--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who…" description: "\"Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for us. We had him chop it down and change the gear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/robert-drew-52755_camera_richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who_613168.png" --- # Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve… ![“Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for us. We had him chop it down and change the gears from metal to plastic, which would cut down on the sound it made when it was running.” quote by Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/robert-drew-52755_camera_richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who_613168.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/robert-drew-52755_camera_richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who_613168.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/robert-drew-52755_camera_richard-leacock-and-i-ran-into-a-guy-who_613168.png) > “Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for us. We had him chop it down and change the gears from metal to plastic, which would cut down on the sound it made when it was running.” [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A filmmaker modified a camera to reduce noise, enabling quieter, more intimate documentary shooting. **In simple terms:** They silenced a camera for better sound capture. Key Takeaway Use quieter tools to improve observation. Themes innovation filmmaking technology Mood practical creative Type technical instructional When to use this quote - field recording - interview settings - low‑light shooting - on‑location production Key Concepts documentary sound engineering Questions to Reflect On - How does equipment noise affect storytelling? - What trade‑offs are acceptable for silence? A Different Perspective Quiet equipment may limit durability or image quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) ## Related quotes > [When I chop wood, I chop wood. When I carry water, I carry water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layman-pang/when-i-chop-wood-i-chop-wood-when-i-carry-water-i-carry-water/) [Layman Pang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layman-pang/) > [Why are people always shooting zombies? Why not just chop their heads off? How can zombies get you if you have a good sword?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linden-ashby/why-are-people-always-shooting-zombies-why-not-just-chop-their-heads/) [Linden Ashby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linden-ashby/) > [With wok cooking, you chop things up into little pieces for maximum surface area, so they can cook in minutes, if not seconds. Sauteing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/with-wok-cooking-you-chop-things-up-into-little-pieces-for-maximum/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [Iraq will spread them even more and chop them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/iraq-will-spread-them-even-more-and-chop-them-up/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [When my girlfriend's away, I cook a big vat of meaty pasta and sauce and eat that for about a week. Then I eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/when-my-girlfriend-s-away-i-cook-a-big-vat-of-meaty-pasta-and-sauce/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [“to-morrow chop”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-grimm/to-morrow-chop/) [Jacob Grimm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-grimm/) > [Take care to chop the onion fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-esquivel/take-care-to-chop-the-onion-fine/) [Laura Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-esquivel/) > [Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zen-proverb/before-enlightenment-chop-wood-and-carry-water-after-enlightenment/) [Zen Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zen-proverb/) > [I like the guy who reads. Being articulate is something that's very important to me. But you need to know how to chop wood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/i-like-the-guy-who-reads-being-articulate-is-something-that-s-very/) [Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/) > [Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/chop-your-own-wood-and-it-will-warm-you-twice/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [It's long been a cliche in Washington that if you hang a lamb chop in your window, guests will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-fields/it-s-long-been-a-cliche-in-washington-that-if-you-hang-a-lamb-chop-in/) [Suzanne Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-fields/) > [I'm from the South, and there's a different understanding of how to chop. There's a syllable play. It's a delicate art. Your accent has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yelawolf/i-m-from-the-south-and-there-s-a-different-understanding-of-how-to/) [Yelawolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yelawolf/) > [Chop your own path. Get off the car track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-y-jackson/chop-your-own-path-get-off-the-car-track/) [A. Y. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-y-jackson/) > [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“If your name is "canoe" and you can't float on water, you are useless! If they call you "cutlass" but you can't chop anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-your-name-is-canoe-and-you-can-t-float-on-water-you-are-useless-if/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) ## More by Robert Drew > [All my films are shot on hand-held cameras. These cameras took five years to build and had to be light enough to be carried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/all-my-films-are-shot-on-hand-held-cameras-these-cameras-took-five/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [Remember, the death penalty is murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/remember-the-death-penalty-is-murder/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [I made four films on John F. Kennedy, filmed when he was running for office, in office, and after his death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/i-made-four-films-on-john-f-kennedy-filmed-when-he-was-running-for/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [There's a wide range today of documentaries on politics. The central mass of it is made by networks, and nothing's changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/there-s-a-wide-range-today-of-documentaries-on-politics-the-central/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [Nonfiction filmmakers were afflicted by two problems: one technical, the other spiritual. Technically, they did not have the equipment to do the sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/nonfiction-filmmakers-were-afflicted-by-two-problems-one-technical/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [When we made 'Primary,' it was just one camera. We were trying to make ourselves inconspicuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/when-we-made-primary-it-was-just-one-camera-we-were-trying-to-make/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) [Explore all 7 Robert Drew quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) ## More Camera quotes > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [When I made my debut as an actor in 'Rock On!' I was confident to get in front of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/when-i-made-my-debut-as-an-actor-in-rock-on-i-was-confident-to-get-in/) [Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/) > [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/) Mitra Farahani > [To be honest, I don't know... something about the camera like turns me into such a diva. Like when it's on and I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-something-about-the-camera-like-turns-me/) [Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/) > [When the camera is on, I am an actor; otherwise, I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/when-the-camera-is-on-i-am-an-actor-otherwise-i-am-an-ordinary-person/) [Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/) > [“A camera is an opening in a box: that is the best emblem of the fact that a camera holding an object is holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-cavell/a-camera-is-an-opening-in-a-box-that-is-the-best-emblem-of-the-fact/) [Stanley Cavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-cavell/) > [It's such a weird thing, because you have a whole crew of people standing over there, on the other side. There's a camera pointing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/it-s-such-a-weird-thing-because-you-have-a-whole-crew-of-people/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) > [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [I was so green, and my background was mostly in theater. The only thing I'd done in front of a camera, besides an infomercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-britton/i-was-so-green-and-my-background-was-mostly-in-theater-the-only-thing/) [Connie Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-britton/) > [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-photographer-not-the-camera-that-is-the-instrument/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like to move the camera that much anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/i-don-t-like-to-move-the-camera-that-much-anyway/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [I feel like 'Preacher's Daughter' was my Trojan horse, in a way. I'm excited to pull back, be behind the camera instead of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-feel-like-preacher-s-daughter-was-my-trojan-horse-in-a-way-i-m/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) [Browse all 2,026 Camera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Richard Leacock and I ran into a guy who knew how to carve up a camera, and we had him carve one up for us. 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