--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no minor decisions in movie…" description: "\"There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie crashing down aroun..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg" --- # There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each… ![“There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie crashing down around my head many months later.” quote by Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg) > “There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie crashing down around my head many months later.” [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every filmmaking choice has lasting impact; small missteps can later undermine the entire project. **In simple terms:** Small choices shape big outcomes. Key Takeaway Attention to detail matters. Themes decision-making film production risk consequences craftsmanship Mood determined cautious reflective Type advice observation When to use this quote - directing a feature - editing a scene - budget allocation - casting decisions - post-production revisions Key Concepts creative process quality control long-term vision Practical Applications - film education - project management training Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate the ripple effect of a minor decision? - What safeguards can prevent a small error from derailing a project? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crashing down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crashing-down/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Decisions Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-movie-399576/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Making decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-decision/) [Minor Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minor-decisions-399577/) [Minors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minors/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-making/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/when-making-a-decision-of-minor-importance-i-have-always-found-it/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [There are times when I'm caught up in everything and I have to say to myself, "Please feel good; please feel better; everything's okay;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/there-are-times-when-i-m-caught-up-in-everything-and-i-have-to-say-to/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The falling apart of a man's life should make more noise. It should startle passesrby with its Sturm and Drang. It ought to sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/the-falling-apart-of-a-man-s-life-should-make-more-noise-it-should/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [Repealing drug laws would remove the risks involved with producing and distributing drugs, bringing 'street prices' crashing down (it's estimated that a 'spoon' of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/repealing-drug-laws-would-remove-the-risks-involved-with-producing/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [It takes a million compliments to build you up and one insult to send it all crashing down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/it-takes-a-million-compliments-to-build-you-up-and-one-insult-to-send/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Шn Hollywood actresses say they can't go above a size 6. I think everybody is operating in this huge bubble of fear. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/n-hollywood-actresses-say-they-can-t-go-above-a-size-6-i-think/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [Your novels show only the tiniest fraction of detective work, the brilliant crime, the tantalizing clues, the dramatic chase, the final battle atop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-petrucha/your-novels-show-only-the-tiniest-fraction-of-detective-work-the/) [Stefan Petrucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-petrucha/) > [I waited for dawn, but only because I had forgotten how hard mornings were. For a second I'd be normal. Then came the dim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-waited-for-dawn-but-only-because-i-had-forgotten-how-hard-mornings/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [You only have to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/you-only-have-to-kick-in-the-door-and-the-whole-rotten-structure-will/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Attitude determines your altitude, if you have a bad attitude, even if you are way up there, you will come crashing down, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strive-masiyiwa/attitude-determines-your-altitude-if-you-have-a-bad-attitude-even-if/) [Strive Masiyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strive-masiyiwa/) > [I want to tell you about the God that actually showed up and healed my heart. Not the God I grew up, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-want-to-tell-you-about-the-god-that-actually-showed-up-and-healed/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [What we are trying to do at Virgin is not to have one enormous company in one sector under one banner, but to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/what-we-are-trying-to-do-at-virgin-is-not-to-have-one-enormous/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [What was I afraid of, exactly? What other people would think? I guess, a little. But that wasn't what was stopping me from acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/what-was-i-afraid-of-exactly-what-other-people-would-think-i-guess-a/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [The only thing that looks good is the stock market, but if you raise interest rates even a little bit, that's going to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-only-thing-that-looks-good-is-the-stock-market-but-if-you-raise/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [For women of my generation, it was the 'juggling act.' Jobs, marriage, children, homes, and aging parents were the balls we added, tossing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-bay/for-women-of-my-generation-it-was-the-juggling-act-jobs-marriage/) [Willow Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-bay/) ## More by Sidney Lumet > [In drama, the characters should determine the story. In melodrama, the story determines the characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/in-drama-the-characters-should-determine-the-story-in-melodrama-the/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [There's a powerful magic about being a writer that I still marvel at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-s-a-powerful-magic-about-being-a-writer-that-i-still-marvel-at/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [Good