--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a director, what I'm trying to do is…" description: "\"As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.\" — Jiang Wen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg" --- # As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create… ![“As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.” quote by Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg) > “As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.” [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director aims to craft narratives that engage and intrigue audiences. **In simple terms:** Create engaging stories. Key Takeaway Focus on compelling storytelling. Themes storytelling creativity engagement Mood inspired curious Type professional instructional When to use this quote - film production - advertising - education - public speaking Key Concepts cinema narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - What makes a story truly interesting? - How can you balance originality with clarity? A Different Perspective Risk of prioritizing novelty over coherence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Interesting stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-stories/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [One of the tasks that any artistic director has is, you're trying to bring elements together that will work. 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It happens on a daily basis, if not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/you-spend-most-of-your-time-as-a-director-trying-to-move-forward-with/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [When you shoot an independent movie you have a very limited amount of time, and you don't want to be that actor, when a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isla-fisher/when-you-shoot-an-independent-movie-you-have-a-very-limited-amount-of/) [Isla Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isla-fisher/) > [The first thing is that we're being attacked by both the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild. Both of these groups are trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frankenheimer/the-first-thing-is-that-we-re-being-attacked-by-both-the-writers/) [John Frankenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frankenheimer/) > [The shift for me, after spending a long time trying to take existing projects and bring them to fruition as a director for hire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-sapochnik/the-shift-for-me-after-spending-a-long-time-trying-to-take-existing/) [Miguel Sapochnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-sapochnik/) > [A very quick way to annoy me as an actor is a director trying to tell me what my character's thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-gladstone/a-very-quick-way-to-annoy-me-as-an-actor-is-a-director-trying-to-tell/) [Lily Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-gladstone/) > [If you're a documenter, you're taking a video of something in the real world you want to capture. If you're a director, you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/if-you-re-a-documenter-you-re-taking-a-video-of-something-in-the-real/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) > [It's always interesting to see a director trying different things, and on top of it, doing it right each and almost every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/it-s-always-interesting-to-see-a-director-trying-different-things-and/) [Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/) > [I was interested in being part of interesting stories. As an actor, you generally don't get to choose what projects you are part of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-rannells/i-was-interested-in-being-part-of-interesting-stories-as-an-actor-you/) [Andrew Rannells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-rannells/) > [I currently live in the Plaza in New York and I love it - all that history, all those interesting stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/i-currently-live-in-the-plaza-in-new-york-and-i-love-it-all-that/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [We must learn from everything that our ears hear and our hearts feel to be able to create something interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-pedana/we-must-learn-from-everything-that-our-ears-hear-and-our-hearts-feel/) Paolo Pedana > [I like novelists who can create other interesting worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-like-novelists-who-can-create-other-interesting-worlds/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I love to create interesting textures with language. You can do it as long as it seems like a discovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morgan/i-love-to-create-interesting-textures-with-language-you-can-do-it-as/) [Robert Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morgan/) > [As a writer, I try to appeal to the 'elusive boy audience' the same way I try to appeal to everyone: I do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/as-a-writer-i-try-to-appeal-to-the-elusive-boy-audience-the-same-way/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) ## More by Jiang Wen > [I've also shot plenty of films with very small audiences - 'The Sun Also Rises.' I love that film, but I didn't capture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-ve-also-shot-plenty-of-films-with-very-small-audiences-the-sun-also/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [Changing people's preconceptions is something you have to do in order to search for truth. Of course normally, that's not done because it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/changing-people-s-preconceptions-is-something-you-have-to-do-in-order/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I personally don't distinguish between artistic and commercial films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-personally-don-t-distinguish-between-artistic-and-commercial-films/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I turned to historical films because they pass censors more easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-turned-to-historical-films-because-they-pass-censors-more-easily/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I'm especially keen to work with good scriptwriters on stories we have developed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-m-especially-keen-to-work-with-good-scriptwriters-on-stories-we/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [From 1911 to 1928, the country was officially called Republic of China, but in reality, it was actually split between different warlords. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/from-1911-to-1928-the-country-was-officially-called-republic-of-china/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I think that as a director, especially when it comes to writing the script, which I also do, and I'm also the first one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-think-that-as-a-director-especially-when-it-comes-to-writing-the/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I never control a film. The film controls me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-never-control-a-film-the-film-controls-me/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [When I meet a good actor, I would like to be a director. When I meet a good director, I would like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/when-i-meet-a-good-actor-i-would-like-to-be-a-director-when-i-meet-a/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [From now on, I will work with other people's material if it fits where I want to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/from-now-on-i-will-work-with-other-people-s-material-if-it-fits-where/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [Painters who do self-portraits are engaging in a form of narcissism. But it doesn't work like that in movies. A truly narcissistic person wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/painters-who-do-self-portraits-are-engaging-in-a-form-of-narcissism/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [I think that as a Chinese person, nobody will forget that in China's history, there was a war against the Japanese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/i-think-that-as-a-chinese-person-nobody-will-forget-that-in-china-s/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [Other people's films are like a cocktail, a little alcohol with water and juice. My films are like pure vodka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/other-people-s-films-are-like-a-cocktail-a-little-alcohol-with-water/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [No matter how lofty a film is, it becomes a product after entering the market. It has a price. I think no matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/no-matter-how-lofty-a-film-is-it-becomes-a-product-after-entering-the/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [It's not easy for a film to tell a story of the experiences of an entire society. However, from an individual's perspective, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/it-s-not-easy-for-a-film-to-tell-a-story-of-the-experiences-of-an/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) [Explore all 26 Jiang Wen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [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/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jiang Wen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-to-create-interesting-stories/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-to-create-interesting-stories/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b01/jiang-wen-23000_cinema_as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-t_609644.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a director, what I'm trying to do is to create interesting stories.” — Jiang Wen", "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": "Jiang Wen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a director, what I'm trying...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-to-create-interesting-stories/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/as-a-director-what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-to-create-interesting-stories/#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 } } ] } ```