--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really subscribe to that old adage that…" description: "\"I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots peo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/581/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_adages_i-really-subscribe-to-that-old-adage-tha_1947023.jpg" --- # I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never… ![“I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience.” quote by Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/581/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_adages_i-really-subscribe-to-that-old-adage-tha_1947023.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/581/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_adages_i-really-subscribe-to-that-old-adage-tha_1947023.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/581/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_adages_i-really-subscribe-to-that-old-adage-tha_1947023.jpg) > “I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience.” [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creator should not let audience expectations dictate the work; even if the piece is challenging, audience engagement is essential. **In simple terms:** Audience engagement matters despite artistic abrasiveness. Key Takeaway Balance artistic risk with audience connection. Themes art audience creative risk Mood analytical creative Type critical reflective When to use this quote - film festivals - theater productions - live performances Key Concepts narrative cinema public reception Questions to Reflect On - When did you prioritize audience over art? - How do you gauge audience reaction? A Different Perspective Audience alienation can harm success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adages/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [. . . I felt that making her one-dimensional would be an insult to the audience, and also not as interesting. All destructive people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lagravenese/i-felt-that-making-her-one-dimensional-would-be-an-insult-to-the/) [Richard LaGravenese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lagravenese/) > [Any film that exists that is thorough, you can't give it to an audience of one and have that be effective communication. Communication involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/any-film-that-exists-that-is-thorough-you-can-t-give-it-to-an/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [I think comedy as an art involves the audience as a participant as much as is involves the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-think-comedy-as-an-art-involves-the-audience-as-a-participant-as/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Were just trying to create a certain energy together. Were trying to get to a certain place and that involves the audience. Its almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medeski-martin-and-wood/were-just-trying-to-create-a-certain-energy-together-were-trying-to/) [Medeski Martin And Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medeski-martin-and-wood/) > [The people need to feel the music. That's what's so important, and that's what is missing. You have to let the audience feel you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-spector/the-people-need-to-feel-the-music-that-s-what-s-so-important-and-that/) [Ronnie Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-spector/) > [I so think it's limiting to define an audience ahead of time. This is something I've brought on myself by being like, 'There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-so-think-it-s-limiting-to-define-an-audience-ahead-of-time-this-is/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [As an actor, the thing I want to do to an audience is always be ahead of them and always be surprising in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bisley/as-an-actor-the-thing-i-want-to-do-to-an-audience-is-always-be-ahead/) [Steve Bisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bisley/) > [I think a script is great when it starts with the structure and works with the structure without falling into the typical three-act system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-guadagnino/i-think-a-script-is-great-when-it-starts-with-the-structure-and-works/) [Luca Guadagnino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luca-guadagnino/) > [The structure and formula are now so well-known that it's become very hard for the film-maker not to commit the cardinal sin: letting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ol-parker/the-structure-and-formula-are-now-so-well-known-that-it-s-become-very/) [Ol Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ol-parker/) > [You don't want to get too far ahead of the audience and you don't want the audience to be ahead of you. So, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ayer/you-don-t-want-to-get-too-far-ahead-of-the-audience-and-you-don-t/) [David Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ayer/) > [If someone's a flake, I help them dig their own hole. I let the audience be the judge. And believe me, they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-bell/if-someone-s-a-flake-i-help-them-dig-their-own-hole-i-let-the/) [Art Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-bell/) > [Let an audience be able to find it themselves without spoonfeeding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-warburton/let-an-audience-be-able-to-find-it-themselves-without-spoonfeeding-it/) [Patrick Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-warburton/) > [With my work in 'Mardaani' being well-received, I am more aware than ever that I have to keep the game up. I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-raj-bhasin/with-my-work-in-mardaani-being-well-received-i-am-more-aware-than/) [Tahir Raj Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-raj-bhasin/) > [“I give up, sweetheart. Just answer the questions and try not to let the audience see how openly you despise them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-give-up-sweetheart-just-answer-the-questions-and-try-not-to-let-the/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I don't like telling people where I stand on this, although I'm surprised anybody wonders. I suppose if I say I'm pro-choice, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-solondz/i-don-t-like-telling-people-where-i-stand-on-this-although-i-m/) [Todd Solondz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-solondz/) ## More by Paul Thomas Anderson > [I don't think the competition's so rough, within the majority of movies made in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-don-t-think-the-competition-s-so-rough-within-the-majority-of/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [You write who you are. But you also cheat, and youwrite what you want to be. It's embarrasing to be the guy who madethe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/you-write-who-you-are-but-you-also-cheat-and-youwrite-what-you-want/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I always had a dream about trying to make a movie that had no dialogue in it, that was just music and pictures. