--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Saw' really was like a student film for…" description: "\"'Saw' really was like a student film for me; we expected it to go straight to video. I never expected anyone to see that film, and then it becomes one ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/james-wan-7118_becomes_saw-really-was-like-a-student-film-for-m_2255186.jpg" --- # 'Saw' really was like a student film for me; we expected… ![“'Saw' really was like a student film for me; we expected it to go straight to video. I never expected anyone to see that film, and then it becomes one of the most successful horror franchises.” quote by James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/james-wan-7118_becomes_saw-really-was-like-a-student-film-for-m_2255186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/james-wan-7118_becomes_saw-really-was-like-a-student-film-for-m_2255186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/james-wan-7118_becomes_saw-really-was-like-a-student-film-for-m_2255186.jpg) > “'Saw' really was like a student film for me; we expected it to go straight to video. I never expected anyone to see that film, and then it becomes one of the most successful horror franchises.” [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A low‑budget horror film unexpectedly became a massive franchise, showing that modest beginnings can lead to huge success. **In simple terms:** A cheap horror movie turned into a big franchise. Key Takeaway Embrace small projects; they may grow beyond expectations. Themes creativity success unexpected outcomes Mood hopeful inspirational Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - indie filmmaking - budget constraints - marketing strategies - audience reception Key Concepts entrepreneurship media production franchise building Questions to Reflect On - What small project could become your breakthrough? - How can you position a modest work for larger impact? A Different Perspective Success may still depend on timing and market trends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) ## Related quotes > [I've always said that with a lot of the horror franchises that I've started, it's like directing a pilot. I come in, I direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-ve-always-said-that-with-a-lot-of-the-horror-franchises-that-i-ve/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > ['Saw' really came from that want, the aspiration to make a feature film on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/saw-really-came-from-that-want-the-aspiration-to-make-a-feature-film/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I feel very fortunate to have been a part of many successful contemporary horror franchises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-feldman/i-feel-very-fortunate-to-have-been-a-part-of-many-successful/) [Corey Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-feldman/) > ['West Side Story' was one of the high points of my career. Yet, when I first saw it, I was really disappointed in how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-tamblyn/west-side-story-was-one-of-the-high-points-of-my-career-yet-when-i/) Russ Tamblyn > [I had saw you as the best person in the world, then I got into you and saw what you really were...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naquitta-faith/i-had-saw-you-as-the-best-person-in-the-world-then-i-got-into-you-and/) [Naquitta Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naquitta-faith/) > [“If this might be the last time they saw you, they really saw you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/if-this-might-be-the-last-time-they-saw-you-they-really-saw-you-2/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I realized what interested me as a student of film was one thing and the movies that I liked were another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-raimi/i-realized-what-interested-me-as-a-student-of-film-was-one-thing-and/) [Sam Raimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-raimi/) > [When I did my first student film, it was a ten minute film and it cost $U.S.4,000. I worked three jobs to pay for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/when-i-did-my-first-student-film-it-was-a-ten-minute-film-and-it-cost/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) > [When I made my student film, a feature, nobody wanted to talk to me and I was, like, in the desert for 12 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-cianfrance/when-i-made-my-student-film-a-feature-nobody-wanted-to-talk-to-me-and/) [Derek Cianfrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-cianfrance/) > [I remember doing a little student film where we had a guy that couldn't pull focus. We ended up spending three times the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-amell/i-remember-doing-a-little-student-film-where-we-had-a-guy-that-couldn/) [Stephen Amell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-amell/) > [Tisch has a great film program and a great acting program, but they are segregated; you don't really intertwine. My peers knew I liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-gray-gubler/tisch-has-a-great-film-program-and-a-great-acting-program-but-they/) [Matthew Gray Gubler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-gray-gubler/) > [When '36 Chowringhee Lane' was released in 1981, I was a student of the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu. Everyone who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-menon/when-36-chowringhee-lane-was-released-in-1981-i-was-a-student-of-the/) [Rajiv Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-menon/) > [My first student film was Orientation, which was basically the set-up for Animal House. There are a couple of scenes that we later borrowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/my-first-student-film-was-orientation-which-was-basically-the-set-up/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [We would do improvisation together. And that in a way, had almost a "student-film side" where we'd be sitting there with Robert Downey and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/we-would-do-improvisation-together-and-that-in-a-way-had-almost-a/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [Naseer Sir taught me while I was a student at the Film and Television Institute of India. Anything I know about acting is thanks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasika-dugal/naseer-sir-taught-me-while-i-was-a-student-at-the-film-and-television/) [Rasika Dugal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasika-dugal/) ## More by James Wan > [I come from a very straight and adjusted suburban background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-come-from-a-very-straight-and-adjusted-suburban-background/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I realized that my camera work could help me in a lot of ways to put the audience in the driver's seat, so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-realized-that-my-camera-work-could-help-me-in-a-lot-of-ways-to-put/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I've always said that with a lot of the horror franchises that I've started, it's like directing a pilot. I come in, I direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-ve-always-said-that-with-a-lot-of-the-horror-franchises-that-i-ve/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > ['Fast and Furious' is the only franchise that I've directed that I did not create from scratch. So it definitely was an eye-opening experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/fast-and-furious-is-the-only-franchise-that-i-ve-directed-that-i-did/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I grew up loving X-Men, Spider-Man and Batman. Those are obviously the key big