--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great thing about making a film on a…" description: "\"The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that it's kind of like making a play. You've got this limited environment.\" — Kevin Macdonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/300/kevin-macdonald-5800_cinema_the-great-thing-about-making-a-film-on-a_1868715.jpg" --- # The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that… ![“The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that it's kind of like making a play. You've got this limited environment.” quote by Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/300/kevin-macdonald-5800_cinema_the-great-thing-about-making-a-film-on-a_1868715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/300/kevin-macdonald-5800_cinema_the-great-thing-about-making-a-film-on-a_1868715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/300/kevin-macdonald-5800_cinema_the-great-thing-about-making-a-film-on-a_1868715.jpg) > “The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that it's kind of like making a play. You've got this limited environment.” [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating a submarine film shares theatrical constraints, demanding creative storytelling within a confined setting. **In simple terms:** Submarine movies are like stage plays. Key Takeaway Embrace limited space for creativity. Themes film theatre creativity constraints Mood inspirational practical Type cinematic creative When to use this quote - stage productions - screenwriting - set design - team workshops Key Concepts narrative design production spatial limitation collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can constraints inspire new ideas? - What theatrical techniques translate to film? A Different Perspective Limited environments can spark innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Submarine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submarine/) ## Related quotes > [Once there is the slightest suggestion of combinational possibilities on the board, look for unusual moves. Apart from making your play creative and interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/once-there-is-the-slightest-suggestion-of-combinational-possibilities/) [Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/) > [It's about going to the ball and making a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-jackson/it-s-about-going-to-the-ball-and-making-a-play/) [Edwin Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-jackson/) > [I'm a free safety. The one responsibility I have is making the play, really. So I take those chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-ha-clinton-dix/i-m-a-free-safety-the-one-responsibility-i-have-is-making-the-play/) [Ha Ha Clinton-Dix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-ha-clinton-dix/) > [Everyone's got to make one submarine drama in their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/everyone-s-got-to-make-one-submarine-drama-in-their-life/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I love submarine movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-love-submarine-movies/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I was fascinated by making a submarine movie, inspired by the Kursk disaster. This idea of being trapped down at the bottom of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-was-fascinated-by-making-a-submarine-movie-inspired-by-the-kursk/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [The submarine genre is a category with all its own rules. But shooting on water is famously tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-submarine-genre-is-a-category-with-all-its-own-rules-but-shooting/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [When you look at almost every submarine movie, to some degree or another, there's this 'Moby Dick' element, this Ahab element to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-you-look-at-almost-every-submarine-movie-to-some-degree-or/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I enjoy the making of the film and it's something for me to do. If nobody ever comes to my films, if people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-enjoy-the-making-of-the-film-and-it-s-something-for-me-to-do-if/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [When you're making a film, you have an obligation to fill the frame with life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/when-you-re-making-a-film-you-have-an-obligation-to-fill-the-frame/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Everything that goes into making a film, when it's the finished product, us as the actors look at the film and go: "Oh man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-klein/everything-that-goes-into-making-a-film-when-it-s-the-finished/) [Chris Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-klein/) > [There's always gonna be people with a lot of money making film, and the goal is to make profit and carry on. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-howard/there-s-always-gonna-be-people-with-a-lot-of-money-making-film-and/) [Clint Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-howard/) > [“The dangers of the sea should always take precedence over the violence of the enemy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bryant/the-dangers-of-the-sea-should-always-take-precedence-over-the/) Ben Bryant > [“Something bashed against the submarine with such a tremendous force that the vessel rocked violently from side to side, throwing people back and forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-f-wilson/something-bashed-against-the-submarine-with-such-a-tremendous-force/) [Dean F. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-f-wilson/) > [“I tell my parents I'm going out for pudding. They think this might be a nickname for heroin.Mum makes the international face for 'is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-tell-my-parents-i-m-going-out-for-pudding-they-think-this-might-be/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) ## More by Kevin Macdonald > [It's so nice to be totally artistically free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/it-s-so-nice-to-be-totally-artistically-free/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [Young people read their news online; they expect to get their news for free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/young-people-read-their-news-online-they-expect-to-get-their-news-for/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I've fallen out very badly with some of the subjects I've interviewed, because they see their lives a certain way; to step into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-ve-fallen-out-very-badly-with-some-of-the-subjects-i-ve-interviewed/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I was a teenager in the '80s, and I was always a bit dismissive of Houston, as I think a lot of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-was-a-teenager-in-the-80s-and-i-was-always-a-bit-dismissive-of/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [With fiction, I've grown to really love the challenge of lying, the challenge of telling a good tale that isn't truthful, and working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/with-fiction-i-ve-grown-to-really-love-the-challenge-of-lying-the/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [When you're an outsider and going into a culture like America, it's easier to stay away from any cliches because you're not really aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-you-re-an-outsider-and-going-into-a-culture-like-america-it-s/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [Although 'The Anderson Platoon' was what we would now call an 'embedded film' - with all the ambiguities that term implies - somehow Schoendoerffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/although-the-anderson-platoon-was-what-we-would-now-call-an-embedded/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [The relationship between director and subject can become very intense. It's a bit like therapy, with lots of transferences going on. It's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-relationship-between-director-and-subject-can-become-very-intense/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [When we made 'Life in a Day,' we asked people around the globe to record their lives on a single ordinary day. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-we-made-life-in-a-day-we-asked-people-around-the-globe-to-record/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [There were many times during the filming of 'Touching the Void' when I wondered why I had ever thought I wanted to make this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/there-were-many-times-during-the-filming-of-touching-the-void-when-i/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [Coming from documentaries, my biggest challenge was to understand actors' psychologies. American actors take it all very seriously; British actors don't enter into all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/coming-from-documentaries-my-biggest-challenge-was-to-understand/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [You can go to places in Africa and Asia and find Marley graffiti. In the slums of Nairobi, you see his lyrics painted on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/you-can-go-to-places-in-africa-and-asia-and-find-marley-graffiti-in/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [The interesting thing to me is that somehow the future of movies will become a more social thing... I think that people will see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-interesting-thing-to-me-is-that-somehow-the-future-of-movies-will/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [A publisher friend of mine suggested that I write a book about my grandfather, who had just died. I had nothing else to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/a-publisher-friend-of-mine-suggested-that-i-write-a-book-about-my/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [Elvis Presley's estate is making 30 million a year, and they say that Marley shouldn't be, but he is from a much poorer part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/elvis-presley-s-estate-is-making-30-million-a-year-and-they-say-that/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) [Explore all 100 Kevin Macdonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) ## 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": "The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that it's kind of like making a play. 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