---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is…"
description: "\"The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good editor.\" — Jay Chandrasekhar"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg"
---

#  The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good…

![“The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good editor.” quote by Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg)

> “The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good editor.”

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Argues that mastering editing is essential for filmmakers, as it shapes narrative and pacing.

**In simple terms:** Editing is key to good filmmaking.

Key Takeaway

Learn editing fundamentals.

Themes

filmmaking editing storytelling

Mood

analytical inspirational

Type

educational creative

When to use this quote

- Film school
- indie projects
- post‑production

Key Concepts

Narrative structure visual rhythm

Questions to Reflect On

- How does editing influence a film’s emotional impact?
- What skills bridge directing and editing?

A Different Perspective

Editing alone can't fix weak scripts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editor/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Filmmaker Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker-good-1271943/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-editor-777335/) [Smartest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smartest/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thing Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-filmmaker-2921161/)

## Related quotes

> [The worst thing for me as a filmmaker is to watch on the iPhone but you can't stop it. I think you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baran-bo-odar/the-worst-thing-for-me-as-a-filmmaker-is-to-watch-on-the-iphone-but/)

[Baran bo Odar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baran-bo-odar/)

> [The main thing is that you have a good editor - one that believes in you and who will give you the feedback that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-darden/the-main-thing-is-that-you-have-a-good-editor-one-that-believes-in/)

[Christopher Darden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-darden/)

> [An editor who is a mentor, advisor, and psychiatrist. Don't kid yourself-a good editor will make your book better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/an-editor-who-is-a-mentor-advisor-and-psychiatrist-don-t-kid-yourself/)

[Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/)

> [I've rewritten a lot of the scripts I've done. 'Little Shop Of Horrors' was a complete rewrite, but I didn't touch the dialogue. Essentially,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-oz/i-ve-rewritten-a-lot-of-the-scripts-i-ve-done-little-shop-of-horrors/)

[Frank Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-oz/)

> [“A good editor is like tinsel to a Christmas Tree...they add the perfect amount of sparkle without being gaudy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobbi-romans/a-good-editor-is-like-tinsel-to-a-christmas-tree-they-add-the-perfect/)

[Bobbi Romans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobbi-romans/)

> [To be a good editor or a good writer, I think you really need to be a great reader first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/to-be-a-good-editor-or-a-good-writer-i-think-you-really-need-to-be-a/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [“A good editor doesn't rewrite words, she rewires synapses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/a-good-editor-doesn-t-rewrite-words-she-rewires-synapses/)

[S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/)

> [I tend to overwrite; I need a good editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolf-blitzer/i-tend-to-overwrite-i-need-a-good-editor/)

[Wolf Blitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolf-blitzer/)

> [A good editor is one of the sharpest tools a writer can have in her toolbox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/a-good-editor-is-one-of-the-sharpest-tools-a-writer-can-have-in-her/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“A good editor can make a respectable writer remarkable, just like a good parent helps a child become amazing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-alcala/a-good-editor-can-make-a-respectable-writer-remarkable-just-like-a/)

[Justin Alcala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-alcala/)

> [Truth is, every writer has to be a good editor, and you have to edit yourself. It's a skill every writer has to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-scottoline/truth-is-every-writer-has-to-be-a-good-editor-and-you-have-to-edit/)

[Lisa Scottoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-scottoline/)

> [A good editor understands what you're talking and writing about and doesn't meddle too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/a-good-editor-understands-what-you-re-talking-and-writing-about-and/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [“All of us who write need a good editor. - Sharon Langevin Crawford”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-langevin-crawford/all-of-us-who-write-need-a-good-editor-sharon-langevin-crawford/)

[Sharon Langevin Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-langevin-crawford/)

> [“It's very difficult to train a good editor," the author said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-edward-simone/it-s-very-difficult-to-train-a-good-editor-the-author-said/)

[Val Edward Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-edward-simone/)

> [With a good editor you find yourself shaping as you talk and they will ask a couple of questions that open new things. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rosenbaum/with-a-good-editor-you-find-yourself-shaping-as-you-talk-and-they/)

[Ron Rosenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rosenbaum/)

