--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Big Fish was the first movie that we…" description: "\"Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together, and I had already written it. We had another director, but that director didn't do it. So, it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg" --- # Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together… ![“Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together, and I had already written it. We had another director, but that director didn't do it. So, it was just a Hail Mary to Tim, and Tim said that he wanted to do it and I was like, "That's fantastic!" But, there wasn't a lot of collaboration…” quote by John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg) > “Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together, and I had already written it. We had another director, but that director didn't do it. So, it was just a Hail Mary to Tim, and Tim said that he wanted to do it and I was like, "That's fantastic!" But, there wasn't a lot of collaboration because he knew what he wanted to do and just did it. There were very minor changes for Big Fish.” [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative control can be limited when a director has a fixed vision, reducing collaboration. **In simple terms:** Strong director vision limits teamwork. Key Takeaway Balance vision with collaborative input. Themes creativity collaboration leadership vision Mood thoughtful professional Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - film directing - screenwriting - team meetings - creative workshops - project management Key Concepts authorial control film production creative compromise Questions to Reflect On - How can you encourage collaboration without diluting vision? - What strategies foster shared ownership? A Different Perspective Too much control may stifle diverse ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) [Collaboration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaboration/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Hail mary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hail-mary/) ## Related quotes > [What happens often is the script is written and once the director comes on board you have lots of conversations and it mutates again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/what-happens-often-is-the-script-is-written-and-once-the-director/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [For two years I was a member of a repertory company in Los Angeles, doing mostly original material, plays written by the director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-norton/for-two-years-i-was-a-member-of-a-repertory-company-in-los-angeles/) [Judy Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-norton/) > [As roles go, very rarely do you get a role written for you or a director who wants you and only you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/as-roles-go-very-rarely-do-you-get-a-role-written-for-you-or-a/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [Like Frankenweenie is a story about a boy and his dog, Big Fish is the story of a father and his son, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/like-frankenweenie-is-a-story-about-a-boy-and-his-dog-big-fish-is-the/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [Now, it's common knowledge that most towns of a certain size have a witch, if only to eat misbehaving children and the occasional puppy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/now-it-s-common-knowledge-that-most-towns-of-a-certain-size-have-a/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [The producers and I first talked about the Big Fish musical, right before we did the first test screening of the movie. I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/the-producers-and-i-first-talked-about-the-big-fish-musical-right/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I've always written towards movies that take place across two worlds. Most of the movies that I've worked on take place in two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-ve-always-written-towards-movies-that-take-place-across-two-worlds/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [The first movie I worked was called 'The Spirit of St. Louis.' It was the story of Charles Lindberg's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-needham/the-first-movie-i-worked-was-called-the-spirit-of-st-louis-it-was-the/) [Hal Needham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-needham/) > [My first film was a movie shot in 1974. I was 18 on that movie set. It was called 'Big Bad Mama.' I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-paxton/my-first-film-was-a-movie-shot-in-1974-i-was-18-on-that-movie-set-it/) [Bill Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-paxton/) > [ It was nerve-wracking \[to unleash 'Life of Pi' to the world\]. The first show to the journalists, that was the first one, so I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/it-was-nerve-wracking-to-unleash-life-of-pi-to-the-world-the-first/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [There is only one act of violence in 'The Strangers' and it comes at the very, very end... the movie could have worked just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-flanagan/there-is-only-one-act-of-violence-in-the-strangers-and-it-comes-at/) [Mike Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-flanagan/) > [I think one of the mistakes that people historically have made in Hollywood, and there are countless examples of this, is making the assumption…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hutch-parker/i-think-one-of-the-mistakes-that-people-historically-have-made-in/) [Hutch Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hutch-parker/) > [“He was an underdog. That’s why the movie worked. It’s hard to feel sorry for Stallone or Schwarzenegger, which is why they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-abrams/he-was-an-underdog-that-s-why-the-movie-worked-it-s-hard-to-feel/) [Brian Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-abrams/) > [Everybody was cratered after Copenhagen. If the movie had worked the way that it should have, if it had been scripted by Holywood, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/everybody-was-cratered-after-copenhagen-if-the-movie-had-worked-the/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [I think my favorite role was playing Sarah Baker in 'Cheaper by the Dozen 1.' It was my first movie, and I worked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-stoner/i-think-my-favorite-role-was-playing-sarah-baker-in-cheaper-by-the/) [Alyson Stoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-stoner/) ## More by John August > [Most times a person grows up gradually, but I found myself in a hurry... Hoping to find an answer, I uncovered an article about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/most-times-a-person-grows-up-gradually-but-i-found-myself-in-a-hurry/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I knew that Weird Girl was going to be kind of amazing. The secret truth of Weird Girl is that I put her in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-knew-that-weird-girl-was-going-to-be-kind-of-amazing-the-secret/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [Every once in awhile, Allison Abbate would drop a note and say, "It's going really well!," and I was like, "Great!" So, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/every-once-in-awhile-allison-abbate-would-drop-a-note-and-say-it-s/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [You know something has really stuck in Tim's head when he's drawn what the character looks like. Weird Girl and Elsa actually switched places,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/you-know-something-has-really-stuck-in-tim-s-head-when-he-s-drawn/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [ Preacher is a great frustration because I thought it was done, and then it got put in the press notes for the \[Frankenweenie\] junket… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/preacher-is-a-great-frustration-because-i-thought-it-was-done-and/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [For Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he came to me and said, "I want to do everything that's in the book, and as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/for-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-he-came-to-me-and-said-i-want/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I often say that a lot of my job, as a screenwriter, is sort of being a stock picker, in that I need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-often-say-that-a-lot-of-my-job-as-a-screenwriter-is-sort-of-being-a/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I counted it up once. I think I have written 45 full screenplays. Of those, maybe 15 have been shot, in some form. