--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If someone is going to talk about the…" description: "\"If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.\" — Maggie Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg" --- # If someone is going to talk about the process of making a… ![“If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.” quote by Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg) > “If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.” [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## 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 holds primary responsibility for shaping a film’s creative vision and execution. **In simple terms:** Directors steer the filmmaking process. Key Takeaway Leadership defines artistic outcome. Themes film leadership creativity vision Mood assertive analytical Type industry instructional When to use this quote - indie film production - studio blockbuster planning Key Concepts authorial intent Practical Applications - clear director‑producer communication - documented visual style guide Questions to Reflect On - When does a director’s vision become a collective effort? - How much creative control should a director relinquish? A Different Perspective Collaboration can blur sole authorship; many contributors shape a film. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ## Related quotes > [An established film director can just pick up the phone and say to a star, 'Hey, are you interested in doing a commercial?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/an-established-film-director-can-just-pick-up-the-phone-and-say-to-a/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [I love it when artists talk about process! I love the movie Comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zucker/i-love-it-when-artists-talk-about-process-i-love-the-movie-comedian/) [Rachel Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zucker/) > [It is fatal to one's artistic life to talk about something that is in process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/it-is-fatal-to-one-s-artistic-life-to-talk-about-something-that-is-in/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) > [“Talk about results. If you don’t have results, talk about policy. If you don’t have policy, talk facts. If you don’t have facts, talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/talk-about-results-if-you-don-t-have-results-talk-about-policy-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't really talk about my process very much, because I feel like if I give something away, it might not come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-don-t-really-talk-about-my-process-very-much-because-i-feel-like-if/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [It is fatal to one's artistic life to talk about something this is in process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/it-is-fatal-to-one-s-artistic-life-to-talk-about-something-this-is-in/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) > [There's nothing worse - I don't like listening to actors talk about the process, especially when - I mean, for me I've played a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-speedman/there-s-nothing-worse-i-don-t-like-listening-to-actors-talk-about-the/) [Scott Speedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-speedman/) > ['Zakhm' was my last film as a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-bhatt/zakhm-was-my-last-film-as-a-director/) [Mahesh Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-bhatt/) > [I don't break my head while working on a film or a show. The director is capable enough to bring out the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohan-joshi/i-don-t-break-my-head-while-working-on-a-film-or-a-show-the-director/) [Mohan Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohan-joshi/) > [I never wanted to be a film director but after this experience I really loved it. I would love to do more documentaries but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-singer/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-film-director-but-after-this-experience-i/) Marc Singer > [I didn't have the problem of finding myself at 45 on the wrong course - I always wanted to be a film director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elia-kazan/i-didn-t-have-the-problem-of-finding-myself-at-45-on-the-wrong-course/) [Elia Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elia-kazan/) > [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/) ## More by Maggie Smith > [There were male colleges, and there were very few female colleges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-were-male-colleges-and-there-were-very-few-female-colleges/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Try not to cry too much because it can be pretty heart-breaking and pretty hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/try-not-to-cry-too-much-because-it-can-be-pretty-heart-breaking-and/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [There's a difference between solitude and loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-s-a-difference-between-solitude-and-loneliness/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I know there is something out there and like most people, I tend to believe in it more when things go bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-know-there-is-something-out-there-and-like-most-people-i-tend-to/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [When you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/when-you-get-into-the-granny-era-you-re-lucky-to-get-anything/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Sort of what you do in drama school when asked to play something way out of your reach. Anyway, we used to laugh a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/sort-of-what-you-do-in-drama-school-when-asked-to-play-something-way/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I think lots of actors are very nervous and shy. I know lots of them who are, and some who aren't of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-think-lots-of-actors-are-very-nervous-and-shy-i-know-lots-of-them/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Little girls, I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the crème de la crème.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/little-girls-i-am-in-the-business-of-putting-old-heads-on-young/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [The drama school was in Oxford - and it's funny to think of it, but in those days when I started out the University…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/the-drama-school-was-in-oxford-and-it-s-funny-to-think-of-it-but-in/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [“Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my-children-life-is-short-and-i/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Chris and Toby are far too sane to be upset any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/chris-and-toby-are-far-too-sane-to-be-upset-any-more/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [We can't escape the shadow, so the best thing we can do is notice the light and be open to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/we-can-t-escape-the-shadow-so-the-best-thing-we-can-do-is-notice-the/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I find it very difficult to do anything on my own now because people recognize me. This has never happened to me before because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-find-it-very-difficult-to-do-anything-on-my-own-now-because-people/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I just did adore Daniel - Daniel Radcliffe, who I had worked with before "Harry Potter" and spent a long time telling all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-just-did-adore-daniel-daniel-radcliffe-who-i-had-worked-with-before/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Which is strange - I've always thought of myself as someone who writes out of difficulty. And I did do that, but I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/which-is-strange-i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-someone-who-writes/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) [Explore all 81 Maggie Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## 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": "If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maggie Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/maggie-smith-8377_cinema_if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-pr_118654.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.” — Maggie Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Maggie Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If someone is going to talk...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```