--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're a director you always feel…" description: "\"When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.\" — Fede Alvarez" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg" --- # When you're a director you always feel weird with another… ![“When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.” quote by Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg) > “When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.” [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director feels uneasy when another director observes their work, highlighting vulnerability and scrutiny in creative leadership. **In simple terms:** Directors feel awkward under peer observation. Key Takeaway Embrace feedback, stay confident. Themes creativity leadership vulnerability Mood anxious reflective Type advice personal. When to use this quote - film set - creative meetings - collaborative projects Key Concepts peer review creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with openness to critique? - What strategies help maintain authenticity under observation? A Different Perspective Peer pressure can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ## Related quotes > [As an actor, I know immediately if I'm saying a word that doesn't feel right coming out of my mouth, and I know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-foley/as-an-actor-i-know-immediately-if-i-m-saying-a-word-that-doesn-t-feel/) [Scott Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-foley/) > [I think that for the actors, the last thing that they want is a director that's not watching, a director that goes 'Okay, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-think-that-for-the-actors-the-last-thing-that-they-want-is-a/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [For me, being a director is about watching, not about telling people what to do. Or maybe it's like being a mirror; if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-campion/for-me-being-a-director-is-about-watching-not-about-telling-people/) [Jane Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-campion/) > [I'm like a movie director, so wherever I feel that I need to go over this type of beat, that's what I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/i-m-like-a-movie-director-so-wherever-i-feel-that-i-need-to-go-over/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) > [As a director, I have to feel realism from actors, and they can't be plastic. The words for me are secondary, but the chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wiseau/as-a-director-i-have-to-feel-realism-from-actors-and-they-can-t-be-3/) [Tommy Wiseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wiseau/) > [As a director, I never feel that I have the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/as-a-director-i-never-feel-that-i-have-the-answers/) [Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/) > [One of my favorite things about Telluride is because it's so small, the directors are really there for each other. You look at another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/one-of-my-favorite-things-about-telluride-is-because-it-s-so-small/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [You can't just go in there and open your mouth until the cast and director feel comfortable with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-henley/you-can-t-just-go-in-there-and-open-your-mouth-until-the-cast-and/) [Beth Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-henley/) > [To go into more specifics regarding actors, whether they're from Korea or the U.S., all actors know if they are loved by the director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-jee-woon/to-go-into-more-specifics-regarding-actors-whether-they-re-from-korea/) [Kim Jee-woon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-jee-woon/) > [With movies, so much of it is, 'Who is the human being that is going to be directing it?' Because it is their medium.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/with-movies-so-much-of-it-is-who-is-the-human-being-that-is-going-to/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [As a director, I have to feel realism from actors, and they can't be plastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wiseau/as-a-director-i-have-to-feel-realism-from-actors-and-they-can-t-be-2/) [Tommy Wiseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wiseau/) > [When it's a good director, you can feel when they trust you when they cast you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-eisley/when-it-s-a-good-director-you-can-feel-when-they-trust-you-when-they/) [India Eisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-eisley/) > [ \[The director\] has to, I feel, be one step back, not only from cinema, but also from politics and all these issues in order… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/the-director-has-to-i-feel-be-one-step-back-not-only-from-cinema-but/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [As a director, I have to feel realism from actors, and they can't be plastic. The words for me are secondary, but the chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wiseau/as-a-director-i-have-to-feel-realism-from-actors-and-they-can-t-be/) [Tommy Wiseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wiseau/) > [I admired Stephen Daldry very much; I think he's a brilliant director, and also, I feel close to him because he has a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/i-admired-stephen-daldry-very-much-i-think-he-s-a-brilliant-director/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) ## More by Fede Alvarez > [I think violence in movies, for it to work, you have to use it smartly. People get numb very fast. If you have too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/i-think-violence-in-movies-for-it-to-work-you-have-to-use-it-smartly/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [A good story will keep you wondering about what's happening, what's going on, where does this go? Now it's going to go that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/a-good-story-will-keep-you-wondering-about-what-s-happening-what-s/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [Sci-fi is definitely something that I've been wanting to do again since Panic Attack and I want to do it on a feature scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/sci-fi-is-definitely-something-that-i-ve-been-wanting-to-do-again/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [If you think about it, you can have the best CGI, but you can always tell that it is CGI. Your brain can spot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/if-you-think-about-it-you-can-have-the-best-cgi-but-you-can-always/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [If you think about it, a lot of great horror films have bad sequels just because the market demands you to make the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/if-you-think-about-it-a-lot-of-great-horror-films-have-bad-sequels/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [There are the horror fans that love the 'Evil Dead' because of the humor, but I'm sure it's not all of them. Not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/there-are-the-horror-fans-that-love-the-evil-dead-because-of-the/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [ Comedy is all about the joke. Comedies usually don't do anything fancy with the camera \[or\] the lighting. It doesn't matter. It should never… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/comedy-is-all-about-the-joke-comedies-usually-don-t-do-anything-fancy/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [It doesn't matter the amount of gore, the amount of shocks that you can have in a movie if the movie's not entertaining, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/it-doesn-t-matter-the-amount-of-gore-the-amount-of-shocks-that-you/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [As a director, there is nothing more fun than seeing an audience screaming and jumping. You are the ultimate puppet master, controlling the emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/as-a-director-there-is-nothing-more-fun-than-seeing-an-audience/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [Usually you always see first cut is an extended version, because it's basically everything you shot, and you have that version and then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/usually-you-always-see-first-cut-is-an-extended-version-because-it-s/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [There's always a tone that you have to hit right in horror. With the blood, you want to make sure that it makes sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/there-s-always-a-tone-that-you-have-to-hit-right-in-horror-with-the/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [I really don't like to go for the stereotypes. I try to give you characters that you don't know until you get to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/i-really-don-t-like-to-go-for-the-stereotypes-i-try-to-give-you/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [I try not to be spectacular with the camera. I try to be a witness of what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/i-try-not-to-be-spectacular-with-the-camera-i-try-to-be-a-witness-of/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > [I think the more honest you are with the storytelling, the better it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/i-think-the-more-honest-you-are-with-the-storytelling-the-better-it/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) > ['Evil Dead' was such a big movie in my life. It's one of the few that I really remember when I watched it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/evil-dead-was-such-a-big-movie-in-my-life-it-s-one-of-the-few-that-i/) [Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) [Explore all 56 Fede Alvarez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/) ## 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": "When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fede Alvarez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-weird-with-another-director/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-weird-with-another-director/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/fede-alvarez-12117_cinema_when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-w_297647.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're a director you always feel weird with another director watching over your shoulder.” — Fede Alvarez", "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": "Fede Alvarez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you're a director you always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-weird-with-another-director/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/when-you-re-a-director-you-always-feel-weird-with-another-director/#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 } } ] } ```