--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Documentaries are inherently instinctual…" description: "\"Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly moment to moment, determining what the best place for the camera is to tell the story, usua..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg" --- # Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're… ![“Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly moment to moment, determining what the best place for the camera is to tell the story, usually in service of natural lighting.” quote by Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg) > “Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly moment to moment, determining what the best place for the camera is to tell the story, usually in service of natural lighting.” [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes documentaries as instinct-driven, constantly seeking the optimal camera placement to convey the story, often guided by natural light. **In simple terms:** Documentaries rely on instinct and natural lighting. Key Takeaway Follow instinct, use light. Themes creativity visual storytelling instinct Mood analytical inspirational Type educational technical When to use this quote - film production - educational workshops - creative brainstorming Key Concepts cinematography documentary filmmaking Questions to Reflect On - How does natural light shape your visual narrative? - When do you prioritize composition over lighting? A Different Perspective Technical constraints can limit instinctual choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Camera Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera-tell-2788492/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentaries Inherently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries-inherently-5802148/) [Inherently Instinctual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherently-instinctual-5802149/) [Instinctual Constantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinctual-constantly-5802150/) [Natural light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-light/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in naturalistic lighting, which isn't to say natural light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-believe-in-naturalistic-lighting-which-isn-t-to-say-natural-light/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [I think from an early age I was aware of how a camera can tell a story, how a movie camera can affect how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/i-think-from-an-early-age-i-was-aware-of-how-a-camera-can-tell-a/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [At the end of the day, you're trying to - be it on theatre or on the camera - tell the truth and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-alwyn/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-re-trying-to-be-it-on-theatre-or-on-the/) [Joe Alwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-alwyn/) > [I approach film no differently than I approach a role. I want to make sure the movie is right, the characters are right, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larenz-tate/i-approach-film-no-differently-than-i-approach-a-role-i-want-to-make/) [Larenz Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larenz-tate/) > [I love the luxury of the camera. The camera does so much for you. I like the secrets a camera can tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-love-the-luxury-of-the-camera-the-camera-does-so-much-for-you-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I don't paint, and I can't draw, but I see things, I think, quite well, and I love being able to freeze things with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-trudeau/i-don-t-paint-and-i-can-t-draw-but-i-see-things-i-think-quite-well/) [Margaret Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-trudeau/) > [I'm not an artist. I set the camera up and tell my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-an-artist-i-set-the-camera-up-and-tell-my-story/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Early on, someone had told me, 'You know, the camera can always tell when you're lying.' And, Jesus, that intimidated me. 'The camera can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/early-on-someone-had-told-me-you-know-the-camera-can-always-tell-when/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [I'd grab the camera and tell people what to do, and when I was 14, someone told me that it was called directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-d-grab-the-camera-and-tell-people-what-to-do-and-when-i-was-14/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“building, all tinted glass and natural lighting, was nothing like the cement tomb where”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dugoni/building-all-tinted-glass-and-natural-lighting-was-nothing-like-the/) [Robert Dugoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dugoni/) > [She was plump, with dyed red hair and a face so caked with cosmetics that the floor of the Amazon jungle probably saw more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/she-was-plump-with-dyed-red-hair-and-a-face-so-caked-with-cosmetics/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [Think hard about the reasons for believing and not believing, what your religion teaches you and demands so inexorably that you believe. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-meslier/think-hard-about-the-reasons-for-believing-and-not-believing-what/) [Jean Meslier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-meslier/) > [“What a foreigner may see in a fool, a bigot, an idiot or others of their kinds? Really I cannot say. As normalcy goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dew-platt/what-a-foreigner-may-see-in-a-fool-a-bigot-an-idiot-or-others-of/) [Dew Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dew-platt/) > [A room is not a room without natural light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/a-room-is-not-a-room-without-natural-light/) [Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/) > [Who can now deny the loss of natural light, of skin tones, of real place, and common but precious things in our movies, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/who-can-now-deny-the-loss-of-natural-light-of-skin-tones-of-real/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) ## More by Rachel Morrison > [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [Part of the reason why I love to operate is because I find that so much of what we do is instinctual. It's dancing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/part-of-the-reason-why-i-love-to-operate-is-because-i-find-that-so/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [You can only shoot small movies and documentaries for so long if you want to have a family that you support; eventually, you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/you-can-only-shoot-small-movies-and-documentaries-for-so-long-if-you/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [As artists, we can't help but infuse our art with our own experience, so your experience becomes informative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/as-artists-we-can-t-help-but-infuse-our-art-with-our-own-experience/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [The first female DPs that I was aware of were Ellen Kuras, Mandy Walker, Nancy Schreiber, Amy Vincent, Sandi Sissel, Maryse Alberti and Tami…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/the-first-female-dps-that-i-was-aware-of-were-ellen-kuras-mandy/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [I find beauty in imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-find-beauty-in-imperfection/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [I think lighting is a reflection of what is at stake emotionally in a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-think-lighting-is-a-reflection-of-what-is-at-stake-emotionally-in-a/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [If there's anything consistent about my work, it's not flat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/if-there-s-anything-consistent-about-my-work-it-s-not-flat/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [It would be naive to say that you could make a movie on film for the same price you can digitally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/it-would-be-naive-to-say-that-you-could-make-a-movie-on-film-for-the/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [Photos have the real task of bringing exposure to places that we otherwise don't have much awareness of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/photos-have-the-real-task-of-bringing-exposure-to-places-that-we/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [I pour my blood, sweat, and tears into a movie. What I always look for is a message and a social consciousness: a relevance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-pour-my-blood-sweat-and-tears-into-a-movie-what-i-always-look-for/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [Authenticity, to me, is something that you feel, and if it doesn't feel authentic, you pick up on it right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/authenticity-to-me-is-something-that-you-feel-and-if-it-doesn-t-feel/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > ['Fruitvale' set the bar for what I wanted to do with my career, which was to make films that had consciousness and messaging in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/fruitvale-set-the-bar-for-what-i-wanted-to-do-with-my-career-which/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [We shot 'Mudbound' in the South in the summer, which meant we were working in extreme heat and humidity at all times and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/we-shot-mudbound-in-the-south-in-the-summer-which-meant-we-were/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [The biggest difference for me was that I operated almost every frame on 'Mudbound,' and I didn't operate on 'Black Panther.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/the-biggest-difference-for-me-was-that-i-operated-almost-every-frame/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) [Explore all 73 Rachel Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) [Gene Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-scott/) > [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/) [Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) [Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly moment to moment, determining what the best place for the camera is to tell the story, usually in service of natural lighting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rachel Morrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual-you-re-constantly-moment-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Best" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual-you-re-constantly-moment-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ea/rachel-morrison-9347_best_documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual_3176387.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly moment to moment, determining what the best…” — Rachel Morrison", "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": "Rachel Morrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Documentaries are inherently instinctual; you're constantly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual-you-re-constantly-moment-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/documentaries-are-inherently-instinctual-you-re-constantly-moment-to/#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 } } ] } ```