--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To me, one of the main things that a…" description: "\"To me, one of the main things that a director does is create the tone of his movie.\" — Peter Sarsgaard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg" --- # To me, one of the main things that a director does is… ![“To me, one of the main things that a director does is create the tone of his movie.” quote by Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg) > “To me, one of the main things that a director does is create the tone of his movie.” [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director shapes a film by establishing its overall mood and style. **In simple terms:** Directors set a movie’s tone. Key Takeaway Focus on consistent atmosphere. Themes creativity leadership artistic vision Mood thoughtful inspired Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - film production - creative meetings - post‑production review Key Concepts cinematography sound design storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure tone aligns with script? - What elements most influence tone? A Different Perspective Tone can be misinterpreted without clear communication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Create Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-tone-4093530/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Director Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-does-278153/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Things Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-director-1556124/) [Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone/) [Tone Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone-movie-630965/) ## Related quotes > [One of the great things about being a director as a life choice is that it can never be mastered. Every story is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/one-of-the-great-things-about-being-a-director-as-a-life-choice-is/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [Honestly, one of my favorite things about a director is when they understand what an actor brings to their role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-messina/honestly-one-of-my-favorite-things-about-a-director-is-when-they/) [Chris Messina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-messina/) > [With the work that I do as a director, I've got dialogue, camera movement, and character blocking to help create a tone to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-ruell/with-the-work-that-i-do-as-a-director-i-ve-got-dialogue-camera/) [Aaron Ruell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-ruell/) > [At the end of the day, you, as the player, create the tone coming out of the amp. The gear is part of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-as-the-player-create-the-tone-coming-out-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [After all these years, I'm starting to learn what a good director does, and I know what a good one does with actors: help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-geraghty/after-all-these-years-i-m-starting-to-learn-what-a-good-director-does/) [Brian Geraghty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-geraghty/) > [Film is mostly a visual medium, and so the director has much more control in terms of painting pictures and painting a performance. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lindsay-abaire/film-is-mostly-a-visual-medium-and-so-the-director-has-much-more/) [David Lindsay-Abaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lindsay-abaire/) > [Listen, there are some movies that are set in stone and the writer or the director does not want to change, but I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/listen-there-are-some-movies-that-are-set-in-stone-and-the-writer-or/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [A lot of times the character's experience is not in accordance with the tone of the movie and it's not really my job to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/a-lot-of-times-the-character-s-experience-is-not-in-accordance-with/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [I start with the music before I start writing the movie. It's such an important part for me, emotionally, to set up the tone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-winkler/i-start-with-the-music-before-i-start-writing-the-movie-it-s-such-an/) [Max Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-winkler/) > [What's hard in movies is to have a consistent tone throughout a movie. Whatever that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-zahn/what-s-hard-in-movies-is-to-have-a-consistent-tone-throughout-a-movie/) [Steve Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-zahn/) > [You have to understand the tone of the movie, because if it's supposed to be funny, it can be funny violent like the Home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-ellis/you-have-to-understand-the-tone-of-the-movie-because-if-it-s-supposed/) [David R. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-ellis/) > [I've never like had a system or a program, I always think that I don't know how to act. I'll adapt to any director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/i-ve-never-like-had-a-system-or-a-program-i-always-think-that-i-don-t/) [Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/) > [I think one of the major things a director has to do is to know his subject matter, the subject matter of his script,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wise/i-think-one-of-the-major-things-a-director-has-to-do-is-to-know-his/) [Robert Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wise/) > [The funniest thing is that all the things every director goes through, I thought I could shortcut, but there was no getting around those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-funniest-thing-is-that-all-the-things-every-director-goes-through/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [In the film industry you never really know if all the various ingredients will come together - sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/in-the-film-industry-you-never-really-know-if-all-the-various/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) ## More by Peter Sarsgaard > [Im okay with being unimpressive. I sleep better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/im-okay-with-being-unimpressive-i-sleep-better/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [I tend to lose my performance energy the longer things go on for, so I'm always best on the very first take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-tend-to-lose-my-performance-energy-the-longer-things-go-on-for-so-i/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [Usually the way I think someone is radicalized is through a personal experience. The thing about environmental activism is that we are all having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/usually-the-way-i-think-someone-is-radicalized-is-through-a-personal/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [I've always looked at the world as a place where people have done evil things. 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You can get infatuated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-still-consider-myself-a-young-actor-i-m-34-i-still-view-it-as-the/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [If you go in and audition for roles rather than just be offered them, then you kind of get a chance to kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/if-you-go-in-and-audition-for-roles-rather-than-just-be-offered-them/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [If all the circumstances of acting are made to easy, then there's no grain of sand to make the pearl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/if-all-the-circumstances-of-acting-are-made-to-easy-then-there-s-no/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [I get so happy to see someone like Jodie descend into absurdity and be human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-get-so-happy-to-see-someone-like-jodie-descend-into-absurdity-and/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [I always think change is important in a character. The most dynamic choices that you can make for a character are always the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-always-think-change-is-important-in-a-character-the-most-dynamic/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [It is very possible that I could have ended up on 80 acres of land by myself, and fallen in love at a distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/it-is-very-possible-that-i-could-have-ended-up-on-80-acres-of-land-by/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [Even a good politician, someone who is very ambitious, chooses not to see trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/even-a-good-politician-someone-who-is-very-ambitious-chooses-not-to/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [But the way that we've got it organized in our family, we try not to work at the same time, so I'm just now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/but-the-way-that-we-ve-got-it-organized-in-our-family-we-try-not-to/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [I would like to sail across the Atlantic. I would like the experience of being that far away from land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-would-like-to-sail-across-the-atlantic-i-would-like-the-experience/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) [Explore all 40 Peter Sarsgaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) [Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/) > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To me, one of the main things that a director does is create the tone of his movie.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Sarsgaard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-director-does-is-create-the-tone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-director-does-is-create-the-tone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/peter-sarsgaard-16194_cinema_to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-dire_1273957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To me, one of the main things that a director does is create the tone of his movie.” — Peter Sarsgaard", "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": "Peter Sarsgaard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To me, one of the main...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-director-does-is-create-the-tone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/to-me-one-of-the-main-things-that-a-director-does-is-create-the-tone/#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 } } ] } ```