--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with trying to make a film…" description: "\"The problem with trying to make a film good and have it work for an audience is the problem of trying to tell a story well. The shape or the color of i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/james-frain-18799_audience_the-problem-with-trying-to-make-a-film-g_3184231.jpg" --- # The problem with trying to make a film good and have it… ![“The problem with trying to make a film good and have it work for an audience is the problem of trying to tell a story well. The shape or the color of it doesn't matter.” quote by James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/james-frain-18799_audience_the-problem-with-trying-to-make-a-film-g_3184231.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/james-frain-18799_audience_the-problem-with-trying-to-make-a-film-g_3184231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ef/james-frain-18799_audience_the-problem-with-trying-to-make-a-film-g_3184231.jpg) > “The problem with trying to make a film good and have it work for an audience is the problem of trying to tell a story well. The shape or the color of it doesn't matter.” [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A film's success hinges on storytelling quality, not visual aesthetics. **In simple terms:** Storytelling matters more than visuals. Key Takeaway Prioritize narrative clarity. Themes storytelling film audience artistic integrity Mood analytical inspirational Type educational professional When to use this quote - film production - scriptwriting - directing - marketing Key Concepts narrative structure visual design emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How can visuals support a story? - What makes a story resonate? A Different Perspective Visuals can still influence audience engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-problem-3760892/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-good/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-film/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-shape-836319/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [The problem with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-problem-with/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I want to tell a story and shape it all the way through to the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-hall/i-want-to-tell-a-story-and-shape-it-all-the-way-through-to-the-end/) [Conrad Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-hall/) > [My job is to form the people, the story, the sentences. Every reader will bring their own life and their own history to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-job-is-to-form-the-people-the-story-the-sentences-every-reader/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [It's true that laptop performances can be boring for the audience. The problem is, the organizers of events are still putting us on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-fennesz/it-s-true-that-laptop-performances-can-be-boring-for-the-audience-the/) [Christian Fennesz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-fennesz/) > [People will watch your film only if it's good. Another star's flop won't make your film a hit. So my race is with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allu-arjun/people-will-watch-your-film-only-if-it-s-good-another-star-s-flop-won/) [Allu Arjun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allu-arjun/) > [You should always make it like it's your last film. That's my personal belief. Every filmmaker is going to have another belief... That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/you-should-always-make-it-like-it-s-your-last-film-that-s-my-personal/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [I like to act in films, I like to shoot 'em, I like to direct 'em, I like to be around 'em. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-like-to-act-in-films-i-like-to-shoot-em-i-like-to-direct-em-i-like/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I firmly believe that emotions are universal, and I know that when they connect with the audience, it works. There is no such thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/i-firmly-believe-that-emotions-are-universal-and-i-know-that-when/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [If the film is good, it will work whether it has a star or no star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/govinda/if-the-film-is-good-it-will-work-whether-it-has-a-star-or-no-star/) [Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/govinda/) > [It feels good when it helps to get a good seat for a football game. But it never helped me make a good film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/it-feels-good-when-it-helps-to-get-a-good-seat-for-a-football-game/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Music has an immediate effect. If you want to go beyond that and look underneath, film is a good way of explaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-copeland/music-has-an-immediate-effect-if-you-want-to-go-beyond-that-and-look/) [Stewart Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-copeland/) > [Never again work in the same conditions in whichyou made your first film. It's good to take risks, but not thatmuch risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-almodovar/never-again-work-in-the-same-conditions-in-whichyou-made-your-first/) [Pedro Almodovar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-almodovar/) > [I believe that if your film is good, and if you are good, you will do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anushka-sharma/i-believe-that-if-your-film-is-good-and-if-you-are-good-you-will-do/) [Anushka Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anushka-sharma/) > [I will do a film if there is a good scope for acting. I am looking for good scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritika-singh/i-will-do-a-film-if-there-is-a-good-scope-for-acting-i-am-looking-for/) [Ritika Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritika-singh/) > [You learn as much from doing a bad film as a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-moran/you-learn-as-much-from-doing-a-bad-film-as-a-good-one/) [Nick Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-moran/) > [That's the power of film. If it's good, it can somehow make you feel connected to even the farthest thing from your own experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/that-s-the-power-of-film-if-it-s-good-it-can-somehow-make-you-feel/) [Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/) ## More by James Frain > [Working in 3D I didn't experience much of a difference, except that the cameras are very big so they can't be moved around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-in-3d-i-didn-t-experience-much-of-a-difference-except-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Working with CGI is more like doing theater where your sort of imagining things. I didn't experience it as restrictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-with-cgi-is-more-like-doing-theater-where-your-sort-of/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I am a little in awe of Jeff Bridges. He's an actor I have admired for many years, and so I didn't know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-am-a-little-in-awe-of-jeff-bridges-he-s-an-actor-i-have-admired-for/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I also thought the music was a huge contribution, in terms of creating the scale of that. And, I was impressed with just how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-also-thought-the-music-was-a-huge-contribution-in-terms-of-creating/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Cable series have more time to focus on characters, and a structure that allows for a development in character as you go along. Network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/cable-series-have-more-time-to-focus-on-characters-and-a-structure/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > ['The Buccaneers' was an Edith Wharton novel, and she never finished it, and a screenwriter adapted it for television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-buccaneers-was-an-edith-wharton-novel-and-she-never-finished-it/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > ['The Cape' is a really good comic! They invented the whole character, and now they've built a book of 'The Cape' for the show.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-cape-is-a-really-good-comic-they-invented-the-whole-character-and/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Evil is a broad church. There are so many different ways to be evil. Sometimes it's fun to be the guy who doesn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/evil-is-a-broad-church-there-are-so-many-different-ways-to-be-evil/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Sometimes it's fun to be the guy who doesn't know that he's bad, like the character I played in 'True Blood'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/sometimes-it-s-fun-to-be-the-guy-who-doesn-t-know-that-he-s-bad-like/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [With my guy, every now and then, he puts on a mask and does that, but he isn't that. Most of the time that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/with-my-guy-every-now-and-then-he-puts-on-a-mask-and-does-that-but-he/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I'm not particularly an expert on the genre. Correct me if I'm wrong, but usually you see most of the super-villain in his villainous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-m-not-particularly-an-expert-on-the-genre-correct-me-if-i-m-wrong/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Every project has its things to be overcome, but I didn't find that there was anything particularly impossible about what we were doing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/every-project-has-its-things-to-be-overcome-but-i-didn-t-find-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [The costumes, the light rigs and the effects are seamlessly joined. I'm kind of bummed that I don't get the experience that you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-costumes-the-light-rigs-and-the-effects-are-seamlessly-joined-i-m/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [For all that Tron wanted to be, it ultimately had to be a fun ride for the audience and I was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/for-all-that-tron-wanted-to-be-it-ultimately-had-to-be-a-fun-ride-for/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Bruges is a beautiful medieval city almost untouched by time. If you like jazz, you will be well catered for. If you like chocolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/bruges-is-a-beautiful-medieval-city-almost-untouched-by-time-if-you/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) [Explore all 34 James Frain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem with trying to make a film good and have it work for an audience is the problem of trying to tell a story well. 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