--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I could get myself in an editing room…" description: "\"If I could get myself in an editing room, that'd be trouble. I mean, that's how it works, you know? You leave everything on the field. I would pick apa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/paul-dano-2579_editing_if-i-could-get-myself-in-an-editing-room_2358848.jpg" --- # If I could get myself in an editing room, that'd be… ![“If I could get myself in an editing room, that'd be trouble. I mean, that's how it works, you know? You leave everything on the field. I would pick apart - I do, even on the first time. More than once is just too much self-destruction. I don't need that.” quote by Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/paul-dano-2579_editing_if-i-could-get-myself-in-an-editing-room_2358848.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/paul-dano-2579_editing_if-i-could-get-myself-in-an-editing-room_2358848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/paul-dano-2579_editing_if-i-could-get-myself-in-an-editing-room_2358848.jpg) > “If I could get myself in an editing room, that'd be trouble. I mean, that's how it works, you know? You leave everything on the field. I would pick apart - I do, even on the first time. More than once is just too much self-destruction. I don't need that.” [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive self‑editing can become self‑destruction; trust instinct and move forward. **In simple terms:** Too much editing hurts progress. Key Takeaway Limit over‑analysis. Themes self‑criticism artistic process productivity Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - writing drafts - film post‑production - design revisions Key Concepts Perfectionism creative block self‑sabotage Questions to Reflect On - When is it okay to revisit work? - How do you know when a piece is finished? A Different Perspective Some critique is essential for quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-destruction/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Once you sign on as an actor, you know, you don't go to the editing room, you don't see how they cut, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/once-you-sign-on-as-an-actor-you-know-you-don-t-go-to-the-editing/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [When you're in the editing room, the dangerous thing is that it becomes like telling a joke again and again and again. Eventually, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/when-you-re-in-the-editing-room-the-dangerous-thing-is-that-it/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [I always feel like the editing room is like coming into the kitchen. What kind of a meal do you make from there? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/i-always-feel-like-the-editing-room-is-like-coming-into-the-kitchen/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [There's something cathartic about swearing 150 times after spending ten hours in the editing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liev-schreiber/there-s-something-cathartic-about-swearing-150-times-after-spending/) [Liev Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liev-schreiber/) > [The bottom line is that your performance is made in the editing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-sexton/the-bottom-line-is-that-your-performance-is-made-in-the-editing-room/) [Brent Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-sexton/) > [Sometimes when I'm in the editing room and there's a new person there, like a music editor or a post person that I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/sometimes-when-i-m-in-the-editing-room-and-there-s-a-new-person-there/) [Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/) > [There's this kind of incredibly mistaken idea that because it's so much cheaper to roll the camera than it used to be and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/there-s-this-kind-of-incredibly-mistaken-idea-that-because-it-s-so/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [ I would bring Patti \[Smith \] in to the editing room \[working on the Dream of Life\] and say, "This is a great moment… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-sebring/i-would-bring-patti-smith-in-to-the-editing-room-working-on-the-dream/) [Steven Sebring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-sebring/) > [And I watch all the dailies and I grade the jokes or the moments, you know, on a scale from... so I know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/and-i-watch-all-the-dailies-and-i-grade-the-jokes-or-the-moments-you/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [I used to get so worried that if a scene didn't go a certain way, then it was horrible. But then I realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-holmes/i-used-to-get-so-worried-that-if-a-scene-didn-t-go-a-certain-way-then/) [Katie Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-holmes/) > [How do you deal with giving yourself the options in the editing room for dealing with problems that come up from a shifting tone?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-requa/how-do-you-deal-with-giving-yourself-the-options-in-the-editing-room/) [John Requa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-requa/) > [In the editing room, 20 percent of the time you're using stuff from before the actor knew the camera was rolling or you're taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/in-the-editing-room-20-percent-of-the-time-you-re-using-stuff-from/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [Sometimes you just create a joke out of thin air in the editing room. I'm really glad I've had that experience. It gives me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/sometimes-you-just-create-a-joke-out-of-thin-air-in-the-editing-room/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [I mean, in the editing room, you sit there, and you're so happy about a lot of it. You've got these great actors, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-messina/i-mean-in-the-editing-room-you-sit-there-and-you-re-so-happy-about-a/) [Chris Messina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-messina/) > [The film is made in the editing room...