--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never let producers tell me what to…" description: "\"I've never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I was making television, I always did what I wanted to do, and if I couldn't, I didn't do it. It..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/michael-haneke-3712_always_i-ve-never-let-producers-tell-me-what-to_1718886.jpg" --- # I've never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I… ![“I've never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I was making television, I always did what I wanted to do, and if I couldn't, I didn't do it. It was a freedom that, these days, young directors starting out don't have.” quote by Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/michael-haneke-3712_always_i-ve-never-let-producers-tell-me-what-to_1718886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/michael-haneke-3712_always_i-ve-never-let-producers-tell-me-what-to_1718886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/michael-haneke-3712_always_i-ve-never-let-producers-tell-me-what-to_1718886.jpg) > “I've never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I was making television, I always did what I wanted to do, and if I couldn't, I didn't do it. It was a freedom that, these days, young directors starting out don't have.” [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He asserts artistic autonomy, rejecting external control over creative decisions, especially in early career stages. **In simple terms:** He refuses to let others dictate his work. Key Takeaway Protect your creative independence. Themes artistic freedom authority creative control Mood defiant independent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - film directing - television production - independent projects Key Concepts autonomy self-determination industry pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance collaboration with autonomy? - What risks come with defying expectations? A Different Perspective Industry demands can limit true expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Starting out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-out/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [It's advice I always give to directors when they're starting out: Take an acting class to really see what it feels like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marielle-heller/it-s-advice-i-always-give-to-directors-when-they-re-starting-out-take/) [Marielle Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marielle-heller/) > [I was 28 before I started putting on productions. I got in the back door by doing fringe shows and a lot of assisting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-elliott/i-was-28-before-i-started-putting-on-productions-i-got-in-the-back/) [Marianne Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-elliott/) > [I get a lot of love from Delhiites. My producers tell me that my films do really well here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diljit-dosanjh/i-get-a-lot-of-love-from-delhiites-my-producers-tell-me-that-my-films/) [Diljit Dosanjh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diljit-dosanjh/) > [I get along great with directors, but I think some producers would tell you I'm a pain. They may say I'm tough to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-irving/i-get-along-great-with-directors-but-i-think-some-producers-would/) [Amy Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-irving/) > [What's great about stand-up is that you can say whatever you want and go around the country, and sometimes the world, and work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-leggero/what-s-great-about-stand-up-is-that-you-can-say-whatever-you-want-and/) [Natasha Leggero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-leggero/) > [I love young directors who experiment with subjects. But I am definitely not choosy. I don't get that many offers to be selective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indrans/i-love-young-directors-who-experiment-with-subjects-but-i-am/) [Indrans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indrans/) > [I like to work with talented people, I must say that. That's my weakness. I really like to work with good directors. That doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-like-to-work-with-talented-people-i-must-say-that-that-s-my/) [Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/) > [A lot of young directors, they're not confident; they're not open to the emotional level of the scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-stamp/a-lot-of-young-directors-they-re-not-confident-they-re-not-open-to/) [Terence Stamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-stamp/) > [I feel totally lucky and happy. I think a lot of young directors feel this way but you sort of, like, have a biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-winkler/i-feel-totally-lucky-and-happy-i-think-a-lot-of-young-directors-feel/) [Max Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-winkler/) > [I do like to work with young directors because it's such a difficult business that I think after directors have been around a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-burstyn/i-do-like-to-work-with-young-directors-because-it-s-such-a-difficult/) [Ellen Burstyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-burstyn/) > [I often meet young directors who, you know, had a 'Ghostbusters' picture on their wall as they were growing up. And it's really nice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/i-often-meet-young-directors-who-you-know-had-a-ghostbusters-picture/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [I worked with young directors all my life, only young directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-worked-with-young-directors-all-my-life-only-young-directors/) [Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/) > [When you see the films of certain young directors, you get the impression that film history begins for them around 1980.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-rivette/when-you-see-the-films-of-certain-young-directors-you-get-the/) [Jacques Rivette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-rivette/) > [I like working with new and young directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-like-working-with-new-and-young-directors/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [The advice you give to young directors for sure is to go out and become some version of a successful movie actor. Do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/the-advice-you-give-to-young-directors-for-sure-is-to-go-out-and/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) ## More by Michael Haneke > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [What we're doing for another person is more important than what we're feeling for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/what-we-re-doing-for-another-person-is-more-important-than-what-we-re/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [In terms of cinema and filmmaking, there are certainly the unexpected gifts that the actors bestow on you. Film is always a question of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/in-terms-of-cinema-and-filmmaking-there-are-certainly-the-unexpected/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [A strict form such as mine cannot be achieved through improvisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/a-strict-form-such-as-mine-cannot-be-achieved-through-improvisation/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [To decide to film a movie again shot by shot, you must be masochistic to a certain degree because it is a much greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/to-decide-to-film-a-movie-again-shot-by-shot-you-must-be-masochistic/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [“There are those who see film and take it seriously as an artistic medium, and others who go to have a good time, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/there-are-those-who-see-film-and-take-it-seriously-as-an-artistic/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [When making a film, I'm never concerned about whether the theme is new or whether it's been done before in cinema or not. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/when-making-a-film-i-m-never-concerned-about-whether-the-theme-is-new/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [It's difficult because you can't generalise about these things. But in essence, you deal with children as simply as you deal with actors -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/it-s-difficult-because-you-can-t-generalise-about-these-things-but-in/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Well, the first thing I had to do was to read a lot. First of all, about education... and looking at education from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/well-the-first-thing-i-had-to-do-was-to-read-a-lot-first-of-all-about/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Of course I am a child of European culture. There are a number of great directors from which I learned, but there is nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/of-course-i-am-a-child-of-european-culture-there-are-a-number-of/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [My father and I had a good relationship, it was very relaxed. He had a lot of humour. He looked a little bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/my-father-and-i-had-a-good-relationship-it-was-very-relaxed-he-had-a/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [If I tell the audience what they should think, then I am robbing them of their own imagination and their own capacity of deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/if-i-tell-the-audience-what-they-should-think-then-i-am-robbing-them/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [You become a film critic because you're interested in film. I don't know whether knowing so much about cinema leads you to make better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/you-become-a-film-critic-because-you-re-interested-in-film-i-don-t/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [I think it's a little simplistic to explain a work through the psychology of its author. In other words, that Haneke has emotional problems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/i-think-it-s-a-little-simplistic-to-explain-a-work-through-the/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [When I first envisioned 'Funny Games' in the mid-1990s, it was my intention to have an American audience watch the movie. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/when-i-first-envisioned-funny-games-in-the-mid-1990s-it-was-my/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) [Explore all 123 Michael Haneke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never let producers tell me what to do. 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