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-counted-it-up-once-i-think-i-have-written-45-full-screenplays-of/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I convinced Tim to add one song, and then we added five. We changed a lot of things while we were shooting, which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-convinced-tim-to-add-one-song-and-then-we-added-five-we-changed-a/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [Now, it's common knowledge that most towns of a certain size have a witch, if only to eat misbehaving children and the occasional puppy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/now-it-s-common-knowledge-that-most-towns-of-a-certain-size-have-a/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [Frankenweenie is also about mortality, but at a very different stage. It's losing a parent versus losing a dog. I don't run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/frankenweenie-is-also-about-mortality-but-at-a-very-different-stage/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [ Josh \[Friedman\] and I have been friends for years, and he said, "Hey, if you ever want to do a TV show, I can… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/josh-friedman-and-i-have-been-friends-for-years-and-he-said-hey-if/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I knew that this was the movie in which a lot of the cinema version of Burton-esque first started. So, I knew that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-knew-that-this-was-the-movie-in-which-a-lot-of-the-cinema-version/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [With Corpse Bride, I saw a lot more of it during the process because we were changing things a lot. When I came onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/with-corpse-bride-i-saw-a-lot-more-of-it-during-the-process-because/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) > [I've always written towards movies that take place across two worlds. Most of the movies that I've worked on take place in two worlds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/i-ve-always-written-towards-movies-that-take-place-across-two-worlds/) [John August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) [Explore all 24 John August quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/) ## More Big fish quotes > [I am a storyteller, and I grew up with a father who told big-fish stories, so storytelling is very much a part of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stroman/i-am-a-storyteller-and-i-grew-up-with-a-father-who-told-big-fish/) [Susan Stroman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stroman/) > [They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wallace/they-say-when-you-meet-the-love-of-your-life-time-stops-and-that-s/) [Daniel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wallace/) > [“Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time, we were young Our dreams hung like apples Waiting to be picked and peeled And hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-l-koyczan/remember-how-we-forgot-once-upon-a-time-we-were-young-our-dreams-hung/) Shane L. Koyczan > [I'm a big fish eater. Salmon - I love salmon. My sister loves Chinese food and sushi and all that. I'm not as big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/i-m-a-big-fish-eater-salmon-i-love-salmon-my-sister-loves-chinese/) [Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/) > [Big fish eat small fish with as much right as they have power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/big-fish-eat-small-fish-with-as-much-right-as-they-have-power/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I'm never sure one is exactly ready. You jump in, with both feet, into a very big fish pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/i-m-never-sure-one-is-exactly-ready-you-jump-in-with-both-feet-into-a/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [Captains who fish for compliments are limited to shallow shores. You'll catch big fish in deep waters by opening more doors than you close!~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-compton/captains-who-fish-for-compliments-are-limited-to-shallow-shores-you/) [Bobby Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-compton/) > [“At the Fishhouses Although it is a cold evening, down by one of the fishhouses an old man sits netting, his net, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/at-the-fishhouses-although-it-is-a-cold-evening-down-by-one-of-the/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [The storms come and go, the waves crash overhead, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling. (Varys)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-storms-come-and-go-the-waves-crash-overhead-the-big-fish-eat-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Big fishes need big baits..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/big-fishes-need-big-baits/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Lesson number one: “Not my problem” is not a philosophy. It’s a mental illness. Right up there with pessimism. Other people’s problems are our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/lesson-number-one-not-my-problem-is-not-a-philosophy-it-s-a-mental/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [I flung open the door. I got a momentary flash of about a hundred and fifteen cats of all sizes and colours scrapping in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-flung-open-the-door-i-got-a-momentary-flash-of-about-a-hundred-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a huge 'Nightmare before Christmas' fan, but that was also Henry Selick. I'm a really big fan of 'Sleepy Hollow.' I love 'Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-leth/i-m-a-huge-nightmare-before-christmas-fan-but-that-was-also-henry/) [Kate Leth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-leth/) > [Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let's be honest. A man who catches a big fish doesn't go home through an alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/bragging-is-not-an-attractive-trait-but-let-s-be-honest-a-man-who/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [The finest gift you can give to any fisherman is to put a good fish back, and who knows if the fish that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wulff/the-finest-gift-you-can-give-to-any-fisherman-is-to-put-a-good-fish/) [Lee Wulff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wulff/) [Browse all 89 Big fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together, and I had already written it. We had another director, but that director didn't do it. So, it was just a Hail Mary to Tim, and Tim said that he wanted to do it and I was like, \"That's fantastic!\" But, there wasn't a lot of collaboration because he knew what he wanted to do and just did it. There were very minor changes for Big Fish.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John August" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-worked-on-together-and-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big fish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-worked-on-together-and-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/john-august-24608_big-fish_big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-wor_2345065.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Big Fish was the first movie that we worked on together, and I had already written it. We had another…” — John August", "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": "John August", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-august/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Big Fish was the first movie...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-worked-on-together-and-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-august/big-fish-was-the-first-movie-that-we-worked-on-together-and-i-had/#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 } } ] } ```