--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've done films over the years that…" description: "\"I've done films over the years that basically no one saw. And I'm thankful that some of them haven't been seen.\" — Sam Elliott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/sam-elliott-14136_basically_i-ve-done-films-over-the-years-that-basi_1954455.jpg" --- # I've done films over the years that basically no one saw… ![“I've done films over the years that basically no one saw. And I'm thankful that some of them haven't been seen.” quote by Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/sam-elliott-14136_basically_i-ve-done-films-over-the-years-that-basi_1954455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/sam-elliott-14136_basically_i-ve-done-films-over-the-years-that-basi_1954455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/sam-elliott-14136_basically_i-ve-done-films-over-the-years-that-basi_1954455.jpg) > “I've done films over the years that basically no one saw. And I'm thankful that some of them haven't been seen.” [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He has made many films that few saw, and appreciates that some remain unseen. **In simple terms:** Some works stay unseen, and that's okay. Key Takeaway Accept unseen efforts. Themes art humility gratitude Mood reflective grateful Type personal artistic When to use this quote - independent projects - personal art - career reflections Key Concepts film industry creative process Questions to Reflect On - Do you value creation over recognition? - What unseen work matters to you? A Different Perspective Lack of exposure can limit impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basically/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Films Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-years-628547/) [Haven Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haven-seen/) [Saw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saw/) [Saw Thankful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saw-thankful-3191175/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Thankful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankful/) [Ve Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-films-617401/) ## Related quotes > [I've made some films that were very much image based: 'Anna Karenina' and 'Pan,' for instance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wright/i-ve-made-some-films-that-were-very-much-image-based-anna-karenina/) [Joe Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wright/) > [I've made several films that haven't been shown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-anger/i-ve-made-several-films-that-haven-t-been-shown/) [Kenneth Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-anger/) > [I've done it with all my films. I always keep an eye on the first time I show it because... I don't know. Neurosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/i-ve-done-it-with-all-my-films-i-always-keep-an-eye-on-the-first-time/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [I've made films that I've given all I had to, that no one has seen. The bottom line is I want to work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiefer-sutherland/i-ve-made-films-that-i-ve-given-all-i-had-to-that-no-one-has-seen-the/) [Kiefer Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiefer-sutherland/) > [I'm not a cineaste. I've made so few films. Sometimes it feels each one is the last one or the first one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leos-carax/i-m-not-a-cineaste-i-ve-made-so-few-films-sometimes-it-feels-each-one/) [Leos Carax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leos-carax/) > [I have closely followed Guy Ritchie films over the years. I guess they are genres in themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arshad-warsi/i-have-closely-followed-guy-ritchie-films-over-the-years-i-guess-they/) [Arshad Warsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arshad-warsi/) > [People have been modeling their lives after films for years, but the medium is somehow unsuited to moral lessons, cautionary tales or polemics of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/people-have-been-modeling-their-lives-after-films-for-years-but-the/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [I've produced my own films for twenty years now - it means I have to talk to less people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-ve-produced-my-own-films-for-twenty-years-now-it-means-i-have-to/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I could be the driver - the Uber guy saying, "I used to be in films years ago... ."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-could-be-the-driver-the-uber-guy-saying-i-used-to-be-in-films-years/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [I'm always open. I try not to have a closed mind. In fact the only reason why I'm able to continue to make films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-m-always-open-i-try-not-to-have-a-closed-mind-in-fact-the-only/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [As I get on and films take four years to complete, I tend to have a hankering for very short projects so you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/as-i-get-on-and-films-take-four-years-to-complete-i-tend-to-have-a/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I waited for each film to become important for me. If I had no ideas for a film, I didn't do a film. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-waited-for-each-film-to-become-important-for-me-if-i-had-no-ideas/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [I've done 21 films in eight years, and I've said 'No' more times than I've done films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mekhi-phifer/i-ve-done-21-films-in-eight-years-and-i-ve-said-no-more-times-than-i/) [Mekhi Phifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mekhi-phifer/) > [I don't believe in doing 20 films a years and being on number one, number five or anything that kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soha-ali-khan/i-don-t-believe-in-doing-20-films-a-years-and-being-on-number-one/) [Soha Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soha-ali-khan/) > [I've done a few studio films in the last few years where I feel like I've done good work, and then I only end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/illeana-douglas/i-ve-done-a-few-studio-films-in-the-last-few-years-where-i-feel-like/) [Illeana Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/illeana-douglas/) ## More by Sam Elliott > [I did beef ads for about eight years because I love the people in that industry, and there are a lot of people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-did-beef-ads-for-about-eight-years-because-i-love-the-people-in/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I read a lot of scripts. Most of 'em go to other actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-read-a-lot-of-scripts-most-of-em-go-to-other-actors/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [My family is all from the Southwest. My great-great-grandfather was at the Battle of San Jacinto with Sam Houston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/my-family-is-all-from-the-southwest-my-great-great-grandfather-was-at/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [My voice gets recognized before anything else. It's always gotten attention. In choruses at church and school, I started as a