--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I did on projects that I produced…" description: "\"But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed, that I acted in because it was important. I want to be a filmmaker. I don't want to be an actor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/eriq-la-salle-28825_cinema_but-i-did-on-projects-that-i-produced-th_1367828.jpg" --- # But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed… ![“But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed, that I acted in because it was important. I want to be a filmmaker. I don't want to be an actor who directs, I want to be a director. I want to be a filmmaker. So that's a big difference.” quote by Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/eriq-la-salle-28825_cinema_but-i-did-on-projects-that-i-produced-th_1367828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/eriq-la-salle-28825_cinema_but-i-did-on-projects-that-i-produced-th_1367828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/eriq-la-salle-28825_cinema_but-i-did-on-projects-that-i-produced-th_1367828.jpg) > “But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed, that I acted in because it was important. I want to be a filmmaker. I don't want to be an actor who directs, I want to be a director. I want to be a filmmaker. So that's a big difference.” [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He distinguishes his ambition to direct from acting, emphasizing a clear career identity. **In simple terms:** He wants to be a director, not just an actor‑director. Key Takeaway Define your primary creative role. Themes career ambition film identity creative control Mood determined focused Type professional motivational When to use this quote - film set - career planning - portfolio development Key Concepts filmmaking role clarity professional focus Questions to Reflect On - What defines your core creative identity? - How will you transition roles? A Different Perspective Acting experience may still influence directing style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directed Acted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directed-acted-4701080/) [Director Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-want/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Projects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/projects/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-director-368075/) [Want Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-filmmaker-2434028/) ## Related quotes > [When you trust the director you want to trust his or her choices. I don't want to say, 'No, I don't like this girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/when-you-trust-the-director-you-want-to-trust-his-or-her-choices-i/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [I've had friends who have come away who've said, "I shouldn't have become such close friends with the director." You always want to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-booth/i-ve-had-friends-who-have-come-away-who-ve-said-i-shouldn-t-have/) [Douglas Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-booth/) > [I don't want to be a director. I want to direct. There's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-feldman/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-director-i-want-to-direct-there-s-a-difference/) [Marty Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-feldman/) > [I always think I could do better. I always think that something could be more perfect, but I think that that's just within my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-always-think-i-could-do-better-i-always-think-that-something-could/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [You want to give the director what they want, and you don't always know exactly how it goes, so you want to try it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wittrock/you-want-to-give-the-director-what-they-want-and-you-don-t-always/) [Finn Wittrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wittrock/) > [I wrote and directed and acted in it and produced it, every job I have since that - and Star Wars included - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-wrote-and-directed-and-acted-in-it-and-produced-it-every-job-i-have/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [I felt film is art and there are people that constructed that art - and that made me want to be a filmmaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kinberg/i-felt-film-is-art-and-there-are-people-that-constructed-that-art-and/) [Simon Kinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kinberg/) > [I didn't really want to be a filmmaker, growing up. Other than Spike Lee's movies, I would think, 'Where is a place for me?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-jenkins/i-didn-t-really-want-to-be-a-filmmaker-growing-up-other-than-spike/) [Barry Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-jenkins/) > [Film making is an expensive, as well as a serious business. We should be able to entertain our audiences, who are fully aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/film-making-is-an-expensive-as-well-as-a-serious-business-we-should/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [You know, 'Top Gun' was the movie I saw in high school that made me want to be a filmmaker. I remember very specifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-derrickson/you-know-top-gun-was-the-movie-i-saw-in-high-school-that-made-me-want/) [Scott Derrickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-derrickson/) > [I don't want to be the Asian filmmaker; I just want to be a filmmaker. I want to be Spielberg. I want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-asian-filmmaker-i-just-want-to-be-a-filmmaker/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Following a pre-cellphone world of children on an adventure is incredibly appealing for me. These are the kinds of movies I fell in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-devlin/following-a-pre-cellphone-world-of-children-on-an-adventure-is/) [Dean Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-devlin/) > [If you want to be a filmmaker, ask yourself if you could imagine doing any other job. If you can, that’s a script!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/if-you-want-to-be-a-filmmaker-ask-yourself-if-you-could-imagine-doing/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [I'm not sure I would want to be a filmmaker, because I've seen how many people they have to go through in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-hedges/i-m-not-sure-i-would-want-to-be-a-filmmaker-because-i-ve-seen-how/) [Lucas Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-hedges/) > [You want to be a writer? Start writing. You want to be a filmmaker? Start shooting stuff on your phone right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/you-want-to-be-a-writer-start-writing-you-want-to-be-a-filmmaker/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) ## More by Eriq La Salle > [So It's not like I go from being this disciplined person who has to get up and go to work to now I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/so-it-s-not-like-i-go-from-being-this-disciplined-person-who-has-to/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Maybe It's not the biggest blockbuster film, but there will be some people that will see it, that will be debating it, that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/maybe-it-s-not-the-biggest-blockbuster-film-but-there-will-be-some/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [You can't do psychological thrillers. There's no audience. I've heard this. I've heard this from studios.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/you-can-t-do-psychological-thrillers-there-s-no-audience-i-ve-heard/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [The films that have influenced me and the films that have motivated me and inspired me were films that resonated, films that made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/the-films-that-have-influenced-me-and-the-films-that-have-motivated/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [It's my company and I believe in the company that's why I started it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/it-s-my-company-and-i-believe-in-the-company-that-s-why-i-started-it/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [I think American cinema, particularly, has become so disposable. It's not even cinema, It's just moviemaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/i-think-american-cinema-particularly-has-become-so-disposable-it-s/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [So that, to me, is important that audiences are treated with an amount of respect toward their intelligence. Most Hollywood films don't respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/so-that-to-me-is-important-that-audiences-are-treated-with-an-amount/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Ever since I've left, I've been doing nothing but this film and traveling, promoting and doing festivals. So the good thing is that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/ever-since-i-ve-left-i-ve-been-doing-nothing-but-this-film-and/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [“some he hadn’t. He found an old family photo album in the living room credenza. He sat at the kitchen table and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/some-he-hadn-t-he-found-an-old-family-photo-album-in-the-living-room/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Just trying to get a film made which is always difficult no matter what kind of a budget you have. Not having a budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/just-trying-to-get-a-film-made-which-is-always-difficult-no-matter/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Well that's the point: People don't normally take away things from films anymore. You go and see a $100 million film, half an hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/well-that-s-the-point-people-don-t-normally-take-away-things-from/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Regardless of what people ultimately think about Crazy As Hell, It's not the type of film that, ten minutes after seeing it, you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/regardless-of-what-people-ultimately-think-about-crazy-as-hell-it-s/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Art should offend people because art should challenge people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/art-should-offend-people-because-art-should-challenge-people/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [I think that you make the best choice with the information that you have before you at that given time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/i-think-that-you-make-the-best-choice-with-the-information-that-you/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [The Sixth Sense is not a good white film. Insomnia is not a good white film. They're just good films. So why we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/the-sixth-sense-is-not-a-good-white-film-insomnia-is-not-a-good-white/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) [Explore all 19 Eriq La Salle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed, that I acted in because it was important. I want to be a filmmaker. I don't want to be an actor who directs, I want to be a director. I want to be a filmmaker. 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