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-always-had-a-dream-about-trying-to-make-a-movie-that-had-no/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I'm not really a Sundance baby, but they helped me so much I feel I have to acknowledge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-m-not-really-a-sundance-baby-but-they-helped-me-so-much-i-feel-i/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [You have to be a brat in order to carve out your parameters, and you have to be a monster to anyone who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/you-have-to-be-a-brat-in-order-to-carve-out-your-parameters-and-you/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [My older sister was at the cusp of new wave, and I had older brothers from my father's first marriage who were rock 'n'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/my-older-sister-was-at-the-cusp-of-new-wave-and-i-had-older-brothers/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I think my job is to try and be as honest as I can with what is in my mind and how I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-think-my-job-is-to-try-and-be-as-honest-as-i-can-with-what-is-in-my/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-ve-never-been-a-fan-of-whimsical-or-confusing-storytelling/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/so-with-there-will-be-blood-i-didn-t-even-really-feel-like-i-was/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I didn't have any desire I might have had 10 years ago to shoot every single word that I wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-didn-t-have-any-desire-i-might-have-had-10-years-ago-to-shoot-every/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-director-s-job-to-peek-behind-the-curtain-too/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I'll rebel against powers and principalities, all the time. Always, I will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-ll-rebel-against-powers-and-principalities-all-the-time-always-i/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/but-i-d-be-lying-if-i-didn-t-say-that-every-time-you-go-to-make-a/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [It's so hard to do anything that doesn't owe some kind of debt to what Stanley Kubrick did with music in movies. Inevitably, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/it-s-so-hard-to-do-anything-that-doesn-t-owe-some-kind-of-debt-to/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-the-information-is-there-if-you/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) [Explore all 51 Paul Thomas Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) ## More Adages quotes > [It’s not just the adage ‘write what you know,’ it’s about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience you’ve collected up to now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/it-s-not-just-the-adage-write-what-you-know-it-s-about-gathering-up/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Wise is the tongue, wet of perfect thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-francis/wise-is-the-tongue-wet-of-perfect-thought/) [Black Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-francis/) > [Another lesson about a naive fool who came to Babylon, and found out that the pie don't taste so sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-yoakam/another-lesson-about-a-naive-fool-who-came-to-babylon-and-found-out/) [Dwight Yoakam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-yoakam/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [If you need somebody you can trust, trust yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/if-you-need-somebody-you-can-trust-trust-yourself/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Something happens when your subconscious goes to work... That's why 'Sleep on it' is an adage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-voight/something-happens-when-your-subconscious-goes-to-work-that-s-why/) [Jon Voight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-voight/) > [There's an adage that a lot of coaches have, that I completely disagree with, is if you make the Olympic team too early you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-coughlin/there-s-an-adage-that-a-lot-of-coaches-have-that-i-completely/) [Natalie Coughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-coughlin/) > [An ancient adage warns, "Never go to sea with two chronometers; take one or three."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-brooks/an-ancient-adage-warns-never-go-to-sea-with-two-chronometers-take-one/) [Fred Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-brooks/) > [Don't judge the picture by the frame, every man is not the same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/don-t-judge-the-picture-by-the-frame-every-man-is-not-the-same/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Failure isn't failure if a lesson from it's learned. I guess love would not be love without a risk of being burned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-brooks/failure-isn-t-failure-if-a-lesson-from-it-s-learned-i-guess-love/) [Garth Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-brooks/) > [When you have everything, you have everything to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/when-you-have-everything-you-have-everything-to-lose/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [As the old African adage says, 'everybody skin to me ain't kin to me'. So you can't exclusively make that the criteria of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/as-the-old-african-adage-says-everybody-skin-to-me-ain-t-kin-to-me-so/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [Fool you once, you are forgiven. Fool you twice, you're just a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-chapin-carpenter/fool-you-once-you-are-forgiven-fool-you-twice-you-re-just-a-fool/) [Mary Chapin Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-chapin-carpenter/) [Browse all 340 Adages quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adages/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. 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