--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The finished product is not finished when…" description: "\"The finished product is not finished when the actor is. The work is completed by a pair of shears.\" — Josef von Sternberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/josef-von-sternberg-53095_actors_the-finished-product-is-not-finished-whe_1242558.jpg" --- # The finished product is not finished when the actor is… ![“The finished product is not finished when the actor is. The work is completed by a pair of shears.” quote by Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/josef-von-sternberg-53095_actors_the-finished-product-is-not-finished-whe_1242558.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/josef-von-sternberg-53095_actors_the-finished-product-is-not-finished-whe_1242558.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af7/josef-von-sternberg-53095_actors_the-finished-product-is-not-finished-whe_1242558.jpg) > “The finished product is not finished when the actor is. The work is completed by a pair of shears.” [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor’s performance is incomplete without the editor’s cut; final art emerges from collaboration. **In simple terms:** Art needs teamwork. Key Takeaway Value collaborative editing. Themes collaboration artistry completion Mood analytical creative Type critical inspirational When to use this quote - film production - writing - design - team projects Key Concepts film theory creative process Questions to Reflect On - Who contributes to your best work? - How can you improve collaborative flow? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on one role can limit the final piece. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Shears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shears/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [It resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-smith/it-resembles-a-pair-of-shears-so-joined-that-they-cannot-be-separated/) [Sydney Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-smith/) > [MARRIAGE, Is much like a pair of shears, so joined so the parts cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/marriage-is-much-like-a-pair-of-shears-so-joined-so-the-parts-cannot/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-smith/marriage-resembles-a-pair-of-shears-so-joined-that-they-cannot-be/) [Sydney Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-smith/) > [“Then he smiled. It was the first time I’d seen him smile, and it threw me. It was kind of…awesome. He spoke: “I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-kress/then-he-smiled-it-was-the-first-time-i-d-seen-him-smile-and-it-threw/) [Adrienne Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-kress/) > [But I don't feel sad about it. Because Mother is dead. And because Mr. Shears isn't around anymore. So I would be feeling sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/but-i-don-t-feel-sad-about-it-because-mother-is-dead-and-because-mr/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [ A good shepherd shears his flock, not flays them. \[Lat., Boni pastoris est tondere pecus non deglubere.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suetonius/a-good-shepherd-shears-his-flock-not-flays-them-lat-boni-pastoris-est/) [Suetonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suetonius/) > [The statesman shears the sheep; the politician skins them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-statesman-shears-the-sheep-the-politician-skins-them/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [We're left with so little to go on. Only the present is full enough to seem complete, and even that is an optical illusion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-vladislavi/we-re-left-with-so-little-to-go-on-only-the-present-is-full-enough-to/) [Ivan Vladislavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-vladislavi/) > [It is no disparagement to the garden to say it will not fence and weed itself, nor prune its own fruit trees, nor roll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-no-disparagement-to-the-garden-to-say-it-will-not-fence-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Garden shears would be wonderful. Also an ax. I bet axes were awesome for working out aggression. Probably fantastic for building upper body strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-scott/garden-shears-would-be-wonderful-also-an-ax-i-bet-axes-were-awesome/) [Kylie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-scott/) > [Alas! What boots it with uncessant care To tend the homely slighted Shepherd's trade, And strictly meditate the thankless muse; Were it not better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/alas-what-boots-it-with-uncessant-care-to-tend-the-homely-slighted/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [My life had taken a stranger turn than I could've ever imagined. What was I doing on this path? Where was I headed really?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/my-life-had-taken-a-stranger-turn-than-i-could-ve-ever-imagined-what/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [(That last infirmity of noble mind) To scorn delights, and live laborious days; But the fair guerdon when we hope to find, And think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/that-last-infirmity-of-noble-mind-to-scorn-delights-and-live/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [The hands of every clock are shears, trimming us away scrap by scrap, and every time piece with a digital readout blinks us towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-hands-of-every-clock-are-shears-trimming-us-away-scrap-by-scrap/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/fame-is-the-spur-that-the-clear-spirit-doth-raise/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## More by Josef von Sternberg > [There are some things which cannot be learned, though they can be studied. Among them are the laws of art—and the lawlessness of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/there-are-some-things-which-cannot-be-learned-though-they-can-be/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [A shaft of white light used properly can be far more effective than all the color in the world used indiscriminately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/a-shaft-of-white-light-used-properly-can-be-far-more-effective-than/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [The only way to succeed is to make people hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/the-only-way-to-succeed-is-to-make-people-hate-you/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [The only way to succeed is to make people hate you. That way they remember you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/the-only-way-to-succeed-is-to-make-people-hate-you-that-way-they/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [Every light has a point where it is brightest and a point toward which it wanders to lose itself completely. It must be intercepted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/every-light-has-a-point-where-it-is-brightest-and-a-point-toward/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [Shadow conceals—light reveals. To know what to reveal and what to conceal, and in what degrees to do this, is all there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/shadow-conceals-light-reveals-to-know-what-to-reveal-and-what-to/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) [Explore all 7 Josef von Sternberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [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/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [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/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The finished product is not finished when the actor is. 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