---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Until film is just as easily accessible…"
description: "\"Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In painting you can just pick up a piece of chalk, a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg"
---

#  Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or…

![“Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In painting you can just pick up a piece of chalk, a stick or whatever. In sculpture you can get a rock. Writing you just need a pencil and paper. Film has been a very elitist medium. It costs so much…” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg)

> “Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In painting you can just pick up a piece of chalk, a stick or whatever. In sculpture you can get a rock. Writing you just need a pencil and paper. Film has been a very elitist medium. It costs so much money. It doesn't allow everyone who wants to tell stories tell stories. The great storytellers however are going to rise to the top, no matter what. That's why independent film is very important to me.”

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Film remains costly and equipment‑heavy, limiting universal access unlike other arts that need minimal tools.

**In simple terms:** Film is expensive and exclusive compared to drawing or writing.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for lower barriers to film creation.

Themes

art accessibility media inequality independent cinema

Mood

reflective determined

Type

inspirational advocacy

When to use this quote

- film schools
- community workshops
- crowdfunding
- low‑budget productions

Key Concepts

film production costs creative democratization

Questions to Reflect On

- How can technology further democratize filmmaking?
- What role do festivals play in supporting indie creators?

A Different Perspective

Even with reduced costs, distribution and exhibition still favor major studios.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Elitist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-elitist-3466442/) [Film Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-important-1473283/) [Independent film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-film/) [Paper Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-film-2251496/) [Rise to the top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-to-the-top/)

## Related quotes

> [Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In painting, you can just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible-as-a-pen-or-pencil-then-it-s/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [Thanks to my effort in the last 40 years, there has been more paper and film wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/man-ray/thanks-to-my-effort-in-the-last-40-years-there-has-been-more-paper/)

[Man Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/man-ray/)

> [I find that with any good run on a show with good writers, they put something on paper, and you put something back on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-roberts/i-find-that-with-any-good-run-on-a-show-with-good-writers-they-put/)

[Dallas Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-roberts/)

> [It's a unique experience when you're doing an independent film where you have one person who puts up all the funds to make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/it-s-a-unique-experience-when-you-re-doing-an-independent-film-where/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [If it's stage, the two most important artists are the actor and the playwright. If it's film, THE most important person is the director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-dourif/if-it-s-stage-the-two-most-important-artists-are-the-actor-and-the/)

[Brad Dourif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-dourif/)

> [ I think that both Luca \[ Guadagnino\]and I have a kind of resistance to the idea of a film holding a moral message because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/i-think-that-both-luca-guadagnino-and-i-have-a-kind-of-resistance-to/)

[Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/)

> [Doing your first film, it's very important that it's a commercial success, because that gives you a couple times to experiment until you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/doing-your-first-film-it-s-very-important-that-it-s-a-commercial/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [When you make a film, it's because it's important to you, it means something to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-luna/when-you-make-a-film-it-s-because-it-s-important-to-you-it-means/)

[Diego Luna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-luna/)

> [I think that TV and film are very important mediums to show what people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations can do, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-bunbury/i-think-that-tv-and-film-are-very-important-mediums-to-show-what/)

[Kylie Bunbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-bunbury/)

> [I thought film was more important than life itself for many years. But I was naive to the world until my first child was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-thought-film-was-more-important-than-life-itself-for-many-years-but/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [I was waiting for good films after 'Fugly' released. My second film was important. I kept waiting, and the period strengthened me. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiara-advani/i-was-waiting-for-good-films-after-fugly-released-my-second-film-was/)

[Kiara Advani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiara-advani/)

> [I think that while you're making the film it's important to just keep your eye on the ball and make the best movie you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kosinski/i-think-that-while-you-re-making-the-film-it-s-important-to-just-keep/)

[Joseph Kosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-kosinski/)

> [I got into film in an odd way - when I was 17 years old I participated in a Swedish film as an actor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannes-holm/i-got-into-film-in-an-odd-way-when-i-was-17-years-old-i-participated/)

[Hannes Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannes-holm/)

> [The super success of '3 Idiots' has taught us that cost of making a film is not important at all; it's all about things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/the-super-success-of-3-idiots-has-taught-us-that-cost-of-making-a/)

[Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/)

> [I'm not so sure that younger people today really appreciate the enormous bravery that went into the creation and production of that film, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-steiger/i-m-not-so-sure-that-younger-people-today-really-appreciate-the/)

[Rod Steiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-steiger/)

## More by Forest Whitaker

> [To try and act like we haven't had great progress is not true. Obama didn't fail - he changed the psyche of the nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/to-try-and-act-like-we-haven-t-had-great-progress-is-not-true-obama/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [I'm really excited that people are receiving my performance like this. It makes me feel good, because I've been working really hard. And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-m-really-excited-that-people-are-receiving-my-performance-like-this/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [If I go to a reunion in east Texas, my mother's side or my father's, one out of ten is a preacher or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/if-i-go-to-a-reunion-in-east-texas-my-mother-s-side-or-my-father-s/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [ As an artist, it's a great opportunity to play a character like this \[Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland\]. And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/as-an-artist-it-s-a-great-opportunity-to-play-a-character-like-this/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-can-play-a-man-who-s-despicable-but-i-ll-still-look-inside-him-to/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [It's all about destiny. That's why people look at the zodiac or the I Ching - because there's a certain order to life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/it-s-all-about-destiny-that-s-why-people-look-at-the-zodiac-or-the-i/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [My wife is completely different from me: she's good with everyone, whereas I'm good at directed conversation when I have a purpose for it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/my-wife-is-completely-different-from-me-she-s-good-with-everyone/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [I was a curious child. I'd debate with anyone who came to the door - people from the Islamic community... Jehovah's Witnesses... anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-was-a-curious-child-i-d-debate-with-anyone-who-came-to-the-door/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [There was a time in my acting career, where I was trying to figure out if acting was the thing to do. You know?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/there-was-a-time-in-my-acting-career-where-i-was-trying-to-figure-out/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [The first time I ever went out of the country, it was to London. I was with the choir from my college, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/the-first-time-i-ever-went-out-of-the-country-it-was-to-london-i-was/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [If I were to mark three, I'd mark Bird, because I grew immensely as an artist, I learned a lot, and also, I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/if-i-were-to-mark-three-i-d-mark-bird-because-i-grew-immensely-as-an/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [I try to be like a forest: revitalizing and constantly growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-try-to-be-like-a-forest-revitalizing-and-constantly-growing/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [I stay true, because whatever the project is, I'm still looking for inside of that character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-stay-true-because-whatever-the-project-is-i-m-still-looking-for/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

> [It's a contract of connection to be in the same space and watch and listen to stories and be caught in them. When you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/it-s-a-contract-of-connection-to-be-in-the-same-space-and-watch-and/)

[Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

[Explore all 142 Forest Whitaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In painting you can just pick up a piece of chalk, a stick or whatever. In sculpture you can get a rock. Writing you just need a pencil and paper. Film has been a very elitist medium. It costs so much money. It doesn't allow everyone who wants to tell stories tell stories. The great storytellers however are going to rise to the top, no matter what. That's why independent film is very important to me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Forest Whitaker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible-as-a-pen-or-pencil-then-it-s-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible-as-a-pen-or-pencil-then-it-s-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50d/forest-whitaker-3022_art_until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible_2256939.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it's not completely an art form. In…” — Forest Whitaker",
                "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": "Forest Whitaker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Until film is just as easily...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible-as-a-pen-or-pencil-then-it-s-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/until-film-is-just-as-easily-accessible-as-a-pen-or-pencil-then-it-s-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
