Cinema Quote by John Hyams
“I never really had any intention of getting involved in documentaries until the opportunity came around. I always thought much more in classic fiction cinema terms and I think I tried to apply those ideas to documentaries and not vice versa.”
About This Quote
The speaker describes a shift from a fictional film mindset to documentary work, noting that the opportunity, not initial intent, led to involvement, and they attempted to bring narrative techniques into nonfiction.
In simple terms: Transition from fiction to documentary perspective
Key Takeaway
Applying narrative storytelling to nonfiction
Themes
creative process
genre crossover
artistic adaptation
film theory
personal growth
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
personal anecdote
industry insight
When to use this quote
- directing a documentary after a fiction career
- adapting storytelling techniques across media
- learning on the job in filmmaking
- exploring new formats when opportunity arises
Key Concepts
narrative structure
documentary ethics
cinematic language
genre blending
Practical Applications
- film education curricula
- workshop on narrative documentary techniques
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a fictional narrative background influence documentary storytelling?
- What challenges arise when merging cinematic storytelling with factual content?
![“[W]hen you're shooting a doc, you're trying to class it up because you can. You know, you're trying to make this feel like cinematic experience. And when you're doing fiction you're trying to do the opposite thing you're trying to take this very artificial experience this very artificial…” quote by John Hyams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/023/john-hyams-51310_artificial_w-hen-you-re-shooting-a-doc-you-re-tryin_2584334.jpg)
