--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The picture is not a documentary…" description: "\"The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that has to be crafted. Reality is not art. You have to make choices when you're trying to make some..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg" --- # The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that… ![“The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that has to be crafted. Reality is not art. You have to make choices when you're trying to make something work. And the choices we make I think are accurate. There aren't any lies in it. There are assumpt” quote by Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg) > “The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that has to be crafted. Reality is not art. You have to make choices when you're trying to make something work. And the choices we make I think are accurate. There aren't any lies in it. There are assumpt” [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reality must be shaped into narrative; truth is filtered through artistic choices. **In simple terms:** Art reshapes reality into story. Key Takeaway Make deliberate choices to convey truth. Themes art truth storytelling Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - documentary filmmaking - news reporting - advertising - creative writing Key Concepts filmmaking ethics representation Questions to Reflect On - What choices define your story? - How do you preserve truth while crafting narrative? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can distort authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accurate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accurate/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Deceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceit/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-drama-1789918/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Picture Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-documentary-4206390/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-art-616182/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [In film, I believe things should either be documentary or drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/in-film-i-believe-things-should-either-be-documentary-or-drama/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I have my ideas of what a good documentary is, but drama is a different animal because you're arranging everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-have-my-ideas-of-what-a-good-documentary-is-but-drama-is-a/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [Truth and reality in art begin at the point where the artist ceases to understand what he is doing and capable of doing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/truth-and-reality-in-art-begin-at-the-point-where-the-artist-ceases/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [Art is not truth. Truth conforms to reality. Art invents reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/art-is-not-truth-truth-conforms-to-reality-art-invents-reality/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [I love reality TV and everything, and it's something that I truly love to do, and I love the outcome of it; it's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-wilkinson/i-love-reality-tv-and-everything-and-it-s-something-that-i-truly-love/) [Kendra Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-wilkinson/) > [Truth and reality in art do not arise until you no longer understand what you are doing and are capable of but nevertheless sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/truth-and-reality-in-art-do-not-arise-until-you-no-longer-understand/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [To make the material speak to man in the name of man, this is the aim and reality of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asger-jorn/to-make-the-material-speak-to-man-in-the-name-of-man-this-is-the-aim/) [Asger Jorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asger-jorn/) > [Art is the distortion of an unendurable reality... Art is correction, modification of a situation; art is communication, connection... Art is social, self-sufficient, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tinguely/art-is-the-distortion-of-an-unendurable-reality-art-is-correction/) [Jean Tinguely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tinguely/) > [Science is a matter of adjusting language to explain material reality. Art is a matter of adjusting material reality to create a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/science-is-a-matter-of-adjusting-language-to-explain-material-reality/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [The only way art lives is through the experience of the observer. The reality of art begins with the eyes of the beholder, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-haring/the-only-way-art-lives-is-through-the-experience-of-the-observer-the/) [Keith Haring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-haring/) > [The reality of art is disclosed only in experience, not in reflection upon experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-greenberg/the-reality-of-art-is-disclosed-only-in-experience-not-in-reflection/) [Clement Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-greenberg/) > [One of the challenges to our nation today is overcoming the notion that art is kind of a nice-to-have, when in reality art is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maeda/one-of-the-challenges-to-our-nation-today-is-overcoming-the-notion/) [John Maeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maeda/) > [In reality art is always for everyone and for no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenio-montale/in-reality-art-is-always-for-everyone-and-for-no-one/) [Eugenio Montale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenio-montale/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) ## More by Mark Rydell > [Yes, there are directors I admire, the mavericks. Altman. There are many good directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/yes-there-are-directors-i-admire-the-mavericks-altman-there-are-many/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It always amazed me that he was able to do it, and that Orson Welles was able to do it. I never understood it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-always-amazed-me-that-he-was-able-to-do-it-and-that-orson-welles/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It's very difficult to break into motion pictures, but it's oddly easier for directors today because of independent films and cable, who have inherited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-s-very-difficult-to-break-into-motion-pictures-but-it-s-oddly/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [Well you know, Woody doesn't rehearse, as opposed to my own method of directing where I really work with actors around a round table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/well-you-know-woody-doesn-t-rehearse-as-opposed-to-my-own-method-of/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It's sad - it's sad for us old enough to remember when directors ruled, and films were substantially better than they are today. