--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing I look at with a project…" description: "\"The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's directing, whether it's a big film; it's the character and whether I want to tell her story.\" — Op..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg" --- # The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's… ![“The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's directing, whether it's a big film; it's the character and whether I want to tell her story.” quote by Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg) > “The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's directing, whether it's a big film; it's the character and whether I want to tell her story.” [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When evaluating a project, the focus is on the character's story, not the director's fame. **In simple terms:** Storytelling centers on character, not celebrity. Key Takeaway Prioritize character depth over prestige. Themes storytelling character project evaluation Mood inspirational critical Type film creative When to use this quote - film casting - script development - creative meetings Key Concepts narrative focus creative decision making artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What makes a character compelling? - How does character drive a narrative? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on character may overlook technical excellence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [As long as you're in an environment where the worth of the project isn't based on the project but what its predecessors did, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/as-long-as-you-re-in-an-environment-where-the-worth-of-the-project/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [Directing is a big responsibility to take on. I think I'm only good at doing things I know very well. I don't direct movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/directing-is-a-big-responsibility-to-take-on-i-think-i-m-only-good-at/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [Why not directing? There’s no big mystery about it. It’s – well, it’s just having a point of view and – and a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-edwards/why-not-directing-there-s-no-big-mystery-about-it-it-s-well-it-s-just/) Vince Edwards > [Directing was a big learning experience for me because I had to deal with every aspect of everything-all this constant decision-making, with people asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/directing-was-a-big-learning-experience-for-me-because-i-had-to-deal/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [I don't see a big difference between the job of directing a low-budget movie and the job of directing a big-budget movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-don-t-see-a-big-difference-between-the-job-of-directing-a-low/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [Sometimes it is beneficial to you and sometimes it is not. So, you should not pay too much attention to controversies. You should just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prateik-babbar/sometimes-it-is-beneficial-to-you-and-sometimes-it-is-not-so-you/) [Prateik Babbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prateik-babbar/) > [I was always in love with film and becoming a character and playing something else, and nobody ever told me no, so I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-hiltz/i-was-always-in-love-with-film-and-becoming-a-character-and-playing/) Nichole Hiltz > [I think that I'm very passionate, and I know that if I decide to do a film, my character is going to take over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noomi-rapace/i-think-that-i-m-very-passionate-and-i-know-that-if-i-decide-to-do-a/) [Noomi Rapace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noomi-rapace/) > [I believe that every single person attached to a film is a character and nothing more. I don't categorize them as hero, heroine, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-parameswaran/i-believe-that-every-single-person-attached-to-a-film-is-a-character/) [Anupama Parameswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-parameswaran/) > [Legend' is a stylised film. The character I play is a complete egoist. He cannot tolerate anyone touching him or slapping him. Whenever anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/legend-is-a-stylised-film-the-character-i-play-is-a-complete-egoist/) [Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/) > [When you are involved with the film and the character, you don't find it tiresome at all. But if you think it's tiresome, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/when-you-are-involved-with-the-film-and-the-character-you-don-t-find/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [If were were in a film, the villain would turn out to be the least-expected person. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-audiard/i-think-scarface-is-a-great-film-but-if-you-have-a-character-like/) [Jacques Audiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-audiard/) > [Music or sound in a film is a character as important as another character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/music-or-sound-in-a-film-is-a-character-as-important-as-another/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) ## More by Ophelia Lovibond > [If you asked me to sing a modern song, I wouldn't be able to - I can't easily slip into that groove. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/if-you-asked-me-to-sing-a-modern-song-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-i-can-t/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [You're sent scripts, and for some, as soon as you start reading them, you feel an instant connection to the character. You know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/you-re-sent-scripts-and-for-some-as-soon-as-you-start-reading-them/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [Growing up, I was surrounded by music by the Stones, Carole King, and the Beach Boys. I didn't know who Michael Jackson was till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/growing-up-i-was-surrounded-by-music-by-the-stones-carole-king-and/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I don't believe in having safety nets - you'll end up using them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-don-t-believe-in-having-safety-nets-you-ll-end-up-using-them/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [The most romantic thing someone did was surprise me at the airport, after being away for 3 months in Los Angeles. You always see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/the-most-romantic-thing-someone-did-was-surprise-me-at-the-airport/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I've never read a self help book... the most self-help I've read is on a beer mat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-ve-never-read-a-self-help-book-the-most-self-help-i-ve-read-is-on-a/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I get scripts and think, 'There's not enough here to get my teeth stuck into.' That's a result of studying English, where you luxuriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-get-scripts-and-think-there-s-not-enough-here-to-get-my-teeth-stuck/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [My golf swing is probably the most horrendous you've ever seen. I look like I'm trying to attack the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/my-golf-swing-is-probably-the-most-horrendous-you-ve-ever-seen-i-look/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [All the other characters are so well-rounded, and it's just frustrating because female characters aren't. It's not that they're badly written, they're just underwritten.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/all-the-other-characters-are-so-well-rounded-and-it-s-just/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [Everyone talks about the big three-oh with dread - but it's exciting. It feels like life is much more put together. Everyone's like, 'Wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/everyone-talks-about-the-big-three-oh-with-dread-but-it-s-exciting-it/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [When I started acting professionally, it really felt like an extension of just playing around - it was all very organic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/when-i-started-acting-professionally-it-really-felt-like-an-extension/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I'm quite nosy. Somebody will be reading a book on a train, and I'll go: 'How is it? Is it any good?' and they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-m-quite-nosy-somebody-will-be-reading-a-book-on-a-train-and-i-ll-go/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I don't have any irrational fears. Obviously, if I was walking through the outback, and I saw a snake, I wouldn't go up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-don-t-have-any-irrational-fears-obviously-if-i-was-walking-through/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I love going to cities and getting lost. I love doing that rather than following a guidebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-love-going-to-cities-and-getting-lost-i-love-doing-that-rather-than/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [I've done a lot of comedy recently, so I would really like to explore something else. I am hankering after a really meaty, dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/i-ve-done-a-lot-of-comedy-recently-so-i-would-really-like-to-explore/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) [Explore all 23 Ophelia Lovibond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [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/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's directing, whether it's a big film; it's the character and whether I want to tell her story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ophelia Lovibond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project-isn-t-who-s-directing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project-isn-t-who-s-directing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/594/ophelia-lovibond-25493_big_the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project_933143.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first thing I look at with a project isn't who's directing, whether it's a big film; it's the character…” — Ophelia Lovibond", "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": "Ophelia Lovibond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first thing I look at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project-isn-t-who-s-directing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/the-first-thing-i-look-at-with-a-project-isn-t-who-s-directing/#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 } } ] } ```