--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing for television is completely…" description: "\"Writing for television is completely different from movie scriptwriting. A movie is all about the director's vision, but television is a writer's mediu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/shonda-rhimes-1866_about_writing-for-television-is-completely-dif_3013747.jpg" --- # Writing for television is completely different from movie… ![“Writing for television is completely different from movie scriptwriting. A movie is all about the director's vision, but television is a writer's medium.” quote by Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/shonda-rhimes-1866_about_writing-for-television-is-completely-dif_3013747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/shonda-rhimes-1866_about_writing-for-television-is-completely-dif_3013747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/shonda-rhimes-1866_about_writing-for-television-is-completely-dif_3013747.jpg) > “Writing for television is completely different from movie scriptwriting. A movie is all about the director's vision, but television is a writer's medium.” [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. TV writing centers on collaborative storytelling, whereas film focuses on a director’s singular vision. **In simple terms:** TV is writer‑driven, film director‑driven. Key Takeaway Adapt to collaborative processes in TV. Themes writing collaboration medium vision Mood insightful practical Type professional educational When to use this quote - screenwriting workshops - TV production - film festivals - creative meetings Key Concepts narrative structure creative control Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain voice in a writers’ room? - What benefits arise from collaboration? A Different Perspective May limit individual artistic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Medium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medium/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie Scriptwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-scriptwriting-4844286/) [Scriptwriting Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scriptwriting-movie-4844287/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-writer-1994681/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-television-757509/) ## Related quotes > [The way you write dialogue is the same whether you're writing for movies or TV or games. We use movie scriptwriting software to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lake/the-way-you-write-dialogue-is-the-same-whether-you-re-writing-for/) [Sam Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lake/) > [Writing for television is a great job. And it's a job. Most people watch TV and have a comment about one or two moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-c-harper/writing-for-television-is-a-great-job-and-it-s-a-job-most-people/) [Steven C. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-c-harper/) > [I havent been doin much comic book writing for the last several years though, as Ive been writing television projects and a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mumy/i-havent-been-doin-much-comic-book-writing-for-the-last-several-years/) [Bill Mumy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mumy/) > [ The ideal time for writing a \[television\] script is four days, though sometimes it has to be two or three days depending on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-kelley/the-ideal-time-for-writing-a-television-script-is-four-days-though/) [David E. Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-kelley/) > [In all honesty, I've written movies that have been made, and the process has not been as satisfying as writing for television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/in-all-honesty-i-ve-written-movies-that-have-been-made-and-the/) [Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/) > [People often lump radio and television together because they are both broadcast mediums. But radio, anyway, and the radio I do for NPR, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/people-often-lump-radio-and-television-together-because-they-are-both/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [There's a lot of writing in television that can sound like it's taken out of a package, and the way to get around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/there-s-a-lot-of-writing-in-television-that-can-sound-like-it-s-taken/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [I started writing prose before I started writing television. Then 'Breaking Bad' came around, and to me, writing 'Breaking Bad' is like writing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mastras/i-started-writing-prose-before-i-started-writing-television-then/) [George Mastras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mastras/) > [Writing a book is the most terrifying thing that I've ever done. It's so much harder than writing for television because it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/writing-a-book-is-the-most-terrifying-thing-that-i-ve-ever-done-it-s/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [When you write comic books and when you are writing for television, you're not writing the end product, you are writing notes for someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kirkman/when-you-write-comic-books-and-when-you-are-writing-for-television/) [Robert Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kirkman/) > [I think poets are supposed to be writing for television and film. I grew up in the day of early TV that was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-myles/i-think-poets-are-supposed-to-be-writing-for-television-and-film-i/) [Eileen Myles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-myles/) > [I think television is moving more into movies, particularly with serialization and almost cinematic proportions and expectations. A show like 'Game of Thrones' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-think-television-is-moving-more-into-movies-particularly-with/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) > [There is a lot to be said for collaboration, and it should be seen as just another way to do things as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-is-a-lot-to-be-said-for-collaboration-and-it-should-be-seen-as/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [When I first started writing for television in the seventies and eighties, the Internet didn't exist, and we didn't need to worry about foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/when-i-first-started-writing-for-television-in-the-seventies-and/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You can be far more challenging, articulate and intelligent writing for television than you can writing for the cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/you-can-be-far-more-challenging-articulate-and-intelligent-writing/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) ## More by Shonda Rhimes > [My philosophy was always try to look like Whitney Houston at all times. That did not work out so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-philosophy-was-always-try-to-look-like-whitney-houston-at-all/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Being numb no longer suits me. It’s ill-fitting and I’m antsy about it. I find myself snapping back at people more. Or writing little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/being-numb-no-longer-suits-me-it-s-ill-fitting-and-i-m-antsy-about-it/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [You don't necessarily have to watch something for 14 seasons. It's not necessarily the way everything's supposed to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/you-don-t-necessarily-have-to-watch-something-for-14-seasons-it-s-not/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But sometimes our expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-all-think-we-re-going-to-be-great-and-we-feel-a-little-bit-robbed/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My worst trait is that I'm an introvert. When I've led stuff, the hardest thing for me to overcome has been my natural desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-worst-trait-is-that-i-m-an-introvert-when-i-ve-led-stuff-the/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [There are stories to be told that are still untold and characters to be portrayed that haven't been portrayed correctly. So there's work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-are-stories-to-be-told-that-are-still-untold-and-characters-to/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I say it in the writers' room all the time: My black is not your black. What's terrifying is that, just the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-say-it-in-the-writers-room-all-the-time-my-black-is-not-your-black/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I don't think of myself as a television producer. Obviously, that's crazy. Because I should. That's what I do. But I don't actually see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-television-producer-obviously-that-s/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My father used to say to me, 'The only limit to your success is your own imagination.' I actually believed that - like, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-father-used-to-say-to-me-the-only-limit-to-your-success-is-your/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [I don't identify with her, but I highly admire Eleanor Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-identify-with-her-but-i-highly-admire-eleanor-roosevelt/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-spend-our-whole-lives-worrying-about-the-future-planning-for-the/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [What I found fascinating for me was, I've never gotten so much approval and accolades and warmth and congratulations as when I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/what-i-found-fascinating-for-me-was-i-ve-never-gotten-so-much/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [“Look. I will not be told what size to be. I do not care about anyone else’s judgment about my body. I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/look-i-will-not-be-told-what-size-to-be-i-do-not-care-about-anyone/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [My parents created a world in which the only ­barrier to your success is your own imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-parents-created-a-world-in-which-the-only-barrier-to-your-success/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [There have to be practical steps. There's no point in holding out for a magic door because there are no magic doors. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-have-to-be-practical-steps-there-s-no-point-in-holding-out-for/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) [Explore all 194 Shonda Rhimes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Writing for television is completely different from movie scriptwriting. 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