ones, but there's always something kind of cool about Aquaman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-grew-up-loving-x-men-spider-man-and-batman-those-are-obviously-the/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I guess, deep down, there's a dark side to us. I guess that's why movie fans really love the revenge drama. We like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-guess-deep-down-there-s-a-dark-side-to-us-i-guess-that-s-why-movie/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [You can never have too much good blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/you-can-never-have-too-much-good-blessing/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [Whether it's a popcorn movie or some really intellectual sociopolitical movie, I think to some degree they're all influenced by the social climate that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/whether-it-s-a-popcorn-movie-or-some-really-intellectual/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I don't like talking about sequels or spinoffs or franchise until they actually happen, until they actually work with the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-don-t-like-talking-about-sequels-or-spinoffs-or-franchise-until/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [We live in a world that relies on technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/we-live-in-a-world-that-relies-on-technology/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I always felt that what is scary is actually hearing someone tell you what they think they see. That sense of invisibility makes things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-always-felt-that-what-is-scary-is-actually-hearing-someone-tell-you/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I grew up loving X-Men, Spider-Man and Batman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-grew-up-loving-x-men-spider-man-and-batman/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [I think I'm a very sentimental person. Conscious or not, that's what draws me to the kind of films I want to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-think-i-m-a-very-sentimental-person-conscious-or-not-that-s-what/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > ['Death Sentence' really is a throwback to the '70s style revenge drama with moments of action. It's like a contemporary 'Death Wish' with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/death-sentence-really-is-a-throwback-to-the-70s-style-revenge-drama/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [When you work with an actor and then you discover new things that are better, I think you gotta be free to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/when-you-work-with-an-actor-and-then-you-discover-new-things-that-are/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) [Explore all 94 James Wan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) ## More Becomes quotes > [Hollywood is very much an industry town. Your life becomes caught up in all of the parties and this list and that list. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/hollywood-is-very-much-an-industry-town-your-life-becomes-caught-up/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) > [If you have more downforce, everything becomes much easier. Drivers drive better, engineers they have more room for setup, the tyres are working better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kubica/if-you-have-more-downforce-everything-becomes-much-easier-drivers/) [Robert Kubica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kubica/) > [I think being on a TV show is amazing but also, people get kind of used to seeing you a certain way and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/i-think-being-on-a-tv-show-is-amazing-but-also-people-get-kind-of/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [For someone who works in theatre, the rehearsal is where you discover everything. It is where magic happens, where the script enters you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-fazal/for-someone-who-works-in-theatre-the-rehearsal-is-where-you-discover/) [Ali Fazal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-fazal/) > [We spend millions of dollars to remove pain from our lives. It's why so many people get hooked on painkillers. The body becomes addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-spend-millions-of-dollars-to-remove-pain-from-our-lives-it-s-why/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [As artists, we can't help but infuse our art with our own experience, so your experience becomes informative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/as-artists-we-can-t-help-but-infuse-our-art-with-our-own-experience/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [As politics is disconnected from its ethical and material moorings, it becomes easier to punish and imprison young people than to educate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/as-politics-is-disconnected-from-its-ethical-and-material-moorings-it/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It becomes dangerous for somebody who doesn't want their boss to know their sexual preference to use online networks to push for laws supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/it-becomes-dangerous-for-somebody-who-doesn-t-want-their-boss-to-know/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [When you try to become a good cook, in the beginning, most likely the dish is not going to be good. But you keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jannik-sinner/when-you-try-to-become-a-good-cook-in-the-beginning-most-likely-the/) [Jannik Sinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jannik-sinner/) > [It's interesting how sleepwalking in a certain way becomes an accumulation of your outside stimuli that's actually there and what's happening in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/it-s-interesting-how-sleepwalking-in-a-certain-way-becomes-an/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [What actor do you really take seriously who becomes a singer? It's kind of ridiculous. I can't think of anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/what-actor-do-you-really-take-seriously-who-becomes-a-singer-it-s/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [You don't really write a hit song - you write a great song, and then, if the public decides it's a hit, they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-bettencourt/you-don-t-really-write-a-hit-song-you-write-a-great-song-and-then-if/) [Nuno Bettencourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-bettencourt/) > [When an accident or a crime happens, there's a period of time before the yellow tape goes up, before the official response becomes formalized.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gilroy/when-an-accident-or-a-crime-happens-there-s-a-period-of-time-before/) [Dan Gilroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gilroy/) > [Our society is so obsessed with working out to be skinny, and none of that has a purpose. I love that my daughter sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-price/our-society-is-so-obsessed-with-working-out-to-be-skinny-and-none-of/) [Megyn Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-price/) > [It's easier for me to act in Spanish, but as soon as I get the lines in English and I know them by heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-la-reguera/it-s-easier-for-me-to-act-in-spanish-but-as-soon-as-i-get-the-lines/) [Ana de la Reguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-la-reguera/) Browse all 1,096 Becomes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'Saw' really was like a student film for me; we expected it to go straight to video. 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