--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's like you might have some great scene…" description: "\"It's like you might have some great scene that you love but for some reason - and you can't necessarily put your finger on it - the movie's not working..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7b/neil-burger-32509_culprit_it-s-like-you-might-have-some-great-scen_3042023.jpg" --- # It's like you might have some great scene that you love… ![“It's like you might have some great scene that you love but for some reason - and you can't necessarily put your finger on it - the movie's not working or it seems slow or ponderous in some way, and even though it has your favorite scene in there, actually the favorite scene is the culprit. That's…” quote by Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7b/neil-burger-32509_culprit_it-s-like-you-might-have-some-great-scen_3042023.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7b/neil-burger-32509_culprit_it-s-like-you-might-have-some-great-scen_3042023.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7b/neil-burger-32509_culprit_it-s-like-you-might-have-some-great-scen_3042023.jpg) > “It's like you might have some great scene that you love but for some reason - and you can't necessarily put your finger on it - the movie's not working or it seems slow or ponderous in some way, and even though it has your favorite scene in there, actually the favorite scene is the culprit. That's the painful thing about editing, is trying to locate those things that are holding the movie back and then having the guts to cut them. And it is painful to do it.” [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identifying and removing beloved but problematic scenes is painful yet necessary for a film’s overall flow and success. **In simple terms:** Cut beloved scenes to improve the film. Key Takeaway Embrace tough editing decisions for better storytelling. Themes editing creative sacrifice story pacing Mood analytical pragmatic Type educational reflective When to use this quote - feature films - documentaries - TV series Key Concepts film production narrative structure Questions to Reflect On - What criteria guide your cuts? - How do you test audience reaction? A Different Perspective Cutting may alienate fans attached to the scene. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Guts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guts/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Painful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful-things/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [The truth is, we were sick of, every time we finished a movie, having to start all over again from nothing, going to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-devlin/the-truth-is-we-were-sick-of-every-time-we-finished-a-movie-having-to/) [Dean Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-devlin/) > [No, my favorite scene was Brienne finding Arya and The Hound. I thought that the writing and the dialogue and the confusion that spirals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-graves/no-my-favorite-scene-was-brienne-finding-arya-and-the-hound-i-thought/) [Alex Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-graves/) > [“Nook people can overstate their love for a movie, having only watched it once. They are alert to how some spectacles become basically unbearable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/durga-chew-bose/nook-people-can-overstate-their-love-for-a-movie-having-only-watched/) [Durga Chew-Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/durga-chew-bose/) > [ My favorite scene on the show \[The Office\] is on the booze cruise when I finally get to talk to her and tell her,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/my-favorite-scene-on-the-show-the-office-is-on-the-booze-cruise-when/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [My favorite scene that we shot in Season 1 of 'Kingdom' was the 'dance party' the boys and I had after we had gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-going/my-favorite-scene-that-we-shot-in-season-1-of-kingdom-was-the-dance/) [Joanna Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-going/) > [If it's not a high-concept movie, if you're not having outer space people come down and blow stuff up, then there's a pool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-fleck/if-it-s-not-a-high-concept-movie-if-you-re-not-having-outer-space/) [Ryan Fleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-fleck/) > [My favorite scene in the movie is a sequence I'm not even in. It's a sequence of Jason at a rave in a cornfield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/my-favorite-scene-in-the-movie-is-a-sequence-i-m-not-even-in-it-s-a/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [I often found that my favorite scene that I shoot is often one that I cut out, like in 'The Last Castle' and 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/i-often-found-that-my-favorite-scene-that-i-shoot-is-often-one-that-i/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [The most important in movie is having a bad character; Not the Hero and the Heroine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-important-in-movie-is-having-a-bad-character-not-the-hero/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's strange: We leave the movie having enjoyed its conclusion so much that we almost forgot our earlier reservations. But they were there, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-s-strange-we-leave-the-movie-having-enjoyed-its-conclusion-so-much/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [But I do enjoy the freedom of doing a movie and then having some time off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-elliott/but-i-do-enjoy-the-freedom-of-doing-a-movie-and-then-having-some-time/) [David James Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-elliott/) > [“My favorite scene was my dying scene, when I had to stand up and suddenly in that moment recall my wife and everything I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/my-favorite-scene-was-my-dying-scene-when-i-had-to-stand-up-and/) [Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/) > [Life is like arriving late for a movie, having to figure out what was going on without bothering everybody with a lot of questions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/life-is-like-arriving-late-for-a-movie-having-to-figure-out-what-was/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [My favorite scene in this film was the flying car, because that was just wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/my-favorite-scene-in-this-film-was-the-flying-car-because-that-was/) [Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/) > [I like finishing a movie and having this living, breathing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cain/i-like-finishing-a-movie-and-having-this-living-breathing-thing/) [Dean Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cain/) ## More by Neil Burger > [Sometimes I feel like just to get all my own work done would be great. You always feel like you're behind, and they're six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/sometimes-i-feel-like-just-to-get-all-my-own-work-done-would-be-great/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [At a certain point, I got interested in set design for the theater. I was interested in architecture, but I was taking photographs at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/at-a-certain-point-i-got-interested-in-set-design-for-the-theater-i/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [If a character is going to end up one way, you start them a certain way. If they're gonna end up the polar opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/if-a-character-is-going-to-end-up-one-way-you-start-them-a-certain/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I always think about what's the difference between being tenacious and having an inability to learn from failures. The difference between the homeless guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-always-think-about-what-s-the-difference-between-being-tenacious/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [When I was younger, I wanted to own a circus and create this bizarre revue that went from town to town. And, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/when-i-was-younger-i-wanted-to-own-a-circus-and-create-this-bizarre/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I know the movies that I've liked, and I know the experience that they've given me, so the goal is always to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-know-the-movies-that-i-ve-liked-and-i-know-the-experience-that-they/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I think it worked two ways. One, a lot of people writing about the movie used that as shorthand and it could either be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-think-it-worked-two-ways-one-a-lot-of-people-writing-about-the/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [But at a certain point you've gotta be ruthless with the movie because you can have these great scenes, but they aren't specifically building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/but-at-a-certain-point-you-ve-gotta-be-ruthless-with-the-movie/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [To me, the movie is about power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/to-me-the-movie-is-about-power/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I'm working on a number of different things. I'm working on a couple of TV things and I'm working on a couple of film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-m-working-on-a-number-of-different-things-i-m-working-on-a-couple/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [On one hand it's very flattering to be compared to a big success, and then sometimes it's very frustrating because you want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/on-one-hand-it-s-very-flattering-to-be-compared-to-a-big-success-and/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I think we all want something to knock us on the head and change our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-think-we-all-want-something-to-knock-us-on-the-head-and-change-our/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [When I was younger, I wanted to own a circus and create this bizarre revue that went from town to town. I suppose, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/when-i-was-younger-i-wanted-to-own-a-circus-and-create-this-bizarre-2/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) > [I really love New York, and I've lived here for a long time. I know not just the different neighborhoods but the different kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-really-love-new-york-and-i-ve-lived-here-for-a-long-time-i-know-not/) [Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) [Explore all 15 Neil Burger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/) ## More Culprit quotes > [Individual web pages as they first appeared in the early 1990s had the flavour of person-hood. MySpace preserved some of that flavour, though a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/individual-web-pages-as-they-first-appeared-in-the-early-1990s-had/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [Liberals compare Jerry Falwell to the Taliban, but then are furious with George Bush for not being Jesus Christ. Evidently, what a president is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/liberals-compare-jerry-falwell-to-the-taliban-but-then-are-furious/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Sometimes when the spouse is really the culprit, it is hard to admit what you consider your little failures, but if you are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/sometimes-when-the-spouse-is-really-the-culprit-it-is-hard-to-admit/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [The drum-fire of propaganda that the Fed is manning the ramparts against the menace of inflation brought about by others is nothing less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-drum-fire-of-propaganda-that-the-fed-is-manning-the-ramparts/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“The manufacturing of most goods harms the environment in one way or another. The culprit is not the factory, but it is we who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-dacyczyn/the-manufacturing-of-most-goods-harms-the-environment-in-one-way-or/) [Amy Dacyczyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-dacyczyn/) > [We're conditioned in this country to believe that if there's a problem, the black man is usually the culprit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-snipes/we-re-conditioned-in-this-country-to-believe-that-if-there-s-a/) [Wesley Snipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-snipes/) > [The essence of justice is mercy. Making a child suffer for wrong-doing is merciful to the child. There is no mercy in letting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-essence-of-justice-is-mercy-making-a-child-suffer-for-wrong-doing/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [Fear is the culprit that robs us of our greatest lives. And although it's mostly made up or a learned behavior from our past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/fear-is-the-culprit-that-robs-us-of-our-greatest-lives-and-although/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [Most vagabonds i knowed don't ever want to find the culprit that remains the object of their long relentless quest. The obsession's in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-vagabonds-i-knowed-don-t-ever-want-to-find-the-culprit-that/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Someone had to do something sometime. Every victim was a culprit, every culprit a victim, and somebody had to stand up sometime to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/someone-had-to-do-something-sometime-every-victim-was-a-culprit-every/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [At times many of us let that enemy of achievement--even the culprit 'self-defeat'--dwarf our aspirations, smother our dreams, cloud our vision, and impair our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/at-times-many-of-us-let-that-enemy-of-achievement-even-the-culprit/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Know that Truth sees through bullshit. So if you can't handle looking at Truth, you must be a Devil's culprit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/know-that-truth-sees-through-bullshit-so-if-you-can-t-handle-looking/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [I had long ago discovered that when a word or formula refused to come to mind the best thing for it was to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/i-had-long-ago-discovered-that-when-a-word-or-formula-refused-to-come/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [What was happening was the war on drugs. That was the primary culprit I could see that was getting in the way of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/what-was-happening-was-the-war-on-drugs-that-was-the-primary-culprit/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [Flogging. The only solution to every problem. I warrant even the culprit himself doesn't know! It was just — his turn!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/flogging-the-only-solution-to-every-problem-i-warrant-even-the/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) Browse all 59 Culprit quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's like you might have some great scene that you love but for some reason - and you can't necessarily put your finger on it - the movie's not working or it seems slow or ponderous in some way, and even though it has your favorite scene in there, actually the favorite scene is the culprit. That's the painful thing about editing, is trying to locate those things that are holding the movie back and then having the guts to cut them. 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