--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I first started working in film when I…" description: "\"I first started working in film when I was 17. I was a director's assistant, an editor.\" — Mathieu Amalric" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/mathieu-amalric-29777_assistant_i-first-started-working-in-film-when-i-w_915294.jpg" --- # I first started working in film when I was 17. I was a… ![“I first started working in film when I was 17. I was a director's assistant, an editor.” quote by Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/mathieu-amalric-29777_assistant_i-first-started-working-in-film-when-i-w_915294.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/mathieu-amalric-29777_assistant_i-first-started-working-in-film-when-i-w_915294.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/mathieu-amalric-29777_assistant_i-first-started-working-in-film-when-i-w_915294.jpg) > “I first started working in film when I was 17. I was a director's assistant, an editor.” [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recounts beginning a film career at 17 as a director's assistant and editor, emphasizing early hands‑on experience. **In simple terms:** He started in film young, doing assistant and editing work. Key Takeaway Start early and learn multiple roles. Themes career development film industry learning by doing multitasking Mood reflective motivational professional Type career educational When to use this quote - film sets - editing rooms - assistant duties - career mentorship Key Concepts apprenticeship skill diversification industry entry Questions to Reflect On - What skills did you gain from early assistant work? - How does early editing experience shape directing? A Different Perspective Early specialization can limit broader skill growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [17 Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/17-director-1373061/) [Assistant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assistant/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Director Assistant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-assistant-1373062/) [Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editor/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film 17](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-17-1373063/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-working-339133/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) [Working Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-film-535875/) ## Related quotes > [It wasn't until 2013 that I even started working in film. It was always something I wanted to do from six, but I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wood/it-wasn-t-until-2013-that-i-even-started-working-in-film-it-was/) [Chris Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-wood/) > [Once I started working as an assistant director, I just realized very quickly that working on a film set was just a perfect fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/once-i-started-working-as-an-assistant-director-i-just-realized-very/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [What I love in working on film is just working with actors. It's one thing to write scenes alone over a keyboard and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/what-i-love-in-working-on-film-is-just-working-with-actors-it-s-one/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I'm not a preacher and I'm not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-gibson/i-m-not-a-preacher-and-i-m-not-a-pastor-but-i-really-feel-my-career/) [Mel Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-gibson/) > [My dream really is just to keep working in film and in theatre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lawther/my-dream-really-is-just-to-keep-working-in-film-and-in-theatre/) [Alex Lawther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lawther/) > [The most important question for me when I begin working on a film is where to start. For a book, what makes you convinced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/the-most-important-question-for-me-when-i-begin-working-on-a-film-is/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [I never had any special appetite for filmmaking, but you have to make a living and it is miraculous to earn a living working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-resnais/i-never-had-any-special-appetite-for-filmmaking-but-you-have-to-make/) [Alain Resnais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-resnais/) > [For me, when working on a film or play or television show, everything for me starts with the screenplay and I am devoted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/for-me-when-working-on-a-film-or-play-or-television-show-everything/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [One day, I read an extremely vague ad looking for someone interested in working in film. Seeing as I loved watching films, I replied,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/one-day-i-read-an-extremely-vague-ad-looking-for-someone-interested/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I've done every kind of student gig going, where you get beat up, spat out, chucked out, and your car nicked. Working on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-evans/i-ve-done-every-kind-of-student-gig-going-where-you-get-beat-up-spat/) [Lee Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-evans/) > [Television is very different than working on film. With films, you get to develop a set of characters, and then, at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/television-is-very-different-than-working-on-film-with-films-you-get/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [I didn't want to miss the chance of working in a film like Uri.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-raina/i-didn-t-want-to-miss-the-chance-of-working-in-a-film-like-uri/) [Mohit Raina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-raina/) > [Working on a film is different from working in an office. You spend 16-hour days together; you share stories and become really close. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shenaz-treasury/working-on-a-film-is-different-from-working-in-an-office-you-spend-16/) [Shenaz Treasury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shenaz-treasury/) > [I don't want to sound like too much of a drama queen! But I'm not going to tell you, 'Oh, it's just so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/i-don-t-want-to-sound-like-too-much-of-a-drama-queen-but-i-m-not/) [Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/) > [I love the consistency of working on television. You don't get that in working on film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-tortorella/i-love-the-consistency-of-working-on-television-you-don-t-get-that-in/) [Nico Tortorella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-tortorella/) ## More by Mathieu Amalric > [ I directed three films and each time \[I act\] I hope it's the last time so I have time to do my film \[directing\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/i-directed-three-films-and-each-time-i-act-i-hope-it-s-the-last-time/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Arnaud Desplechin invented me as an actor. I never imagined I'd be acting in movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/arnaud-desplechin-invented-me-as-an-actor-i-never-imagined-i-d-be/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [I keep meeting directors that are so irresistible. I only do irresistible films, because I don't need to act to feel myself alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/i-keep-meeting-directors-that-are-so-irresistible-i-only-do/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Being an actor only came about because Arnaud Desplechin, the guy who did 'Kings and Queen', had this curious idea to think that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/being-an-actor-only-came-about-because-arnaud-desplechin-the-guy-who/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [I don't want to be a star!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-star/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [I'm always intrigued when you are travelling through a place and there is somebody who has lived there and done the same job for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/i-m-always-intrigued-when-you-are-travelling-through-a-place-and/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Cannes is a circus, so you have to have fun with it. Everything suddenly becomes funny. And the promotion of a movie - that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/cannes-is-a-circus-so-you-have-to-have-fun-with-it-everything/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [If you approach Cannes with a sense of humor, nothing is that bad. You have to take it for what it is; otherwise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/if-you-approach-cannes-with-a-sense-of-humor-nothing-is-that-bad-you/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Sometimes with anger you can be much more dangerous than with skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/sometimes-with-anger-you-can-be-much-more-dangerous-than-with-skill/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Acting is about animality. It's great to be allowed to be animal. But I feel more alive as a director. Every morning, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/acting-is-about-animality-it-s-great-to-be-allowed-to-be-animal-but-i/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [Im always intrigued when you are travelling through a place and there is somebody who has lived there and done the same job for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/im-always-intrigued-when-you-are-travelling-through-a-place-and-there/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [My life as an actor has submerged me completely because I dont know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/my-life-as-an-actor-has-submerged-me-completely-because-i-dont-know/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [There is the melancholy of Europe. There is the romantic malaise. Feeling sad is almost a form of deepness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/there-is-the-melancholy-of-europe-there-is-the-romantic-malaise/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [My life as an actor has submerged me completely because I don't know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/my-life-as-an-actor-has-submerged-me-completely-because-i-don-t-know/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) > [If you love movies, then you love America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-amalric/if-you-love-movies-then-you-love-america/) [Mathieu Amalric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) [Explore all 18 Mathieu Amalric quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-amalric/) ## More Assistant quotes > [I'm a good assistant. That's why I don't have an assistant, because I'm so on it that no one can be as on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-dunst/i-m-a-good-assistant-that-s-why-i-don-t-have-an-assistant-because-i-m/) [Kirsten Dunst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-dunst/) > [I was studying to be a dental hygienist and working as a dental assistant. I met a photographer and decided to put my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-ziering/i-was-studying-to-be-a-dental-hygienist-and-working-as-a-dental/) [Nikki Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-ziering/) > [I don't know how it is now but the assistant stage manager had to understudy several parts. You had to be ready to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ford/i-don-t-know-how-it-is-now-but-the-assistant-stage-manager-had-to/) [Glenn Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ford/) > [To this day, I've never had an assistant. I really insist on doing everything myself because I value the role of the artist's hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-robleto/to-this-day-i-ve-never-had-an-assistant-i-really-insist-on-doing/) [Dario Robleto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-robleto/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [It was a privilege to serve as the assistant attorney general for civil rights, a role that allowed me to enforce the Civil Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/it-was-a-privilege-to-serve-as-the-assistant-attorney-general-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [“See the healer, Sage. 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