'm on stage, and it's my version of jazz because it's just riffing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/i-think-when-i-feel-i-m-at-my-best-is-when-i-m-on-stage-and-it-s-my/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [Being gone for so long and coming back into the game, I'm the type of person to reinvent myself pretty often and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-sunshine/being-gone-for-so-long-and-coming-back-into-the-game-i-m-the-type-of/) [Tony Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-sunshine/) > [There was a time when I first started that there was such a thing called 'a woman's film' and there were certain scripts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/there-was-a-time-when-i-first-started-that-there-was-such-a-thing/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [Music is there for us to explore. To intentionally limit yourself to one, two, or three genres is limitation at its worst. Music is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/music-is-there-for-us-to-explore-to-intentionally-limit-yourself-to/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## More by Edgar Wright > [You cannot put 50 years of the Marvel universe into a movie. It's impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/you-cannot-put-50-years-of-the-marvel-universe-into-a-movie-it-s/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [There have been recorded cases of people learning how to fly a plane after playing a flight simulator, but there's never been a case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/there-have-been-recorded-cases-of-people-learning-how-to-fly-a-plane/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I first saw Walter Hill's second film, 'The Driver,' as a teenager, late at night on the BBC, quite possibly sitting too close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-first-saw-walter-hill-s-second-film-the-driver-as-a-teenager-late/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [A lot of recent comic book adaptations have gone two ways: either they're striving for some kind of realism, like 'Iron Man' or 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/a-lot-of-recent-comic-book-adaptations-have-gone-two-ways-either-they/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [If you have ever driven around London and seen the amount of one way systems... they basically rubbed out all car chase crime. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/if-you-have-ever-driven-around-london-and-seen-the-amount-of-one-way/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Sometimes, some things have to settle, and you have to think about the intention of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/sometimes-some-things-have-to-settle-and-you-have-to-think-about-the/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Now I'm back in LA, it's high time to finish a little something I've been working on...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/now-i-m-back-in-la-it-s-high-time-to-finish-a-little-something-i-ve/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I'd rather try and cram in another two gags than leave a pause to say, 'Hey, wasn't that bit funny?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-d-rather-try-and-cram-in-another-two-gags-than-leave-a-pause-to-say/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Television was essentially my college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/television-was-essentially-my-college/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I have this theory about science fiction movies in that, when the space race sort of died, a lot of people sort of lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-have-this-theory-about-science-fiction-movies-in-that-when-the/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Near my apartment in London, a lot of the pubs kind of look identical, which is very strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/near-my-apartment-in-london-a-lot-of-the-pubs-kind-of-look-identical/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [If you ever watch police chases on, like, helicopter cams, they very quickly become nightmarish when you start to see the police coming in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/if-you-ever-watch-police-chases-on-like-helicopter-cams-they-very/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I don't want to get them in trouble for crimes in the early '90s - but there was usually like one pub that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-don-t-want-to-get-them-in-trouble-for-crimes-in-the-early-90s-but/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I think where the criticism of videogames come from is where videogames are just Xeroxes of films, and when you get a film adaptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-think-where-the-criticism-of-videogames-come-from-is-where/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I'm a big fan; I like all sorts of genres. I do like an occasion to just switch my brain off and enjoy some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-m-a-big-fan-i-like-all-sorts-of-genres-i-do-like-an-occasion-to/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) [Explore all 122 Edgar Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. 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