--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Three-quarters of directors waste four…" description: "\"Three-quarters of directors waste four hours on a shot that requires five minutes of actual directing. I prefer to have five minutes' work for the crew..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/jean-luc-godard-2128_four_three-quarters-of-directors-waste-four-h_1070996.jpg" --- # Three-quarters of directors waste four hours on a shot… ![“Three-quarters of directors waste four hours on a shot that requires five minutes of actual directing. I prefer to have five minutes' work for the crew - and keep the three hours to myself for thought.” quote by Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/jean-luc-godard-2128_four_three-quarters-of-directors-waste-four-h_1070996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/jean-luc-godard-2128_four_three-quarters-of-directors-waste-four-h_1070996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/jean-luc-godard-2128_four_three-quarters-of-directors-waste-four-h_1070996.jpg) > “Three-quarters of directors waste four hours on a shot that requires five minutes of actual directing. I prefer to have five minutes' work for the crew - and keep the three hours to myself for thought.” [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Godard argues that most directors waste time on a single shot, while he values brief, focused work and personal contemplation. **In simple terms:** Directors often over‑spend time on one scene; brief work frees mental space. Key Takeaway Prioritize efficiency and allocate time for reflection. Themes creativity efficiency reflection Mood analytical motivational Type advice creative When to use this quote - directing - creative process - personal development Key Concepts film production time management Questions to Reflect On - How can you streamline your creative process? - When is it worth extending a task for quality? A Different Perspective Complex shots may require more time; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Directing is exhausting, but not for the actual directing part, when you say "Action!" and give creative notes. 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I was a bit bored, so I started shadowing directors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tate-donovan/i-was-on-the-o-c-and-had-a-small-part-which-wasn-t-very-challenging-i/) [Tate Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tate-donovan/) > [I made adult films for over 12 years. Apart from the directing aspect, I did all of it - the filming, the editing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-yella/i-made-adult-films-for-over-12-years-apart-from-the-directing-aspect/) [DJ Yella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-yella/) > [My M.F.A was in directing, and all the films I've made, for film school and after, I've written, directed and shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/my-m-f-a-was-in-directing-and-all-the-films-i-ve-made-for-film-school/) [Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/) > [I'm addicted to directing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-shankman/i-m-addicted-to-directing/) [Adam Shankman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-shankman/) > [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [For me the dream is the freedom to make all the crazy ideas I have in my head into movies. I truly love directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/for-me-the-dream-is-the-freedom-to-make-all-the-crazy-ideas-i-have-in/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. 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Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) ## More by Jean-Luc Godard > [Art is not a reflection of reality, it is the reality of a reflection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/art-is-not-a-reflection-of-reality-it-is-the-reality-of-a-reflection/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I think I'm innocently representing a certain belief in motion pictures, and, well OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-think-i-m-innocently-representing-a-certain-belief-in-motion/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [Film is truth 24 times a second, and every cut is a lie,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/film-is-truth-24-times-a-second-and-every-cut-is-a-lie/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [Why all these signs around us that make me doubt language and submerge me in meanings, drowning reality instead of extracting it from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/why-all-these-signs-around-us-that-make-me-doubt-language-and/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [There is no such thing as intellectual property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/there-is-no-such-thing-as-intellectual-property/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [“Communism existed once, during two 45 minute half-times, when Honved, from Budapest, won over England by 6-3. The English played individually, and the Hungarians, collectively.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/communism-existed-once-during-two-45-minute-half-times-when-honved/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [Language is the house that man lives in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/language-is-the-house-that-man-lives-in/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I don't think you should feel about a film. You should feel about a woman, not a movie. You can't kiss a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-don-t-think-you-should-feel-about-a-film-you-should-feel-about-a/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/all-you-need-for-a-movie-is-a-gun-and-a-girl/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I'm satisfied to have an ordinary success and an ordinary life and an ordinary income. Later, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-m-satisfied-to-have-an-ordinary-success-and-an-ordinary-life-and-an/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [We are all older and more tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/we-are-all-older-and-more-tired/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I've always said that to make movies, to make images and sound, is possible by one way or another. And it has not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-ve-always-said-that-to-make-movies-to-make-images-and-sound-is/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [What is your greatest ambition in life?' 'To become immortal... and then die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/what-is-your-greatest-ambition-in-life-to-become-immortal-and-then-die/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [“All you need for a movie is a gun and a cat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/all-you-need-for-a-movie-is-a-gun-and-a-cat/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [There is a problem in pretending I can still control my destiny in the commercial market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/there-is-a-problem-in-pretending-i-can-still-control-my-destiny-in/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) [Explore all 183 Jean-Luc Godard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) ## More Directing quotes > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-see-my-movies-on-the-editing-table-i-do-think-i-could-have/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [For me the dream is the freedom to make all the crazy ideas I have in my head into movies. I truly love directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/for-me-the-dream-is-the-freedom-to-make-all-the-crazy-ideas-i-have-in/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I'm addicted to directing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-shankman/i-m-addicted-to-directing/) [Adam Shankman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-shankman/) > [Making a movie and not directing the little moments is like drinking a soda and leaving the little slurp puddle for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/making-a-movie-and-not-directing-the-little-moments-is-like-drinking/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Directing films is easier said than done. The job needs a lot of sensibility to put many things in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/directing-films-is-easier-said-than-done-the-job-needs-a-lot-of/) [Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/) > [I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/i-starred-in-a-broadway-play-that-was-sidney-poitier-s-first/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [I don't get nervous when I'm directing a play. It's not like acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-get-nervous-when-i-m-directing-a-play-it-s-not-like-acting/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [The hardest part about directing is getting everyone on the same page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-marshall/the-hardest-part-about-directing-is-getting-everyone-on-the-same-page/) [Rob Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-marshall/) Browse all 1,163 Directing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Three-quarters of directors waste four hours on a shot that requires five minutes of actual directing. 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