---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started using film as part of live…"
description: "\"I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.\" — Mike Figgis"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg"
---

#  I started using film as part of live theatre performance…

![“I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.” quote by Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg)

> “I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.”

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

## 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 describes a shift from traditional live theatre to integrating film, sparking a new artistic curiosity.

**In simple terms:** Blending film with stage work.

Key Takeaway

Cross‑media experimentation expands creative horizons.

Themes

interdisciplinary art media convergence innovation performance evolution visual storytelling

Mood

curiosity excitement exploratory

Type

observation personal anecdote artistic insight

When to use this quote

- stage productions seeking visual depth
- artistic workshops exploring hybrid forms
- festivals showcasing mixed media
- educational curricula on contemporary performance
- experimental theater companies

Key Concepts

film theatre performance art creative process

Practical Applications

- Developing immersive stage‑film installations
- Designing curricula that teach hybrid performance techniques

Questions to Reflect On

- How does the presence of film alter audience perception of live performance?
- What challenges arise when merging cinematic and theatrical languages?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Live theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-theatre/) [Performance art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance-art/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [You have to surrender less when you see a film than when you go and see something live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/you-have-to-surrender-less-when-you-see-a-film-than-when-you-go-and/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [Yes, I'm always - I'm always surprised when you make a film and you live with it a while and you put it out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/yes-i-m-always-i-m-always-surprised-when-you-make-a-film-and-you-live/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

> [We film in front of a live audience, and I was a theater actor before I got into television, so I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-bach/we-film-in-front-of-a-live-audience-and-i-was-a-theater-actor-before/)

[Jillian Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-bach/)

> [I'm not really satisfied with the technology today. Using film was so much easier than the digital technology of today. But digital is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-m-not-really-satisfied-with-the-technology-today-using-film-was-so/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [I know, of course, that by using film we can bring in other previously unknown worlds, realities beyond reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingmar-bergman/i-know-of-course-that-by-using-film-we-can-bring-in-other-previously/)

[Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingmar-bergman/)

> [As an actor, my attitude towards using of film versus digital is, if you have film, filmmakers have to cut eventually so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/as-an-actor-my-attitude-towards-using-of-film-versus-digital-is-if/)

[Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/)

> [There is a difference between creating something and just capturing something. And when we were using film, it was not that fast, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/there-is-a-difference-between-creating-something-and-just-capturing/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [If you need to strap a camera to you or get in a small space, then it makes sense to use digital.I do think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/if-you-need-to-strap-a-camera-to-you-or-get-in-a-small-space-then-it/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [“There were absolutely amazing photographs everywhere, on everyone's Facebook page and everyone's iPhone and Instagram, just floating around in cyberspace for eternity. People took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-raleigh-baskin/there-were-absolutely-amazing-photographs-everywhere-on-everyone-s/)

[Nora Raleigh Baskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-raleigh-baskin/)

> [I love the idea of using film language similarly to how musicians use music - combining images and sounds in a way that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-chazelle/i-love-the-idea-of-using-film-language-similarly-to-how-musicians-use/)

[Damien Chazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-chazelle/)

> [Using film was so much easier than the digital technology of today. But digital is still at the beginning of what it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/using-film-was-so-much-easier-than-the-digital-technology-of-today/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [If your income on films or whatever you're producing using film drops below a certain level, then you don't have enough money to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/if-your-income-on-films-or-whatever-you-re-producing-using-film-drops/)

[Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/)

> [I am intrigued enough to want to continue, and also to try and work with companies like Sony on modifying the cameras and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-am-intrigued-enough-to-want-to-continue-and-also-to-try-and-work/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I'm a very private person, so I didn't like this idea of tweeting about me. And then I realized, 'Oh, this is actually a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-stanchfield/i-m-a-very-private-person-so-i-didn-t-like-this-idea-of-tweeting/)

[Darby Stanchfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-stanchfield/)

> [“Minus the adverts of TV, the special effects of movies, and the trash of the Internet, live theatre is a personal means to connect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-jalio/minus-the-adverts-of-tv-the-special-effects-of-movies-and-the-trash/)

Tom Jalio

## More by Mike Figgis

> [I would certainly say that films like Time Code and the Loss of Sexual Innocence were far more rewarding to me in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-would-certainly-say-that-films-like-time-code-and-the-loss-of/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [The function of camera movement is to assist the storytelling. That's all it is. It cannot be there just to demonstrate itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/the-function-of-camera-movement-is-to-assist-the-storytelling-that-s/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [It's difficult working with very rich actors, because inevitably they become a little spoilt, and the managers and agents tend to control things more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/it-s-difficult-working-with-very-rich-actors-because-inevitably-they/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [In a way, the history of jazz's development is a small mirror of classical music's development through the centuries. Now jazz is a living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/in-a-way-the-history-of-jazz-s-development-is-a-small-mirror-of/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/there-s-a-sadness-to-the-human-condition-that-i-think-music-is-good/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [One of the things I love about cinema is the range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-cinema-is-the-range/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I might have a guitar or a piano on set to play something for the actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-might-have-a-guitar-or-a-piano-on-set-to-play-something-for-the/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I had no plans to be a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-had-no-plans-to-be-a-director/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I never had any urge or desire to do like a big spectacular movie with thousands and thousands of extras. I'd rather watch paint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-never-had-any-urge-or-desire-to-do-like-a-big-spectacular-movie/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [But I don't have such a strong desire to need to get away from filmmaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/but-i-don-t-have-such-a-strong-desire-to-need-to-get-away-from/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I'm a huge fan of world cinema, because each country uses cinema in a very individual way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-world-cinema-because-each-country-uses-cinema-in-a/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [You can do really slow movements with it, like zooming in for a minute and a half. The audience isn't aware that the camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/you-can-do-really-slow-movements-with-it-like-zooming-in-for-a-minute/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [The world is an infinitely fascinating, tragic and humorous place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/the-world-is-an-infinitely-fascinating-tragic-and-humorous-place/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [There's nothing quite like the idea of failing spectacularly to excite a film maker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/there-s-nothing-quite-like-the-idea-of-failing-spectacularly-to/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [I am intrigued enough to want to continue, and also to try and work with companies like Sony on modifying the cameras and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-am-intrigued-enough-to-want-to-continue-and-also-to-try-and-work/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

[Explore all 31 Mike Figgis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by film.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Figgis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4b/mike-figgis-20392_art_i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-the_70605.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I…” — Mike Figgis",
                "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": "Mike Figgis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I started using film as part...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
