--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love working with a set designer…" description: "\"I love working with a set designer because, in many respects, you meet the set designer before you meet the actors. So it's a chance for me as a direct..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png" --- # I love working with a set designer because, in many… ![“I love working with a set designer because, in many respects, you meet the set designer before you meet the actors. So it's a chance for me as a director to figure out what I'm thinking and to explore how the space is going to actually be activated.” quote by George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png) > “I love working with a set designer because, in many respects, you meet the set designer before you meet the actors. So it's a chance for me as a director to figure out what I'm thinking and to explore how the space is going to actually be activated.” [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) ## 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 values set designers for early insight into a production’s visual and emotional tone, shaping the narrative before actors arrive. **In simple terms:** Set designers guide a director’s vision early. Key Takeaway Collaborate early with designers to shape space. Themes creativity collaboration visual storytelling Mood reflective inspired Type practical strategic When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film pre‑production - stage design workshops Key Concepts production design directorial process spatial dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does early set design influence character development? - What risks arise from fixing space too early? A Different Perspective Design choices may limit actor improvisation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-director-5647187/) [Designer Meet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designer-meet-5647186/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-work/) [Meet Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-actors-376812/) [Meet Set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-set-4569845/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Set designer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/set-designer/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [On a film, you do your own work, you come together and meet on set, and then you shoot. It's great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bojana-novakovic/on-a-film-you-do-your-own-work-you-come-together-and-meet-on-set-and/) [Bojana Novakovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bojana-novakovic/) > [Unfortunately, I don't meet guys and it's really sad. I only meet actors on set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/unfortunately-i-don-t-meet-guys-and-it-s-really-sad-i-only-meet/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [Everyone's a little nervous when you all get together and meet the actors, meet the director. But once you get on set, then it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-chandler/everyone-s-a-little-nervous-when-you-all-get-together-and-meet-the/) [Kyle Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-chandler/) > [I never had posters on my wall and when I meet actors that I really admire, it's exciting because I get to work with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-mulligan/i-never-had-posters-on-my-wall-and-when-i-meet-actors-that-i-really/) [Carey Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-mulligan/) > [I never actually do rehearsals. That's one of the reasons that I write those bios and if I can meet with the actors I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sayles/i-never-actually-do-rehearsals-that-s-one-of-the-reasons-that-i-write/) [John Sayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sayles/) > [I don't have to meet actors. I'm really blessed that I don't have to do all that horseshit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/i-don-t-have-to-meet-actors-i-m-really-blessed-that-i-don-t-have-to/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [A producer is always behind the scenes, even more in the movies - nobody sees you. I didn't even meet most of the actors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/a-producer-is-always-behind-the-scenes-even-more-in-the-movies-nobody/) [Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/) > [I much prefer to meet actors that are really into the play rather than into the part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/i-much-prefer-to-meet-actors-that-are-really-into-the-play-rather/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [Typically, I like to talk and meet with actors face to face well before we start shooting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-swanson/typically-i-like-to-talk-and-meet-with-actors-face-to-face-well/) [Christine Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-swanson/) > [I rarely make good friends on film sets. I'll meet the same actors on different projects every few years, but in the interim we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-fitzgerald/i-rarely-make-good-friends-on-film-sets-i-ll-meet-the-same-actors-on/) [Tara Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-fitzgerald/) > [You don't meet too many actors in Nashville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/you-don-t-meet-too-many-actors-in-nashville/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [We write and write and write until we think, 'If we have to shoot this script, we'll be happy, and it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/we-write-and-write-and-write-until-we-think-if-we-have-to-shoot-this/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [I seldom meet actors, they are to me bright strange fishes swimming in an element alien to me; I feel that to meet them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/i-seldom-meet-actors-they-are-to-me-bright-strange-fishes-swimming-in/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [I'm always saying I won't get involved with an actor again, but then I realize how silly that is. The men I meet most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-harrold/i-m-always-saying-i-won-t-get-involved-with-an-actor-again-but-then-i/) [Kathryn Harrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-harrold/) > [“Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. We've never quite made peace with that in the theater---set designer Robin Wagner”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-isenberg/two-objects-cannot-occupy-the-same-space-at-the-same-time-we-ve-never/) [Barbara Isenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-isenberg/) ## More by George C. Wolfe > [I could program a 'fabulous, I love it' kind of hit season right now. I'm more interested in breaking boundaries, telling a story, defying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-could-program-a-fabulous-i-love-it-kind-of-hit-season-right-now-i-m/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [The world doesn't see a lot of gray. The world sees black and white, and then it understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/the-world-doesn-t-see-a-lot-of-gray-the-world-sees-black-and-white/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [You adjust what you do depending on the actor. You evolve a vocabulary and a way of language and talking with each actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/you-adjust-what-you-do-depending-on-the-actor-you-evolve-a-vocabulary/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [A lot of '20s musicals were a hodgepodge of melodrama, mixed with operetta and romance, and then some sense of modernism and some sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/a-lot-of-20s-musicals-were-a-hodgepodge-of-melodrama-mixed-with/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [There is a real affection for these human beings on these stage that O'Neill really had. Out of that affection comes a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/there-is-a-real-affection-for-these-human-beings-on-these-stage-that/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Our lives are connected in ways we can't imagine. They're connected even before we know they're connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/our-lives-are-connected-in-ways-we-can-t-imagine-they-re-connected/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [There's no place more theatrical than history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/there-s-no-place-more-theatrical-than-history/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [If you have the talent and passion and commitment, you shouldn't be locked out of the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/if-you-have-the-talent-and-passion-and-commitment-you-shouldn-t-be/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [When you're writing, in theory, everybody is serving you. When you're directing, you're serving everybody - in the guise of acting like everybody's serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/when-you-re-writing-in-theory-everybody-is-serving-you-when-you-re/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Commercial theater, in its agenda to appeal to everybody, is often at the expense of the unique vision of the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/commercial-theater-in-its-agenda-to-appeal-to-everybody-is-often-at/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Doing any kind of culture in America in which you are not trying to affirm a European aesthetic is war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/doing-any-kind-of-culture-in-america-in-which-you-are-not-trying-to/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [I was raised to believe that other people's suffering was my responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-was-raised-to-believe-that-other-people-s-suffering-was-my/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [I think we all have a primal desire to know as much as we can to find out about where we come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-think-we-all-have-a-primal-desire-to-know-as-much-as-we-can-to-find/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [I think I am the first person of color to direct a major white play on Broadway. In 1993? That's astounding to me. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-think-i-am-the-first-person-of-color-to-direct-a-major-white-play/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [The hardest thing about a musical is making sure everybody is working on the same damn show. That is the monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/the-hardest-thing-about-a-musical-is-making-sure-everybody-is-working/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) [Explore all 111 George C. Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I love working with a set designer because, in many respects, you meet the set designer before you meet the actors. So it's a chance for me as a director to figure out what I'm thinking and to explore how the space is going to actually be activated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George C. Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-because-in-many-respects-you-meet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-because-in-many-respects-you-meet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/george-c-wolfe-4405_chance_i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-becau_2337706.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I love working with a set designer because, in many respects, you meet the set designer before you meet the…” — George C. Wolfe", "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": "George C. Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I love working with a set...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-because-in-many-respects-you-meet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-love-working-with-a-set-designer-because-in-many-respects-you-meet/#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 } } ] } ```