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/the-film-is-made-in-the-editing-room/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) ## More by Paul Dano > [When somebody mentions that I did a play with George C. Scott, I'm like, it can't have happened. What was I doing on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/when-somebody-mentions-that-i-did-a-play-with-george-c-scott-i-m-like/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [ Of course I think it's a movie for everybody \[Insane Farting Corpse\], but that's probably just because it's a movie for me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/of-course-i-think-it-s-a-movie-for-everybody-insane-farting-corpse/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [Some projects go as you hope or imagine, and some change or reveal themselves in a different way; it depends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/some-projects-go-as-you-hope-or-imagine-and-some-change-or-reveal/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [I try to leave my work at the door when I leave the set. It's almost like summer camp. You go in hard, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-try-to-leave-my-work-at-the-door-when-i-leave-the-set-it-s-almost/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [I dont normally like getting dressed up, but when I go to events, I like to look put together. Ive got to say, getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-dont-normally-like-getting-dressed-up-but-when-i-go-to-events-i/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [Nobody is a perfect actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/nobody-is-a-perfect-actor/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [The better the acting is, the harder it is to see what the process is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/the-better-the-acting-is-the-harder-it-is-to-see-what-the-process-is/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [ If you could call me buff, my version of buff was when I finished that film \[Swiss Army Man\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/if-you-could-call-me-buff-my-version-of-buff-was-when-i-finished-that/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [The only constant I can find is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/the-only-constant-i-can-find-is-hard-work/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [ Reading the script \[Insane Farting Corpse\], by page two or three, I felt that way. I thought, I'm in. It was so beautiful and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/reading-the-script-insane-farting-corpse-by-page-two-or-three-i-felt/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [I went to tranny bars and kind of got used to being around that and then getting dressed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-went-to-tranny-bars-and-kind-of-got-used-to-being-around-that-and/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [ I'm really excited to share the movie \[Swiss Army Man\] with people, so I'm glad that people are seeing it. And I want them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-m-really-excited-to-share-the-movie-swiss-army-man-with-people-so-i/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [I want to do some bigger films, so long as there's some sort of exciting creative element or a good filmmaker behind them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-want-to-do-some-bigger-films-so-long-as-there-s-some-sort-of/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [As an actor, I always feel you basically have to be able to delude yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/as-an-actor-i-always-feel-you-basically-have-to-be-able-to-delude/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [People have asked me about playing outsiders. I don't consider myself an outsider. Maybe that's why I'm interested in that. I'm not really sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/people-have-asked-me-about-playing-outsiders-i-don-t-consider-myself/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) [Explore all 160 Paul Dano quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) ## More Editing quotes > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [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/) > [Whenever I finish a film, I feel that this is the worst film that I have made. This is bound to happen because while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/whenever-i-finish-a-film-i-feel-that-this-is-the-worst-film-that-i/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-see-my-movies-on-the-editing-table-i-do-think-i-could-have/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [Songwriting is like editing. You write down all this stuff - all this bad, stupid stuff - and then you have to get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/songwriting-is-like-editing-you-write-down-all-this-stuff-all-this/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [I think what holds people up in creative processes is the expectation of what it is they're doing. It's also the sense of judgement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/i-think-what-holds-people-up-in-creative-processes-is-the-expectation/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [And then to see the whole movie, you're pretty much waiting until the end of production. And the major lifting in terms of editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/and-then-to-see-the-whole-movie-you-re-pretty-much-waiting-until-the/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [I believe there's a platonic ideal for every book that is written, like there's the perfect version of the book somewhere in the ether,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-heti/i-believe-there-s-a-platonic-ideal-for-every-book-that-is-written/) [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) > [“It’s easy to see what to do once it’s already been done. The difficult time is before it’s to be done, and while you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-easy-to-see-what-to-do-once-it-s-already-been-done-the-difficult/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Once you sign on as an actor, you know, you don't go to the editing room, you don't see how they cut, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/once-you-sign-on-as-an-actor-you-know-you-don-t-go-to-the-editing/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [The momentum of production keeps you from giving up, so it's really the editing and writing phases where things can look bleakest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/the-momentum-of-production-keeps-you-from-giving-up-so-it-s-really/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [I spend a lot of time in preproduction working with authors, and a lot of time in postproduction.: editing, music, all that sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-in-preproduction-working-with-authors-and-a-lot/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) Browse all 938 Editing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I could get myself in an editing room, that'd be trouble. 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