--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I do a film, I follow the director." description: "\"When I do a film, I follow the director.\" — Rooney Mara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png" --- # When I do a film, I follow the director. ![“When I do a film, I follow the director.” quote by Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png) > “When I do a film, I follow the director.” [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When making a film, the creator aligns their vision with the director’s guidance. **In simple terms:** I follow the director’s vision when filming. Key Takeaway Prioritize collaborative direction. Themes film collaboration leadership Mood cooperative creative Type professional artistic When to use this quote - movie production - teamwork - artistic execution Key Concepts directorial authority creative process Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance personal input with direction? - When is it appropriate to challenge the director? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on a director may suppress personal creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ## Related quotes > [To me, romantic means, um, you follow your heart more than your mind. Sometimes when you're shooting a film, you have to follow your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/to-me-romantic-means-um-you-follow-your-heart-more-than-your-mind/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [In films, you have to follow the director's vision. Filmmaking is a director's medium. So everything happens as per the script and his vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/in-films-you-have-to-follow-the-director-s-vision-filmmaking-is-a/) [Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/) > [I cut London Boulevard pretty aggressively, but I liked the transitions and the elliptical feel that I got. It's not an exceptionally easy film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-cut-london-boulevard-pretty-aggressively-but-i-liked-the/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [I always believe that one can't interfere in another's work. Once I start work on any film, I surrender myself completely and blindly follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-babu/i-always-believe-that-one-can-t-interfere-in-another-s-work-once-i/) [Mahesh Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-babu/) > [Some people make a great film and then they can't follow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/some-people-make-a-great-film-and-then-they-can-t-follow-up/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [My greatest strength as an actor is that I follow my director's brief completely. The film is always the director's visual baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abraham/my-greatest-strength-as-an-actor-is-that-i-follow-my-director-s-brief/) [John Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abraham/) > [The most important thing for a director is being able to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/the-most-important-thing-for-a-director-is-being-able-to-communicate/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [An established film director can just pick up the phone and say to a star, 'Hey, are you interested in doing a commercial?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/an-established-film-director-can-just-pick-up-the-phone-and-say-to-a/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [As a director, people are trusting you with their lives, with their stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chai-vasarhelyi/as-a-director-people-are-trusting-you-with-their-lives-with-their/) [Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chai-vasarhelyi/) > [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [Sometimes you can't even find the director on a movie set. Sometimes you don't want to find the director on a movie set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/sometimes-you-can-t-even-find-the-director-on-a-movie-set-sometimes/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [Because I thought there's no point trying to second guess what people are looking for, because if I'm the right director for it, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-herron/because-i-thought-there-s-no-point-trying-to-second-guess-what-people/) [Kate Herron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-herron/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [A successful director is someone who has the combination of skills that you can learn, but there's also an intuitive sensibility that they bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-heinrichs/a-successful-director-is-someone-who-has-the-combination-of-skills/) [Rick Heinrichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-heinrichs/) > [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/) ## More by Rooney Mara > [It's really hard coming of age in today's society, where society wants you to make the decision of what you want to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/it-s-really-hard-coming-of-age-in-today-s-society-where-society-wants/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [There's a certain way people are used to seeing nude women, and that's in a submissive, coy pose, not looking at the camera. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/there-s-a-certain-way-people-are-used-to-seeing-nude-women-and-that-s/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I guess I don't really measure myself by what others think. So even though I have gotten to work with some amazing directors, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-guess-i-don-t-really-measure-myself-by-what-others-think-so-even/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I try to eat food that hasn't been washed in ammonia and then packaged in the shape of breaded dinosaurs filled with cheese -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-try-to-eat-food-that-hasn-t-been-washed-in-ammonia-and-then/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [Marion Cotillard is one of my favorite actresses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/marion-cotillard-is-one-of-my-favorite-actresses/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [It's really helpful when you do something you don't like. You won't make that mistake again. It's like dating a bunch of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/it-s-really-helpful-when-you-do-something-you-don-t-like-you-won-t/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [There's only so many movies you can do. I start to get really self-loathing and sick of myself. And I think in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/there-s-only-so-many-movies-you-can-do-i-start-to-get-really-self/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [How do we get to equality? I don't think it comes from fear. I think it comes from understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/how-do-we-get-to-equality-i-don-t-think-it-comes-from-fear-i-think-it/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [If the character should be nude in the scene and it makes sense and I trust the person making the film then I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/if-the-character-should-be-nude-in-the-scene-and-it-makes-sense-and-i/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [As a 12-year-old, I think everything seems scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/as-a-12-year-old-i-think-everything-seems-scary/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I'm not at all funny. I can do dark comedy pretty well, but straight-up comedy, I don't know. I'm much darker. I've been like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-m-not-at-all-funny-i-can-do-dark-comedy-pretty-well-but-straight-up/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [People think that I grew up going to Barneys for my back-to-school clothes. I went to the Gap. We lived in a nice house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/people-think-that-i-grew-up-going-to-barneys-for-my-back-to-school/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I don't find myself intriguing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-don-t-find-myself-intriguing/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I like being alone. I need a lot of alone time as a human. And especially on a movie set when you're around people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-like-being-alone-i-need-a-lot-of-alone-time-as-a-human-and/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I can understand wanting to be invisible and mistrusting people and wanting to understand everything before you engage with the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/i-can-understand-wanting-to-be-invisible-and-mistrusting-people-and/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) [Explore all 64 Rooney Mara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) ## 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 > [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": "When I do a film, I follow the director.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rooney Mara" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/rooney-mara-10551_cinema_when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director-1_1378877.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I do a film, I follow the director.” — Rooney Mara", "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": "Rooney Mara", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I do a film, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/when-i-do-a-film-i-follow-the-director/#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 } } ] } ```