tenor, moved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/my-voice-gets-recognized-before-anything-else-it-s-always-gotten/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [My security comes from the fact that I've never done a job for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/my-security-comes-from-the-fact-that-i-ve-never-done-a-job-for-money/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I was in the cement end of the construction business, as a laborer. I was pouring concrete, and stripping forms off of set concrete,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-was-in-the-cement-end-of-the-construction-business-as-a-laborer-i/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I love the fact that I'm having an opportunity to make people laugh and you actually get to hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-love-the-fact-that-i-m-having-an-opportunity-to-make-people-laugh/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I'm picky, very picky. I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old, and I figured that was only one way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-m-picky-very-picky-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I just went to see too many movies and I sat in too many dark matinees watching those old serials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-just-went-to-see-too-many-movies-and-i-sat-in-too-many-dark/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I've spent my entire career on horseback or on a motorcycle. It boxes you in, the way people perceive you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-ve-spent-my-entire-career-on-horseback-or-on-a-motorcycle-it-boxes/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I've had those periods in my career when I was sitting around waiting for a phone call and had an agent who was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-ve-had-those-periods-in-my-career-when-i-was-sitting-around-waiting/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I spent a lot of time growing up in Oregon after I left California. Spent a lot of time in the woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-growing-up-in-oregon-after-i-left-california/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [You know, I know a lot of lifeguards. Both my parents were lifeguards at a lake in El Paso, Texas. I was a lifeguard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/you-know-i-know-a-lot-of-lifeguards-both-my-parents-were-lifeguards/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [It seemed like whenever a Western was going to get made, it came my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/it-seemed-like-whenever-a-western-was-going-to-get-made-it-came-my-way/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) > [I was never afraid of hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-elliott/i-was-never-afraid-of-hard-work/) [Sam Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) [Explore all 47 Sam Elliott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-elliott/) ## More Basically quotes > [When I graduated from Brown, I had a very limited conception of jobs, careers, and what I wanted to do. Basically, I figured I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/when-i-graduated-from-brown-i-had-a-very-limited-conception-of-jobs/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [You basically have a group of four spies who are chosen for a mission they feel for the fact of how competent they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-leblanc/you-basically-have-a-group-of-four-spies-who-are-chosen-for-a-mission/) [Matt LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-leblanc/) > [I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-we-should-have-basically-the-same-tax-policy-that-germany/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [I can't say that I wouldn't prefer to make small films, basically because I think they are probably more interesting in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-can-t-say-that-i-wouldn-t-prefer-to-make-small-films-basically/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Basically, Pizza Hut just backed out on the ad agency at the last minute. They got fired and we got fired. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/basically-pizza-hut-just-backed-out-on-the-ad-agency-at-the-last/) [Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/) > [My mum was Labour-voting, but wanted us to know we were important. Basically, everyone's equal, but you, my children, are a bit better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/my-mum-was-labour-voting-but-wanted-us-to-know-we-were-important/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [When I heard that the bees were in trouble, the fact that they're disappearing and not coming back to the hive, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-schwartzberg/when-i-heard-that-the-bees-were-in-trouble-the-fact-that-they-re/) [Louie Schwartzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-schwartzberg/) > [It would be amazing if we were just basically judged on the merits of what we do, but we're not. That's not part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aspen-ladd/it-would-be-amazing-if-we-were-just-basically-judged-on-the-merits-of/) [Aspen Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aspen-ladd/) > [In my own case, I'm an artist, and I'm really interested in expanding the vocabulary of human action, and basically empowering people through interactivity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/in-my-own-case-i-m-an-artist-and-i-m-really-interested-in-expanding/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [Civilian law around aviation is much looser than those governing military. Civilian planes can basically fly wherever they want in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/civilian-law-around-aviation-is-much-looser-than-those-governing/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Nuclear DNA encodes all the proteins and enzymes that make you you, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/nuclear-dna-encodes-all-the-proteins-and-enzymes-that-make-you-you/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [“I basically have nothing to offer to others. If you think about it, I don’t even have anything to offer myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-basically-have-nothing-to-offer-to-others-if-you-think-about-it-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I have been performing in the street for more than 50 years: magic for basically 60 years, and the high wire 45 years. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-have-been-performing-in-the-street-for-more-than-50-years-magic-for/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Basically, I listen to voices. If they write good songs and they can sing, I'll probably like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/basically-i-listen-to-voices-if-they-write-good-songs-and-they-can/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [There's something about the air and the sky and the atmosphere in the South of France that must be very conducive to work, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/there-s-something-about-the-air-and-the-sky-and-the-atmosphere-in-the/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) [Browse all 1,129 Basically quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basically/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've done films over the years that basically no one saw. 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