--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think too many times, filmmakers spend…" description: "\"I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time telling someone what to think about a story and not enough time actually telling the story.\" — N..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg" --- # I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time… ![“I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time telling someone what to think about a story and not enough time actually telling the story.” quote by Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg) > “I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time telling someone what to think about a story and not enough time actually telling the story.” [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Filmmakers should prioritize showing the story over telling audiences what to think, emphasizing showing over preaching. **In simple terms:** Show, don’t tell, in storytelling. Key Takeaway Focus on narrative clarity. Themes storytelling visuals audience engagement Mood analytical critical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - film production - screenwriting - education - marketing Key Concepts show-don’t-tell cinematic language Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance exposition with action? - What visual cues replace dialogue? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on exposition can alienate viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmakers/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think you ever change anybody's mind by telling them how they should think about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-don-t-think-you-ever-change-anybody-s-mind-by-telling-them-how-they/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I have always hated movies that preach at me, that try to manipulate me and tell me what to think about a story rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-have-always-hated-movies-that-preach-at-me-that-try-to-manipulate/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I get a little tired of people telling me what might have been. I think I've done OK. I don't dwell on what might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-get-a-little-tired-of-people-telling-me-what-might-have-been-i/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [Telling you what I think of you would make me happy. This just goes to show how much I could care less about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/for-the-fallen-dreams/telling-you-what-i-think-of-you-would-make-me-happy-this-just-goes-to/) [For The Fallen Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/for-the-fallen-dreams/) > [I remember everyone telling me I had to think positive when I was writing my first book. If I believed I could do it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-remember-everyone-telling-me-i-had-to-think-positive-when-i-was/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [I am not interested in telling you what to think. My job is to show you what I think. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-am-not-interested-in-telling-you-what-to-think-my-job-is-to-show/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [The filmmaker is not telling you what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-berlinger/the-filmmaker-is-not-telling-you-what-to-think/) [Joe Berlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-berlinger/) > [I wish people would quit telling me to think. I think. Thinking's easy. It's not thinking that's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-millar/i-wish-people-would-quit-telling-me-to-think-i-think-thinking-s-easy/) [Margaret Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-millar/) > [No, you don't get it, thats why I'm telling you. You think you get it, which isn't the same as actually getting it. Get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masashi-kishimoto/no-you-don-t-get-it-thats-why-i-m-telling-you-you-think-you-get-it/) [Masashi Kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masashi-kishimoto/) > [Let’s be honest. Who here thinks your professors can say what they really believe? It scares me to death, and should scare you too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/let-s-be-honest-who-here-thinks-your-professors-can-say-what-they/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [The self-talk of the ego-mind is so busy describing what is happening, judging whether it is good or bad for us, and telling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/the-self-talk-of-the-ego-mind-is-so-busy-describing-what-is-happening/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [When I try to understand somebody, create a character, I fall into them. When I think writers are telling me what to think, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/when-i-try-to-understand-somebody-create-a-character-i-fall-into-them/) [Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/) > [I do not know what arguments mean in reference to any expression of a thought. I delight in telling what I think; but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-do-not-know-what-arguments-mean-in-reference-to-any-expression-of-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“When you give your children knowledge, you are telling them what to think. That is, you are telling them what they are supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/when-you-give-your-children-knowledge-you-are-telling-them-what-to/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [And in fact, I think one of the best guides to telling you who you are, and I think children use it all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/and-in-fact-i-think-one-of-the-best-guides-to-telling-you-who-you-are/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) ## More by Nick Searcy > [It's never been safe to declare you're not a Democrat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/it-s-never-been-safe-to-declare-you-re-not-a-democrat/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [The day Andrew Breitbart died. It hit me: How long do I have, and what am I afraid of? I realized that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/the-day-andrew-breitbart-died-it-hit-me-how-long-do-i-have-and-what/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [Sometimes on a big feature film it seems to take far, far longer to do things than it should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/sometimes-on-a-big-feature-film-it-seems-to-take-far-far-longer-to-do/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I think I was attracted to Trump because he was a business man first. He isn't a politician. He spoke with common sense and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-i-was-attracted-to-trump-because-he-was-a-business-man-first/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [TV is done so quickly that you really don't have time to develop the character fully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/tv-is-done-so-quickly-that-you-really-don-t-have-time-to-develop-the/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [Fried Green Tomatoes' is the first time I got to play a character with some depth and some complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/fried-green-tomatoes-is-the-first-time-i-got-to-play-a-character-with/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I'd like to win the World Wrestling Foundation heavyweight championship. But that's a little farfetched, so I guess I'll just stick to acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-d-like-to-win-the-world-wrestling-foundation-heavyweight/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [It's my philosophy, when you are doing a TV series, I think it's better off the closer you can make the character to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/it-s-my-philosophy-when-you-are-doing-a-tv-series-i-think-it-s-better/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I have always hated movies that preach at me, that try to manipulate me and tell me what to think about a story rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-have-always-hated-movies-that-preach-at-me-that-try-to-manipulate/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [There are a million reasons why you might not get a part. You may look like someone's brother-in-law that they don't like. There may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/there-are-a-million-reasons-why-you-might-not-get-a-part-you-may-look/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I'm just gonna be myself, say what I think and do what I believe. And if it costs me, it costs me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-m-just-gonna-be-myself-say-what-i-think-and-do-what-i-believe-and/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I'm used to being an actor. Being a director is a lot more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-m-used-to-being-an-actor-being-a-director-is-a-lot-more-work/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I try to be realistic and self-depreciating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-try-to-be-realistic-and-self-depreciating/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [The only way that you can really change a person's mind is by showing them something they haven't seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/the-only-way-that-you-can-really-change-a-person-s-mind-is-by-showing/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [I've kind of - gotten pickier - in my old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-ve-kind-of-gotten-pickier-in-my-old-age/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) [Explore all 44 Nick Searcy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time telling someone what to think about a story and not enough time actually telling the story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Searcy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend-too-much-time-telling-someone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enough" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend-too-much-time-telling-someone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/nick-searcy-14943_enough_i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend_1163997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think too many times, filmmakers spend too much time telling someone what to think about a story and not…” — Nick Searcy", "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": "Nick Searcy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think too many times, filmmakers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend-too-much-time-telling-someone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-think-too-many-times-filmmakers-spend-too-much-time-telling-someone/#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 } } ] } ```