Comedic Quote by John Cleese
“Everything in comedy's got to be exactly right, which is why making a comedic film is kind of a difficult process, because, for most of the two years of shooting it and editing it and reshooting and all of that, it's not quite right. And it's only when you just at the end, you put the final polish on it, it becomes really funny again.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing comedy filmmaking, 1990s
Creating a comedic film requires precise timing and multiple revisions; humor emerges after extensive polishing.
In simple terms: Comedy needs exactness and many edits to be funny.
Key Takeaway
Embrace iterative refinement in creative work.
Themes
creativity
film
comedy
process
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
creative
process
When to use this quote
- film production
- writing
- directing
- editing
- post-production
Key Concepts
Timing
editing
polish
iteration
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can you take to balance perfection and momentum?
- How do you know when a project is ready?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can stall progress.
![“The physicality was important to me. Because the film has Shane Black's dialogue, and [Robert] Downey's delivery, and you look at [Jon] Favreau, Don Cheadle and Gwyneth [Paltrow], it is this heightened level with a comedic aspect to it. Everything is grounded in reality, but it plays a little…” quote by James Badge Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/470/james-badge-dale-16755_aspect_the-physicality-was-important-to-me-beca_183929.jpg){kind=icon}