--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Producing small films, you usually have…" description: "\"Producing small films, you usually have four or five people you want, and you hope one of them will say they'll do it.\" — John Wells" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg" --- # Producing small films, you usually have four or five… ![“Producing small films, you usually have four or five people you want, and you hope one of them will say they'll do it.” quote by John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg) > “Producing small films, you usually have four or five people you want, and you hope one of them will say they'll do it.” [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating low‑budget movies often relies on a small, dedicated crew and the hope that one will commit fully. **In simple terms:** Small films need a tight team and a committed member. Key Takeaway Find and nurture that key collaborator. Themes filmmaking collaboration budget constraints Mood pragmatic hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - independent film projects - crowdfunding pitches - crew recruitment - production planning Key Concepts team dynamics commitment resourcefulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you attract a truly committed crew member? - What incentives motivate small‑team dedication? A Different Perspective Success depends on more than hope; it requires clear roles and incentives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [When we look at films, we usually see only the action. Yet it is the decision to act that helps us understand how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-seger/when-we-look-at-films-we-usually-see-only-the-action-yet-it-is-the/) Linda Seger > [The biggest mistake in student films is that they are usually cast so badly, with friends and people the directors know. Actually you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/the-biggest-mistake-in-student-films-is-that-they-are-usually-cast-so/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [You know, the art films would usually be more, I mean the exploitation movies would usually be more lurid, but not that much more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/you-know-the-art-films-would-usually-be-more-i-mean-the-exploitation/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [War films usually so dark or dirty or intense, and sometimes they guide you to feeling a certain way against war, in general. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-gabel/war-films-usually-so-dark-or-dirty-or-intense-and-sometimes-they/) [Seth Gabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-gabel/) > [I don't watch a lot of films. I'm usually involved in making them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-don-t-watch-a-lot-of-films-i-m-usually-involved-in-making-them/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [When I do feature films, I usually have a very strong sense of what I want to do. I have topics and subjects, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/when-i-do-feature-films-i-usually-have-a-very-strong-sense-of-what-i/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [When people approach me about my films it is usually to tell me how much they hate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-winterbottom/when-people-approach-me-about-my-films-it-is-usually-to-tell-me-how/) [Michael Winterbottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-winterbottom/) > [With films it's not usually that I have a particular character I'm looking for; I'll read the character and my imagination will start spinning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-wilson/with-films-it-s-not-usually-that-i-have-a-particular-character-i-m/) [Lydia Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-wilson/) > [I'm interested in the kind of anti-establishment ethos that goes with making an independent movie. I like to bring that to studio films -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-m-interested-in-the-kind-of-anti-establishment-ethos-that-goes-with/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [I'm not always happy when Hollywood does remakes of films, but that's usually when they have a very, very, very good film, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-m-not-always-happy-when-hollywood-does-remakes-of-films-but-that-s/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [“Plays are nearly always about the consequences of events while films are usually about the events. The what-happens-next factor is essential in film.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-toscan/plays-are-nearly-always-about-the-consequences-of-events-while-films/) Richard Toscan > [Mindless films are usually far more entertaining because the audience just comes for a laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/mindless-films-are-usually-far-more-entertaining-because-the-audience/) [Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/) > [All of a sudden, there are great Japanese films, or great Italian films, or great Australian films. It's usually because there are a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/all-of-a-sudden-there-are-great-japanese-films-or-great-italian-films/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [My films usually start with an idea that I get while walking the streets. For example, I got the idea for 'Guard Dog' when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-plympton/my-films-usually-start-with-an-idea-that-i-get-while-walking-the/) [Bill Plympton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-plympton/) > [A big part of the humor is in identifying with the tragic elements of the film. The New Zealand sense of humor is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/a-big-part-of-the-humor-is-in-identifying-with-the-tragic-elements-of/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) ## More by John Wells > [I'm interested in working with groups of actors to tell complicated stories about what's happening to people, and that's because I came out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-m-interested-in-working-with-groups-of-actors-to-tell-complicated/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I love working with actors, and it's all been based on my being trained in the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-love-working-with-actors-and-it-s-all-been-based-on-my-being/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I come from labor country. My mom was a teacher and was very involved in the teachers' union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-come-from-labor-country-my-mom-was-a-teacher-and-was-very-involved/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [As an adult, you think of yourself as being someone else when you're away from your family, but when you come back to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/as-an-adult-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-someone-else-when-you-re/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [Both of our children are adopted, and my wife and I didn't go out of ways to find kids that looked like us. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/both-of-our-children-are-adopted-and-my-wife-and-i-didn-t-go-out-of/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I'm a big believer in the value of labor unions and with what collective effort gets people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-value-of-labor-unions-and-with-what/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [If you don't have nerves and a little trepidation about any new project, then I don't think you're really alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/if-you-don-t-have-nerves-and-a-little-trepidation-about-any-new/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [You have to have wonderful actors for material, particularly difficult material that requires complicated performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/you-have-to-have-wonderful-actors-for-material-particularly-difficult/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [It is harder to get adult, character-driven material on television than it used to be, but there are lots of other places that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/it-is-harder-to-get-adult-character-driven-material-on-television/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I was a directing student and a production design student at Carnegie Mellon. I went in as a production design student and became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-was-a-directing-student-and-a-production-design-student-at-carnegie/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [You want to mix acting styles correctly. People approach the work in different ways. You want to make sure no one wants to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/you-want-to-mix-acting-styles-correctly-people-approach-the-work-in/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [As people, we're generally optimistic, no matter how disabled our lives are, and we find the humor in the darkest situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/as-people-we-re-generally-optimistic-no-matter-how-disabled-our-lives/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [People say to me, 'Well, how do you direct Meryl Streep?' You're not wandering over to Meryl telling her how to act. She's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/people-say-to-me-well-how-do-you-direct-meryl-streep-you-re-not/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I was very fortunate in all of my career in television to have a lot of things that received a lot of awards recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-was-very-fortunate-in-all-of-my-career-in-television-to-have-a-lot/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [My experience has been that actors always want to be directed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/my-experience-has-been-that-actors-always-want-to-be-directed/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) [Explore all 22 John Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) ## 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": "Producing small films, you usually have four or five people you want, and you hope one of them will say they'll do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Wells" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/producing-small-films-you-usually-have-four-or-five-people-you-want/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/producing-small-films-you-usually-have-four-or-five-people-you-want/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0b/john-wells-25657_cinema_producing-small-films-you-usually-have-f_2709825.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Producing small films, you usually have four or five people you want, and you hope one of them will say…” — John Wells", "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 Wells", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Producing small films, you usually have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/producing-small-films-you-usually-have-four-or-five-people-you-want/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/producing-small-films-you-usually-have-four-or-five-people-you-want/#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 } } ] } ```