--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Making a film is like going down a…" description: "\"Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.\" — Jo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg" --- # Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've… ![“Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.” quote by John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg) > “Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.” [John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Filmmaking isolates you, like entering a mine, cutting off daylight and the outside world. **In simple terms:** Filmmaking is isolating. Key Takeaway Accept isolation as part of creative focus. Themes creativity isolation art dedication Mood thoughtful introspective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - directing a movie - writing a novel - research projects Key Concepts psychology process metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain connection while creating? - What rituals help you re‑enter daylight? A Different Perspective Isolation can harm mental health if unmanaged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Daylight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daylight/) [Duration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duration/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-like-328100/) [Like Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-going-252325/) [Making Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-film-319479/) [Metaphoricalgoodbye Daylight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphoricalgoodbye-daylight-5714059/) [Mines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mines/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [To use an image, making a film is like climbing a mountain or crossing an ocean. Every day has its challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdellatif-kechiche/to-use-an-image-making-a-film-is-like-climbing-a-mountain-or-crossing/) [Abdellatif Kechiche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdellatif-kechiche/) > [Sometimes you like the personal adventure implicit in the making of a film, and sometimes you like your part in a film, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-bisset/sometimes-you-like-the-personal-adventure-implicit-in-the-making-of-a/) [Jacqueline Bisset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-bisset/) > [Making a film is like putting out a fire with sieve. There are so many elements, and it gets so complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/making-a-film-is-like-putting-out-a-fire-with-sieve-there-are-so-many/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [For a ridiculous analogy, let's take Purple Rain. 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Making a film is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-davies/every-film-obviously-everyone-starts-out-aiming-at-making-it-good-and/) [Jeremy Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-davies/) > [Making a film is like learning the ropes all over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/making-a-film-is-like-learning-the-ropes-all-over-again/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [My work is very controlled. I leave nothing to chance. Chance comes afterward... Making a film is like cooking a pot au feu. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-claudel/my-work-is-very-controlled-i-leave-nothing-to-chance-chance-comes/) [Philippe Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-claudel/) > [I don't like the outside world to intrude when I'm making a film. 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It's close to where I grew up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lopez/i-like-going-to-san-francisco-it-s-close-to-where-i-grew-up/) [Robin Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lopez/) > [I'm a studio rat. I like going in there as producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-a-studio-rat-i-like-going-in-there-as-producer/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [Not everyone is going to like you and you are not going to like everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/not-everyone-is-going-to-like-you-and-you-are-not-going-to-like/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Music is an escape. It's like going into a time machine, it takes you wherever you want to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isiahnunn/music-is-an-escape-it-s-like-going-into-a-time-machine-it-takes-you/) [IsiahNunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isiahnunn/) ## More by John Schlesinger > [Hollywood is an extraordinary kind of temporary place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/hollywood-is-an-extraordinary-kind-of-temporary-place/) [John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) > [We taped all this and then got it transcribed and picked the best lines or ideas or ways to take a scene. I've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/we-taped-all-this-and-then-got-it-transcribed-and-picked-the-best/) [John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) > [I met a hustler at a dinner party. 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As soon as the film ended there was an outbreak of booing, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/i-ll-never-forget-the-first-screening-at-the-berlin-film-festival-as/) [John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) > [I've never felt that using something with tongue in cheek has been a bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/i-ve-never-felt-that-using-something-with-tongue-in-cheek-has-been-a/) [John Schlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) [Explore all 15 John Schlesinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Schlesinger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine-once-you-ve-started-you-bid-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine-once-you-ve-started-you-bid-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/john-schlesinger-32247_cinema_making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine_3161092.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Making a film is like going down a mine-once you've started you bid a metaphoricalgoodbye to the daylight…” — John Schlesinger", "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 Schlesinger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schlesinger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Making a film is like going...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine-once-you-ve-started-you-bid-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schlesinger/making-a-film-is-like-going-down-a-mine-once-you-ve-started-you-bid-a/#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 } } ] } ```