## More by Jay Chandrasekhar

> [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [My father and mother were both doctors, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/my-father-and-mother-were-both-doctors-yes/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> ['Super Troopers' did well but not crazy-well theatrically. But it did so well after that it - in ancillary markets - that it became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/super-troopers-did-well-but-not-crazy-well-theatrically-but-it-did-so/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [The thing about people from Chicago and the Northwest suburbs is that they're very cocky. I think that serves us well in the show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-thing-about-people-from-chicago-and-the-northwest-suburbs-is-that/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Colgate is the epitome of having it both ways. Academically, it ranks in the top twenty schools in the country, but it is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/colgate-is-the-epitome-of-having-it-both-ways-academically-it-ranks/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Ultimately, in regular television, you've got seven or eight executives and maybe 50 people in the room with dials who are deciding whether a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/ultimately-in-regular-television-you-ve-got-seven-or-eight-executives/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [To me, I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and my identity is of a suburban Chicago person. It's not like, 'Oh, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/to-me-i-grew-up-in-the-suburbs-of-chicago-and-my-identity-is-of-a/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [In 2010, The Princeton Review ranked Colgate the most beautiful campus in America - I agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/in-2010-the-princeton-review-ranked-colgate-the-most-beautiful-campus/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [A lot of filmmaking is just sort of slowed down by lawyers who feel they're more important than the filmmakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/a-lot-of-filmmaking-is-just-sort-of-slowed-down-by-lawyers-who-feel/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Occasionally, we would shoot something and think, 'This is it; we are over the line.' But the test audiences didn't have a problem with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/occasionally-we-would-shoot-something-and-think-this-is-it-we-are/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Often, when you're in some of these writing rooms for... and the most restrictive is network television, right? They say, 'Wow, that's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/often-when-you-re-in-some-of-these-writing-rooms-for-and-the-most/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Filmmaking, at the end of the day, is really - in addition to the story and all of the equipment and the actors, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/filmmaking-at-the-end-of-the-day-is-really-in-addition-to-the-story/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [The thing about our movies is, we write thirty drafts. That's a very detailed script. Which means that if you try to crank it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-thing-about-our-movies-is-we-write-thirty-drafts-that-s-a-very/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [We shot 'Super Troopers' on the side of the road in the summer in Poughkeepsie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/we-shot-super-troopers-on-the-side-of-the-road-in-the-summer-in/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

> [Many films you see in theaters are financed through outside sources. With big films, the studio will pay, hoping to reap the reward of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/many-films-you-see-in-theaters-are-financed-through-outside-sources/)

[Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

[Explore all 102 Jay Chandrasekhar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/)

## More Become quotes

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/)

[Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/)

> [A strong, responsible Israel can become a stabilizer in such a turbulent region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/a-strong-responsible-israel-can-become-a-stabilizer-in-such-a/)

[Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/)

> [If someone has the opportunity to become a model, I would say, 'Do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/if-someone-has-the-opportunity-to-become-a-model-i-would-say-do-it/)

[Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/)

> [I had a talent for copying the signatures of dignitaries like Indira Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan and so on. So, I wanted to become someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/i-had-a-talent-for-copying-the-signatures-of-dignitaries-like-indira/)

[Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/)

> [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/)

[James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/)

> [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/)

[Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

> [My first bill to become law repeals regulations to make everyday life easier and more affordable for Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/my-first-bill-to-become-law-repeals-regulations-to-make-everyday-life/)

[Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/)

> [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/)

[Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/)

> [Canada has become such a staging area for Chinese money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/canada-has-become-such-a-staging-area-for-chinese-money/)

[Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/)

> [Sometimes when you're in different countries, everything has become so homogenised and there's a Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere, and you could feel like you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-yun-lee/sometimes-when-you-re-in-different-countries-everything-has-become-so/)

[Will Yun Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-yun-lee/)

[Browse all 4,184 Become quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good editor.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jay Chandrasekhar"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is-to-become-a-good-editor/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Become"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is-to-become-a-good-editor/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/jay-chandrasekhar-5190_become_the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is_385028.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The smartest thing a filmmaker can do is to become a good editor.” — Jay Chandrasekhar",
                "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": "Jay Chandrasekhar",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The smartest thing a filmmaker can...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is-to-become-a-good-editor/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-smartest-thing-a-filmmaker-can-do-is-to-become-a-good-editor/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```