--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I write a film, all I think about is…" description: "\"When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.\" — Jason Reitman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png" --- # When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing… ![“When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.” quote by Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png) > “When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.” [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes narrative focus: the writer prioritizes the story’s destination and the audience’s journey to it, rather than peripheral details. **In simple terms:** Story destination drives structure. Key Takeaway Plot endpoint guides every creative decision. Themes Narrative structure Audience engagement Storytelling focus Goal-oriented writing Mood Focused Purposeful Strategic Type Advice Observation When to use this quote - Screenwriting workshops - Film pitch meetings - Directorial planning - Storyboarding sessions Key Concepts Plot development Pacing Viewer experience Practical Applications - Crafting compelling film outlines - Designing audience‑centric story arcs Questions to Reflect On - What techniques ensure the audience feels the intended destination? - How does focusing on the endpoint affect character depth? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Ends Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends-audience-1013814/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-think/) [Thing Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-ends-500565/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Write Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-film/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [ The first thing I say when people ask what's the difference \[between doing TV and film\], is that film has an ending and TV… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/the-first-thing-i-say-when-people-ask-what-s-the-difference-between/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [A story is not the same thing when it ends as it was when it began.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/a-story-is-not-the-same-thing-when-it-ends-as-it-was-when-it-began/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [The whole point of the game is not to stick with one thing, because when that one thing ends, then what are you going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/the-whole-point-of-the-game-is-not-to-stick-with-one-thing-because/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [It is great To do that thing that ends all other deeds, Which shackles accidents and bolts up change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-great-to-do-that-thing-that-ends-all-other-deeds-which-shackles/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A good thing never ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/a-good-thing-never-ends/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [After finals and winter break...after I'm back to full strength, we'll go get Preston. Whether Mom and Abby and Joe and Townsend like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/after-finals-and-winter-break-after-i-m-back-to-full-strength-we-ll/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [When one thing ends, another thing begins. Sometimes ending hurts, but a new beginning is worth the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-thing-ends-another-thing-begins-sometimes-ending-hurts-but-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you ask me, any religion that takes the end of the world as one of its central tenets is more or less bogus.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huraki-murakami/if-you-ask-me-any-religion-that-takes-the-end-of-the-world-as-one-of/) [Huraki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huraki-murakami/) > [When one thing ends, you put it away and start from scratch on the next thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/when-one-thing-ends-you-put-it-away-and-start-from-scratch-on-the/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I grew up with Forrest J. Ackerman's 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' along with a plethora of movie tomes and wanted to write about film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-knowles/i-grew-up-with-forrest-j-ackerman-s-famous-monsters-of-filmland-along/) [Harry Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-knowles/) > [I'm keeping my day job, because Poptropica is something that really energizes me. I'd love to create a TV series or write a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/i-m-keeping-my-day-job-because-poptropica-is-something-that-really/) [Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/) > [I want to write a film. I need to think of the right idea and focus on that; I love writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-want-to-write-a-film-i-need-to-think-of-the-right-idea-and-focus-on/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I actually write film music because I'm classically trained on the piano so as well as songwriting I also write actual film music that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-brown/i-actually-write-film-music-because-i-m-classically-trained-on-the/) [Vanessa Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-brown/) > [I want people to know about all the kinds of music that I write. Some believe I just write film scores, which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ennio-morricone/i-want-people-to-know-about-all-the-kinds-of-music-that-i-write-some/) [Ennio Morricone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ennio-morricone/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) ## More by Jason Reitman > [I think it's a mistake for young filmmakers to just buy digital equipment and shoot a feature. Make short films first, make your mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-for-young-filmmakers-to-just-buy-digital/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > ['Election' is a movie I'd give a leg to cross the director's name out and put mine in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/election-is-a-movie-i-d-give-a-leg-to-cross-the-director-s-name-out/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [It’s funny, I can sit through the worst horror film ever made! But even a quite good romantic comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/it-s-funny-i-can-sit-through-the-worst-horror-film-ever-made-but-even/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Things like Facebook have made you feel as though you're connected to everybody. You've got a thousand friends on Facebook, but you don't actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/things-like-facebook-have-made-you-feel-as-though-you-re-connected-to/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [It's funny, I can sit through the worst horror film ever made but even a quite good romantic comedy can drive me nuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/it-s-funny-i-can-sit-through-the-worst-horror-film-ever-made-but-even-2/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I laugh a lot in horror films. If I'm scared in a horror film, I try to think about what's scaring me... particularly, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-laugh-a-lot-in-horror-films-if-i-m-scared-in-a-horror-film-i-try-to/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I used to have a group called Bad-Movie Saturday. Every Saturday, six of us would go see the worst movie that came out each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-used-to-have-a-group-called-bad-movie-saturday-every-saturday-six/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [ “\[With comedy and wanting to make people laugh,\] when you're a child, all you want is ANY kind of laugh. You get them to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/with-comedy-and-wanting-to-make-people-laugh-when-you-re-a-child-all/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [From the onset of the 'Live-Read' series, we wanted to hit all the major writers and Woody Allen is simply one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/from-the-onset-of-the-live-read-series-we-wanted-to-hit-all-the-major/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [There certainly is no secret in that there are plenty of people who don't like plenty of my movies. Each one of my films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/there-certainly-is-no-secret-in-that-there-are-plenty-of-people-who/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Creating a wonderful drama is an art form, while comedy is just entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/creating-a-wonderful-drama-is-an-art-form-while-comedy-is-just/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Most people see a documentary about the meat industry and then they become a vegetarian for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/most-people-see-a-documentary-about-the-meat-industry-and-then-they/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Discover how little you know about the people you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/discover-how-little-you-know-about-the-people-you-know/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I'm a kind of private guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-m-a-kind-of-private-guy/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [Comedy and horror are cousins; they're related. They both come from storytellers who want to specifically affect the audience and elicit specific reactions during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/comedy-and-horror-are-cousins-they-re-related-they-both-come-from/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) [Explore all 98 Jason Reitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) ## 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": "When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jason Reitman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is-where-the-thing-ends-and-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is-where-the-thing-ends-and-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11b/jason-reitman-6741_audience_when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is_79009.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there.” — Jason Reitman", "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": "Jason Reitman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I write a film, all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is-where-the-thing-ends-and-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/when-i-write-a-film-all-i-think-about-is-where-the-thing-ends-and-how/#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 } } ] } ```