--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's something about the lack of…" description: "\"There's something about the lack of certainty with a documentary, which is exhausting if you do three in a row. It's nerve-wracking.\" — Kevin Macdonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/kevin-macdonald-5800_certainty_there-s-something-about-the-lack-of-cert_2055338.jpg" --- # There's something about the lack of certainty with a… ![“There's something about the lack of certainty with a documentary, which is exhausting if you do three in a row. It's nerve-wracking.” quote by Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/kevin-macdonald-5800_certainty_there-s-something-about-the-lack-of-cert_2055338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/kevin-macdonald-5800_certainty_there-s-something-about-the-lack-of-cert_2055338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/kevin-macdonald-5800_certainty_there-s-something-about-the-lack-of-cert_2055338.jpg) > “There's something about the lack of certainty with a documentary, which is exhausting if you do three in a row. It's nerve-wracking.” [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. Uncertainty in documentary work can be exhausting, especially when repeatedly faced, causing anxiety. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty in documentaries is draining. Key Takeaway Prepare for unknowns and manage stress. Themes uncertainty documentary stress Mood reflective analytical Type creative professional When to use this quote - film production - research trips - investigative reporting Key Concepts risk management resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with uncertainty? - What strategies reduce documentary stress? A Different Perspective Repeated uncertainty may stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) ## Related quotes > [Probability is not a mere computation of odds on the dice or more complicated variants; it is the acceptance of the lack of certainty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/probability-is-not-a-mere-computation-of-odds-on-the-dice-or-more/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [As a painter today you have to work without that essential platform. But if one does not deceive oneself and accepts this lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-riley/as-a-painter-today-you-have-to-work-without-that-essential-platform/) [Bridget Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-riley/) > [Lack of self-confidence is, more often than not, simple laziness. We feel confused and uncertain because we do not know. But instead of making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-boldt/lack-of-self-confidence-is-more-often-than-not-simple-laziness-we/) [Laurence Boldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-boldt/) > [“Mortals live with lack of certainty- except for Death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-monroe/mortals-live-with-lack-of-certainty-except-for-death/) [Lee Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-monroe/) > [“Albert knew that one could never be sure about magic, but a lack of certainty is not a good reason to do nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-l-anderson/albert-knew-that-one-could-never-be-sure-about-magic-but-a-lack-of/) Howard L. Anderson > [“When things go our way we reject the lack of certainty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/when-things-go-our-way-we-reject-the-lack-of-certainty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“We did not evolve by precautionary living, nor by hanging back for lack or certainty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irv-thomas/we-did-not-evolve-by-precautionary-living-nor-by-hanging-back-for/) [Irv Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irv-thomas/) > [The very foundation of science is to keep the door open to doubt. Precisely because we keep questioning everything, especially our own premises, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-rovelli/the-very-foundation-of-science-is-to-keep-the-door-open-to-doubt/) [Carlo Rovelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-rovelli/) > [I started as a documentary maker, and they're my first love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-started-as-a-documentary-maker-and-they-re-my-first-love/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [In some ways, making documentaries is like being a journalist. 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I was terrified that I would embarrass him or he would embarrass me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/the-first-day-working-with-my-father-was-nerve-wracking-i-was/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Writing one's first novel, getting it sold, and shepherding it through the labyrinths of editing, production, marketing, journalism, and social media is an arduous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/writing-one-s-first-novel-getting-it-sold-and-shepherding-it-through/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) > [It can be nerve wracking if you walk into the interview and you're not sure what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/it-can-be-nerve-wracking-if-you-walk-into-the-interview-and-you-re/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) ## 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 Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. 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