--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can do crap work in a big movie, and…" description: "\"You can do crap work in a big movie, and it does good things. You can do great work in a movie no one sees, it does nothing. That's the way it goes.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/judd-nelson-4498_big-movie_you-can-do-crap-work-in-a-big-movie-and_924376.jpg" --- # You can do crap work in a big movie, and it does good… ![“You can do crap work in a big movie, and it does good things. You can do great work in a movie no one sees, it does nothing. That's the way it goes.” quote by Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/judd-nelson-4498_big-movie_you-can-do-crap-work-in-a-big-movie-and_924376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/judd-nelson-4498_big-movie_you-can-do-crap-work-in-a-big-movie-and_924376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/judd-nelson-4498_big-movie_you-can-do-crap-work-in-a-big-movie-and_924376.jpg) > “You can do crap work in a big movie, and it does good things. You can do great work in a movie no one sees, it does nothing. That's the way it goes.” [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasts the impact of low-quality work in high-profile projects versus high-quality work in obscure ones, noting the paradox of visibility and effect. **In simple terms:** Big movies can hide bad work; hidden gems may go unnoticed. Key Takeaway Aim for quality regardless of audience size. Themes art visibility impact Mood critical realistic Type industry philosophical When to use this quote - indie films - blockbuster productions - career choices Key Concepts media industry creative integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success in creative work? - What motivates you to create without fame? A Different Perspective Recognition isn’t guaranteed by quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-movie/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Crap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crap/) [Crap Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crap-work-1455603/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Great work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-work/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-does-768682/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Work Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-big/) [Work Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-movie-779558/) ## Related quotes > [Writers who do crap work believe they have turned in spun gold and all their little darlings must be defended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-domenech/writers-who-do-crap-work-believe-they-have-turned-in-spun-gold-and/) [Ben Domenech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-domenech/) > [ I was living in New York, so I just rode my motorcycle up to the set \[of New Jack City\]. So first day of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-was-living-in-new-york-so-i-just-rode-my-motorcycle-up-to-the-set/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [If the movie does well, or it doesn't do so well, some movies get great reviews, some movies don't... that's just part of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/if-the-movie-does-well-or-it-doesn-t-do-so-well-some-movies-get-great/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [The thing about chemistry, it's sort of you get along with a person and then sort of if the movie does well, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/the-thing-about-chemistry-it-s-sort-of-you-get-along-with-a-person/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [The bottom line is if the movie does well, everybody is happy and they forget about what they went through. And if it doesn't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/the-bottom-line-is-if-the-movie-does-well-everybody-is-happy-and-they/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [You lose power to the people and circumstances you judge. They capture your attention in the same way that a movie does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/you-lose-power-to-the-people-and-circumstances-you-judge-they-capture/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [If you really want to tell someone you love them, you don't just go and blurt it out. There's a dance. And your movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/if-you-really-want-to-tell-someone-you-love-them-you-don-t-just-go/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [To your point earlier if a female movie does well they're like "Oohhhh! I can't believe it did well! Maybe the next one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-kunis/to-your-point-earlier-if-a-female-movie-does-well-they-re-like-oohhhh/) [Mila Kunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-kunis/) > [I think that often times Hollywood panders to the cliches of small town life, specifically Southern small town life, and I think that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lucas/i-think-that-often-times-hollywood-panders-to-the-cliches-of-small/) [Josh Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lucas/) > [“Life is just like a movie, except it does not have background music, but you cannot see it in media.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/life-is-just-like-a-movie-except-it-does-not-have-background-music/) [Abrar Ahmed chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/) > [People don't talk about how hard it is to make a movie. Nobody does. Ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/people-don-t-talk-about-how-hard-it-is-to-make-a-movie-nobody-does/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [“Seeing the movie does not mean you've read the book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebekah/seeing-the-movie-does-not-mean-you-ve-read-the-book/) [Rebekah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebekah/) > [They put all this money into these huge films and then no one goes to see them. That sort of shows they're out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/they-put-all-this-money-into-these-huge-films-and-then-no-one-goes-to/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [If a director brings a guy to their movie who does improv, they've got to let him do what he does - otherwise it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/if-a-director-brings-a-guy-to-their-movie-who-does-improv-they-ve-got/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [It's just lovely to be involved in a movie that does go back to the basics - characters and great writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/it-s-just-lovely-to-be-involved-in-a-movie-that-does-go-back-to-the/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) ## More by Judd Nelson > [Catcher in the Rye had a profound impact on me-the idea that we all have lots of dreams that are slowly being chipped away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/catcher-in-the-rye-had-a-profound-impact-on-me-the-idea-that-we-all/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [Alien's a great one. That's a scary movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/alien-s-a-great-one-that-s-a-scary-movie/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [ \[John Hurt\] just really gifted, and I had a great time working with him and \[am\] very lucky to have worked with him. