Cinema Quote by Richard Donner
“First cuts are a bitch for a director, because it's been so many months and you put your trust in your editor and you're going to see your film assembled for the first time. You look at it and go, This is terrible. I hate it.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Hollywood Reporter, 2015
Directors face anxiety when first seeing a rough cut after long production, fearing the final product may be poor.
In simple terms: Directors fear early edits can be terrible.
Key Takeaway
Prepare for revisions, trust collaborative process.
Themes
film making
creative anxiety
trust
Mood
anxious
critical
Type
professional
process
When to use this quote
- post‑production
- team communication
- expectation management
Key Concepts
editorial process
perfectionism
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can you take to improve early cuts?
- How does trust affect creative collaboration?
A Different Perspective
First cuts rarely reflect final quality; editing improves it.
