--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let's just shoot in black and white…" description: "\"Let's just shoot in black and white. Don't explain why. Have no reason for it. Just do it because it's interesting.\" — Paul Schrader" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/paul-schrader-14587_black_let-s-just-shoot-in-black-and-white-don_1994715.png" --- # Let's just shoot in black and white. Don't explain why… ![“Let's just shoot in black and white. Don't explain why. Have no reason for it. Just do it because it's interesting.” quote by Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/paul-schrader-14587_black_let-s-just-shoot-in-black-and-white-don_1994715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/paul-schrader-14587_black_let-s-just-shoot-in-black-and-white-don_1994715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/paul-schrader-14587_black_let-s-just-shoot-in-black-and-white-don_1994715.png) > “Let's just shoot in black and white. Don't explain why. Have no reason for it. Just do it because it's interesting.” [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates embracing artistic choices without over‑justification, valuing intuition over analysis. **In simple terms:** Make creative decisions instinctively. Key Takeaway Trust intuition in art. Themes creativity intuition artistic freedom Mood curious bold Type artistic experimental When to use this quote - directing - photography - visual storytelling - experimental projects - personal expression Key Concepts Aesthetic choice spontaneity Questions to Reflect On - What would happen if you always followed your gut? - When is justification necessary? A Different Perspective May lead to incoherent or misunderstood work without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Black white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-white/) [Explain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Just do it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-do-it/) [Just Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-shoot-260725/) [No reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-reason/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot/) [Shoot Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoot-black-372774/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [I shoot in black and white, sometimes color, sometimes if it looks good I shoot out the window of the airplanes or whatever, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-shoot-in-black-and-white-sometimes-color-sometimes-if-it-looks-good/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [If nobody is looking for a story, and I have no reason to write a story, I would really much rather to do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/if-nobody-is-looking-for-a-story-and-i-have-no-reason-to-write-a/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Nobody has shot a strip club in black and white in a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/nobody-has-shot-a-strip-club-in-black-and-white-in-a-long-time/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [If your shooting for the stars.then just shoot me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/if-your-shooting-for-the-stars-then-just-shoot-me/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I don't shoot shots just to shoot shots. I'm always working in a rhythm, working on mechanics. I've got a checklist of the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-korver/i-don-t-shoot-shots-just-to-shoot-shots-i-m-always-working-in-a/) [Kyle Korver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-korver/) > [If you're open in certain spots, you just shoot the ball. It doesn't matter if you're good from that spot or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kentavious-caldwell-pope/if-you-re-open-in-certain-spots-you-just-shoot-the-ball-it-doesn-t/) [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kentavious-caldwell-pope/) > [It's not just when you shoot, or what you shot, or where you shoot, it's the combination of the three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-maisel/it-s-not-just-when-you-shoot-or-what-you-shot-or-where-you-shoot-it-s/) [Jay Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-maisel/) > [God, just shoot me the day I start making music you can just put on in the car and have a conversation over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-antonoff/god-just-shoot-me-the-day-i-start-making-music-you-can-just-put-on-in/) [Jack Antonoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-antonoff/) > [“Hunter held out the gun, stock first. “You want to just shoot me and save Dad the time?” Jay smiled and took the weapon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-kemmerer/hunter-held-out-the-gun-stock-first-you-want-to-just-shoot-me-and/) [Brigid Kemmerer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-kemmerer/) > [You just go out there and shoot it, and that's the way I've been my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/you-just-go-out-there-and-shoot-it-and-that-s-the-way-i-ve-been-my/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [Every time I go out there I try to bring my A-game and show people I can do more than just shoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-herro/every-time-i-go-out-there-i-try-to-bring-my-a-game-and-show-people-i/) [Tyler Herro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-herro/) > [Even when you have a big budget, you can't just shoot everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-allen/even-when-you-have-a-big-budget-you-can-t-just-shoot-everything/) [Debbie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-allen/) > [I should play God and just shoot you myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/i-should-play-god-and-just-shoot-you-myself/) [Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/) > [I just shoot until I feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-bird/i-just-shoot-until-i-feel-good/) [Larry Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-bird/) > [It's easy. You just shoot the ball and then hope it's going to go in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kukoc/it-s-easy-you-just-shoot-the-ball-and-then-hope-it-s-going-to-go-in/) [Toni Kukoc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kukoc/) ## More by Paul Schrader > [“Twelve hours of work and I still can't sleep.Days go on and on... They don't end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/twelve-hours-of-work-and-i-still-can-t-sleep-days-go-on-and-on-they/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [The secret of the creative life is to feel at ease with your own embarrassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/the-secret-of-the-creative-life-is-to-feel-at-ease-with-your-own/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [People who act against their own best interests are interesting characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/people-who-act-against-their-own-best-interests-are-interesting/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [ All these teachers and \[screenwriting\] books mean you see movies that have been worked over by more committees wielding more rules, that all originality… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/all-these-teachers-and-screenwriting-books-mean-you-see-movies-that/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [Because many of the films I've made have had an intellectualedge, it's harder for me to lie. It's harder for me to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/because-many-of-the-films-i-ve-made-have-had-an-intellectualedge-it-s/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [Those artists who say that somehow therapy or analysis will thwart their creativity are completely misinformed. It's absolutely the opposite: it opens closed doors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/those-artists-who-say-that-somehow-therapy-or-analysis-will-thwart/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I want to be happy; why do I do things that make me unhappy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/i-want-to-be-happy-why-do-i-do-things-that-make-me-unhappy/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [Contradiction is the heart and soul of character and drama. You're always looking for it. I loved her so much I hit her; that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/contradiction-is-the-heart-and-soul-of-character-and-drama-you-re/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [You can't take contradiction away. Part of the fun of it is that the contradiction never really quite goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/you-can-t-take-contradiction-away-part-of-the-fun-of-it-is-that-the/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I still think like a critic, and I still analyze films like a critic. However, it's not possible to write criticism if you're making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/i-still-think-like-a-critic-and-i-still-analyze-films-like-a-critic/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [All the animals come out at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/all-the-animals-come-out-at-night/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [There's something wrong - the performance, the weather, the set design, the lighting. Something is not working. And so you say, "Give me 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/there-s-something-wrong-the-performance-the-weather-the-set-design/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I had this whole issue of doing a crime film in the 2010s. The genre's been mined very, very heavily. Post-Scorsese, post-Tarantino, post-Guy Ritchie,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/i-had-this-whole-issue-of-doing-a-crime-film-in-the-2010s-the-genre-s/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [One of the things that I do like about filmmaking is that you find out how to solve new problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/one-of-the-things-that-i-do-like-about-filmmaking-is-that-you-find/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I could be just a writer very easily. I am not a writer. I am a screenwriter, which is half a filmmaker... But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/i-could-be-just-a-writer-very-easily-i-am-not-a-writer-i-am-a/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) [Explore all 46 Paul Schrader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let's just shoot in black and white. Don't explain why. Have no reason for it. 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