--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was actually shooting 'Warm Bodies' on…" description: "\"I was actually shooting 'Warm Bodies' on the day that '50/50' came out, which I don't recommend to other filmmakers because I was sort of a wreck. Actu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/jonathan-levine-10199_actually_i-was-actually-shooting-warm-bodies-on-t_1168468.jpg" --- # I was actually shooting 'Warm Bodies' on the day that… ![“I was actually shooting 'Warm Bodies' on the day that '50/50' came out, which I don't recommend to other filmmakers because I was sort of a wreck. Actually, it was good for me, because I had work to do, so I couldn't obsess all day and be checking how '50/50' was doing!” quote by Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/jonathan-levine-10199_actually_i-was-actually-shooting-warm-bodies-on-t_1168468.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/jonathan-levine-10199_actually_i-was-actually-shooting-warm-bodies-on-t_1168468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76e/jonathan-levine-10199_actually_i-was-actually-shooting-warm-bodies-on-t_1168468.jpg) > “I was actually shooting 'Warm Bodies' on the day that '50/50' came out, which I don't recommend to other filmmakers because I was sort of a wreck. Actually, it was good for me, because I had work to do, so I couldn't obsess all day and be checking how '50/50' was doing!” [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The director found that working on a demanding project while a similar film released helped him stay focused and avoid obsessive comparison. **In simple terms:** Busy work prevented unhealthy fixation on another film's success. Key Takeaway Use work as a healthy distraction from comparison. Themes productivity focus mental health film industry Mood reflective pragmatic Type advice industry insight When to use this quote - on set - post-release analysis - creative burnout - industry networking Key Concepts film production psychology of comparison work-life balance Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance healthy focus with awareness of peers? - What strategies keep you grounded during high‑stress periods? A Different Perspective May still feel pressure from external metrics despite distraction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Filmmakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmakers/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Once I accomplish one thing and I'm satisfied, I try something else. I may be 50 and doing something totally outside of music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-cudi/once-i-accomplish-one-thing-and-i-m-satisfied-i-try-something-else-i/) [Kid Cudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-cudi/) > ['Warm Bodies' was a more long-term thing; I had to write the script, who knew if it was every really going to happen, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/warm-bodies-was-a-more-long-term-thing-i-had-to-write-the-script-who/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I really hope everyone who saw 'Twilight' sees 'Warm Bodies,' but at the same time... I don't resent the comparison on a level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-really-hope-everyone-who-saw-twilight-sees-warm-bodies-but-at-the/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I kind of viewed '50/ 50' and 'Warm Bodies' both as my next films after 'The Wackness.' In my head, I was just like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-kind-of-viewed-50-50-and-warm-bodies-both-as-my-next-films-after/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > ['Warm Bodies' - I was contractually obligated to deliver a PG-13 movie. But, like, I wanted it to be PG-13 because it's for younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/warm-bodies-i-was-contractually-obligated-to-deliver-a-pg-13-movie/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [It's a funny thing because you look at the careers of other filmmakers, and you see them sort of slow down, and you realize,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-coen/it-s-a-funny-thing-because-you-look-at-the-careers-of-other/) [Joel Coen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-coen/) > [I think that all the talented filmmakers sort of share, I think, a sense of allowing magic to happen; of creating a stable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-think-that-all-the-talented-filmmakers-sort-of-share-i-think-a/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I used to obsess on critical reactions to my films, and it's really not a healthy way to live your life, so my new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-used-to-obsess-on-critical-reactions-to-my-films-and-it-s-really/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [“I'd like to sit down with him and pick his brain, just a tiny bite somewhere in the frontal lobe to get a taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/i-d-like-to-sit-down-with-him-and-pick-his-brain-just-a-tiny-bite/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [Two warm bodies and one cold bottle of champagne will produce something more wonderful than would happen without the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-gurley-brown/two-warm-bodies-and-one-cold-bottle-of-champagne-will-produce/) [Helen Gurley Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-gurley-brown/) > [“Likewise, the simple adjacency of warm bodies supplies the deepest of animal comfort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/likewise-the-simple-adjacency-of-warm-bodies-supplies-the-deepest-of/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [Warm Bodies' ended up becoming one of the most personal relatable things I've written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/warm-bodies-ended-up-becoming-one-of-the-most-personal-relatable/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > ['Warm Bodies' is a love story: a zombie-human being love story. And people are comparing it to 'Twilight,' but I think it's three times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/warm-bodies-is-a-love-story-a-zombie-human-being-love-story-and/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) > [I don't eat well, exercise or do whatever is necessary to be as healthy as I can be. No, instead I obsess that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/i-don-t-eat-well-exercise-or-do-whatever-is-necessary-to-be-as/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More by Jonathan Levine > [I think it's cyclical. Zombies have been around for ages, and vampires have run their course; we've had so many vampire movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-think-it-s-cyclical-zombies-have-been-around-for-ages-and-vampires/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [My first real television-watching experience was when I watched 'L.A. Law,' like, at 10 o'clock Thursday nights with my parents. They would let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/my-first-real-television-watching-experience-was-when-i-watched-l-a/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > ['Warm Bodies' - I was contractually obligated to deliver a PG-13 movie. But, like, I wanted it to be PG-13 because it's for younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/warm-bodies-i-was-contractually-obligated-to-deliver-a-pg-13-movie/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [As a director, your expectation and reality don't always match up, and I think that that's... I think it's a little jarring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/as-a-director-your-expectation-and-reality-don-t-always-match-up-and/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [It's rare that movies can sort of capture the tone of life; movies always feel like they have to be one thing or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/it-s-rare-that-movies-can-sort-of-capture-the-tone-of-life-movies/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [To me, using music is creating a shorthand with an audience. And I love music so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/to-me-using-music-is-creating-a-shorthand-with-an-audience-and-i-love/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I just think a lot of movies are too long. I want to know how to make my movie as tight as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-just-think-a-lot-of-movies-are-too-long-i-want-to-know-how-to-make/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I feel like comedy is where I'm most at ease, but I also have an allergy to silly jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-feel-like-comedy-is-where-i-m-most-at-ease-but-i-also-have-an/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [Any time I hear certain songs I put in a movie, I have to not listen to them anymore because I associate them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/any-time-i-hear-certain-songs-i-put-in-a-movie-i-have-to-not-listen/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I think that's the great thing about zombies, is, you know, going back to even 'Night of the Living Dead,' they've always been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-think-that-s-the-great-thing-about-zombies-is-you-know-going-back/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [As a director, there's no natural career progression. So after 'The Wackness,' which was very personal to me, I was very, very picky about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/as-a-director-there-s-no-natural-career-progression-so-after-the/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [Zombies have always had a lot of built-in social commentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/zombies-have-always-had-a-lot-of-built-in-social-commentary/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [I used to drive a convertible around L.A. a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-used-to-drive-a-convertible-around-l-a-a-lot/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [The way 'Coming Home' uses music in general is incredible, but the final song that really kind of crescendos all of the emotion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/the-way-coming-home-uses-music-in-general-is-incredible-but-the-final/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [On '50/50,' even though it was 8 million dollars, it was all acting-intensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/on-50-50-even-though-it-was-8-million-dollars-it-was-all-acting/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) [Explore all 67 Jonathan Levine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. 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