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-s-sad-it-s-sad-for-us-old-enough-to-remember-when-directors-ruled/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It's kind of interesting to be a director who is all of a sudden being an actor playing an agent. This is my whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-s-kind-of-interesting-to-be-a-director-who-is-all-of-a-sudden/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It's the unusual leading man. Most of the Hollywood leading men are powerful and capable and strong, heroes. He has this vulnerability, he's fragile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-s-the-unusual-leading-man-most-of-the-hollywood-leading-men-are/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [Now a movie goes out to two, three thousand theaters and by Friday night at 10 o'clock they know if you are in or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/now-a-movie-goes-out-to-two-three-thousand-theaters-and-by-friday/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [No one turns down a film with Woody; it's something everyone wants in their career as an important moment. He's such a comedic genius,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/no-one-turns-down-a-film-with-woody-it-s-something-everyone-wants-in/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [It perhaps has a chance, a commercial chance, this film. It's funny, it's charming, the idea is original, it's unusual and it makes fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/it-perhaps-has-a-chance-a-commercial-chance-this-film-it-s-funny-it-s/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [I don't know a lot of agents like Al Hack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/i-don-t-know-a-lot-of-agents-like-al-hack/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [There's evidence of a social decline in direct proportion to technology and the industrialization of the motion picture industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/there-s-evidence-of-a-social-decline-in-direct-proportion-to/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [There are always at least five good films at the end of the year to get nominated, but generally speaking nowadays, it's more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/there-are-always-at-least-five-good-films-at-the-end-of-the-year-to/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [Well you're talking about a long career, a lot of movies, a lot of stars. I guess working with Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/well-you-re-talking-about-a-long-career-a-lot-of-movies-a-lot-of/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) > [I long for the days when grosses were not even known. There was no weekend competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/i-long-for-the-days-when-grosses-were-not-even-known-there-was-no/) [Mark Rydell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) [Explore all 18 Mark Rydell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/) ## More Accurate quotes > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/no-accurate-thinker-will-judge-another-person-by-that-which-the-other/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/a-film-is-a-chain-of-very-difficult-decisions-and-i-think-one-of-them/) [Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/) > [“Madoc makes a snorting sound, then turns to me. 'I am sure that Wren here wouldn't mind taking Lady Nore's castle and lands for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/madoc-makes-a-snorting-sound-then-turns-to-me-i-am-sure-that-wren/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [ He \[Groucho's father\] had absolutely no training, and if you had ever seen one of his suits, you'd realize what an accurate statement that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/he-groucho-s-father-had-absolutely-no-training-and-if-you-had-ever/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [... the attempt to render visual intricacy makes words feel unwieldy, like sacks of meaning that must be lugged into place, dragged here and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/the-attempt-to-render-visual-intricacy-makes-words-feel-unwieldy-like/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) > [Not forgiving prolongs hurt and anger and leads to smoldering resentment, which will make us miserable until it kills us. Resentment destroys the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-walters/not-forgiving-prolongs-hurt-and-anger-and-leads-to-smoldering/) [Richard Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-walters/) > [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [The western mantra is that Israel seeks negotiations without preconditions, while the Palestinians refuse. The opposite is more accurate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-western-mantra-is-that-israel-seeks-negotiations-without/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Love women! I hate feminism. "Hate" may be an accurate word, but too strong to use. I strongly oppose feminism because it's nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/love-women-i-hate-feminism-hate-may-be-an-accurate-word-but-too/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Most of my characters are romantic rather than sexual. I think that's an essential difference in my pictures. I think they are more accurate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughes/most-of-my-characters-are-romantic-rather-than-sexual-i-think-that-s/) [John Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughes/) > [While the Environmental Genome Project does not seek to assign allele frequencies, we are aware of the importance of accurate allele frequency estimates for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-wilson/while-the-environmental-genome-project-does-not-seek-to-assign-allele/) [Samuel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-wilson/) [Browse all 847 Accurate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accurate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that has to be crafted. Reality is not art. You have to make choices when you're trying to make something work. And the choices we make I think are accurate. There aren't any lies in it. There are assumpt", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Rydell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a-drama-that-has-to-be-crafted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accurate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a-drama-that-has-to-be-crafted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/055/mark-rydell-29507_accurate_the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a_1291040.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The picture is not a documentary, ... It's a drama that has to be crafted. Reality is not art. You have to…” — Mark Rydell", "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": "Mark Rydell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rydell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The picture is not a documentary,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a-drama-that-has-to-be-crafted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rydell/the-picture-is-not-a-documentary-it-s-a-drama-that-has-to-be-crafted/#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 } } ] } ```