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/john-hurt-just-really-gifted-and-i-had-a-great-time-working-with-him/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [ I enjoyed \[playing lawyer in From The Hip\] as an ode to my dad. My dad went to Harvard and Harvard Law School, so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-enjoyed-playing-lawyer-in-from-the-hip-as-an-ode-to-my-dad-my-dad/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [You have to be so confident and so gifted to fill five minutes of nothing at the very beginning of a play before even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/you-have-to-be-so-confident-and-so-gifted-to-fill-five-minutes-of/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [I don't know if it matters what country you're from, size of the city you're from, urban or rural, there are people that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-don-t-know-if-it-matters-what-country-you-re-from-size-of-the-city/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [ \[John\] Hughes was open to that \[rehearsal\]. This can only happen if the director and/or the writer are open to that. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/john-hughes-was-open-to-that-rehearsal-this-can-only-happen-if-the/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [Remember to be as smart as you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/remember-to-be-as-smart-as-you-are/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [You have to kind of roll with the punches. That's why I think work begets work to a certain degree. I just try and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/you-have-to-kind-of-roll-with-the-punches-that-s-why-i-think-work/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [I don't know if one's more typecasting than the other, or what I am more like. But I know that the high school I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-don-t-know-if-one-s-more-typecasting-than-the-other-or-what-i-am/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [ It's like they talk about how American actors have the method and English actors just kind of switch views faster. And John \[Hurt\] is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/it-s-like-they-talk-about-how-american-actors-have-the-method-and/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [ \[In The Dark Backward \] someone who has writer's block and kills people in A Cabin By The Lake. I guess he's a type… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/in-the-dark-backward-someone-who-has-writer-s-block-and-kills-people/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [Almost anything makes me laugh, especially jokes at my own expense. And I will never, ever admit to being ticklish anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/almost-anything-makes-me-laugh-especially-jokes-at-my-own-expense-and/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [There was no one really like John Bender at my high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/there-was-no-one-really-like-john-bender-at-my-high-school/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [Death is not my best subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/death-is-not-my-best-subject/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) [Explore all 110 Judd Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) ## More Big movie quotes > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [Unless you're of a certain age, you may not know my name, but you can Google it - I was a pretty big movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/unless-you-re-of-a-certain-age-you-may-not-know-my-name-but-you-can/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) > [Honestly, I'm not a big movie buff in general. The only movies I own is probably the 'Indiana Jones' trilogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/honestly-i-m-not-a-big-movie-buff-in-general-the-only-movies-i-own-is/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [I grew up in a big movie house, we watched movies all the time, so I had an awareness at a very young age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-grew-up-in-a-big-movie-house-we-watched-movies-all-the-time-so-i/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [I am so impressed with people who can really make a big movie, a good movie. The amount of work that goes into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-am-so-impressed-with-people-who-can-really-make-a-big-movie-a-good/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [I was always into music, but I wanted to do film when I was kid. I remember seeing big movies and wanting to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-was-always-into-music-but-i-wanted-to-do-film-when-i-was-kid-i/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I didn't have big movie offers, or any big agents wanting to work with me. I had to go grassroots, start at the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-wahlberg/i-didn-t-have-big-movie-offers-or-any-big-agents-wanting-to-work-with/) [Donnie Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-wahlberg/) > [I'm not a big movie-watcher, but I do watch quite a bit of TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-m-not-a-big-movie-watcher-but-i-do-watch-quite-a-bit-of-tv/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [As an actor you want opportunities like this but if a big movie hits theres a whole bunch of problems and if it misses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-evans/as-an-actor-you-want-opportunities-like-this-but-if-a-big-movie-hits/) [Chris Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-evans/) > [Any actor will tell you there's more of a schedule to doing a television show. That's why you'll notice a lot of big movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-marsden/any-actor-will-tell-you-there-s-more-of-a-schedule-to-doing-a/) [Jason Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-marsden/) > [I really have no preference between TV and film. I think that each individual project is its own thing and has a very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-gilford/i-really-have-no-preference-between-tv-and-film-i-think-that-each/) [Zach Gilford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-gilford/) > [I ultimately wanna do big movies, and I've been so close so many times. They keep giving my roles to girls with just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaina-huffman/i-ultimately-wanna-do-big-movies-and-i-ve-been-so-close-so-many-times/) [Alaina Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaina-huffman/) > [Let's say you would see me in a lot more big movies had I done movies that I'd been asked to do playing bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-busey/let-s-say-you-would-see-me-in-a-lot-more-big-movies-had-i-done-movies/) [Jake Busey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-busey/) > [My friends know I'm a really big movie buff, and I named Vivianne after a movie character. She was named after Vivianne Walker in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-james-decker/my-friends-know-i-m-a-really-big-movie-buff-and-i-named-vivianne/) [Jessie James Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-james-decker/) > [My favorite moment is when someone says, 'I like 'Unleashed.' 'Now You See Me' is so much fun.' That's what I want to do:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/my-favorite-moment-is-when-someone-says-i-like-unleashed-now-you-see/) [Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/) [Browse all 196 Big movie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-movie/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can do crap work in a big movie, and it does good things. You can do great work in a movie no one sees, it does nothing. 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