--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When my films don't work it's usually…" description: "\"When my films don't work it's usually because I tried some very experimental idea. I tried new ideas and they just didn't work, as opposed to trying to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/george-lucas-1038_cinema_when-my-films-don-t-work-it-s-usually-be_1606612.png" --- # When my films don't work it's usually because I tried some… ![“When my films don't work it's usually because I tried some very experimental idea. I tried new ideas and they just didn't work, as opposed to trying to do something conventional and having it be so conventional nobody wanted to see it.” quote by George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/george-lucas-1038_cinema_when-my-films-don-t-work-it-s-usually-be_1606612.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/george-lucas-1038_cinema_when-my-films-don-t-work-it-s-usually-be_1606612.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a8/george-lucas-1038_cinema_when-my-films-don-t-work-it-s-usually-be_1606612.png) > “When my films don't work it's usually because I tried some very experimental idea. I tried new ideas and they just didn't work, as opposed to trying to do something conventional and having it be so conventional nobody wanted to see it.” [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experimental ideas often fail because they lack audience connection; conventional ideas may be safe but can become uninteresting. **In simple terms:** Risky experiments can flop; safe ideas can be dull. Key Takeaway Balance innovation with audience relevance. Themes creativity risk audience convention innovation Mood analytical thoughtful Type creative strategic When to use this quote - film development - pitch meetings - script revisions - test screenings - marketing strategy Key Concepts storytelling market fit creative process Questions to Reflect On - When does experimentation become self‑indulgent? - How to gauge audience appetite before full production? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on novelty can alienate viewers; too much safety can stifle originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) ## Related quotes > [An experimental idea doesn't have to be separated from a mainstream context. The really exciting thing is where those two things are together. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie/an-experimental-idea-doesn-t-have-to-be-separated-from-a-mainstream/) [Sophie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie/) > [It's not as if socialism is a new idea. It was tried in the 20th century. It produced economic stagnation and despair. 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As the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/it-wasn-t-long-after-i-began-writing-star-wars-that-i-realized-the/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [If you look at 'Blade Runner,' it's been cut sixteen ways from Sunday, and there are all kinds of different versions of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/if-you-look-at-blade-runner-it-s-been-cut-sixteen-ways-from-sunday/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [“Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/dreams-are-extremely-important-you-can-t-do-it-unless-you-imagine-it/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [Never tell me the odds!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/never-tell-me-the-odds/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [There's nothing worse than the frustration of having somebody who you feel doesn't get what you're doing, trying to turn it into something else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/there-s-nothing-worse-than-the-frustration-of-having-somebody-who-you/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [If you really love films, and you really want to get the full impact, there's a huge difference between watching something on a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/if-you-really-love-films-and-you-really-want-to-get-the-full-impact/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I've never been that much of a money guy. 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And considering you have so many, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/one-of-the-amazing-things-about-seven-samurai-is-that-there-are-a-lot/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) [Explore all 304 George Lucas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) ## 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. 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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. 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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 my films don't work it's usually because I tried some very experimental idea. 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