style, to me, is unseen style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/good-style-to-me-is-unseen-style/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [There are no personal revelations other than feelings arising from the work itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-personal-revelations-other-than-feelings-arising-from/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [The varying physical characteristics of the actors may also necessitate changes. Sean Connery is six feet four. Dustin Hoffman isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/the-varying-physical-characteristics-of-the-actors-may-also/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [I only said 'Titanic' is unwatchable because one can not watch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/i-only-said-titanic-is-unwatchable-because-one-can-not-watch-it/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [Suffice to say that the theme (the WHAT of the movie) is going to determine the style (the HOW of the movie).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/suffice-to-say-that-the-theme-the-what-of-the-movie-is-going-to/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [If I don't have a script I adore, I do one I like. If I don't have one I like, I do one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/if-i-don-t-have-a-script-i-adore-i-do-one-i-like-if-i-don-t-have-one/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [Don't let the difficulty of actually achieving a shot make you think that the shot is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/don-t-let-the-difficulty-of-actually-achieving-a-shot-make-you-think/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [Over-length is one of the things that most often results in the destruction of the movie in the cutting room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/over-length-is-one-of-the-things-that-most-often-results-in-the/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [There's no such thing as a small part. There are just small actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-small-part-there-are-just-small-actors/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [It's art. It's commerce. It's heartbreaking and it's fun. It's a great way to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/it-s-art-it-s-commerce-it-s-heartbreaking-and-it-s-fun-it-s-a-great/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [“The basic 110-volt AC power line moves the electrons at 60 cycles. If a transformer is close to the power source (and all speakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/the-basic-110-volt-ac-power-line-moves-the-electrons-at-60-cycles-if/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [I don't know how to choose work that illuminates what my life is about. I don't know what my life is about and don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/i-don-t-know-how-to-choose-work-that-illuminates-what-my-life-is-2/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) > [For any director with a little lucidity, masterpieces are films that come to you by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/for-any-director-with-a-little-lucidity-masterpieces-are-films-that/) [Sidney Lumet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) [Explore all 23 Sidney Lumet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/) ## More Crashing down quotes > [There are times when I'm caught up in everything and I have to say to myself, "Please feel good; please feel better; everything's okay;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/there-are-times-when-i-m-caught-up-in-everything-and-i-have-to-say-to/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The only thing that looks good is the stock market, but if you raise interest rates even a little bit, that's going to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-only-thing-that-looks-good-is-the-stock-market-but-if-you-raise/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [What was I afraid of, exactly? What other people would think? I guess, a little. But that wasn't what was stopping me from acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/what-was-i-afraid-of-exactly-what-other-people-would-think-i-guess-a/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [What we are trying to do at Virgin is not to have one enormous company in one sector under one banner, but to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/what-we-are-trying-to-do-at-virgin-is-not-to-have-one-enormous/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I want to tell you about the God that actually showed up and healed my heart. Not the God I grew up, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/i-want-to-tell-you-about-the-god-that-actually-showed-up-and-healed/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [Attitude determines your altitude, if you have a bad attitude, even if you are way up there, you will come crashing down, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strive-masiyiwa/attitude-determines-your-altitude-if-you-have-a-bad-attitude-even-if/) [Strive Masiyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strive-masiyiwa/) > [You only have to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/you-only-have-to-kick-in-the-door-and-the-whole-rotten-structure-will/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I waited for dawn, but only because I had forgotten how hard mornings were. For a second I'd be normal. Then came the dim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-waited-for-dawn-but-only-because-i-had-forgotten-how-hard-mornings/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Your novels show only the tiniest fraction of detective work, the brilliant crime, the tantalizing clues, the dramatic chase, the final battle atop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-petrucha/your-novels-show-only-the-tiniest-fraction-of-detective-work-the/) [Stefan Petrucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-petrucha/) > [Шn Hollywood actresses say they can't go above a size 6. I think everybody is operating in this huge bubble of fear. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/n-hollywood-actresses-say-they-can-t-go-above-a-size-6-i-think/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [It takes a million compliments to build you up and one insult to send it all crashing down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/it-takes-a-million-compliments-to-build-you-up-and-one-insult-to-send/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Repealing drug laws would remove the risks involved with producing and distributing drugs, bringing 'street prices' crashing down (it's estimated that a 'spoon' of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/repealing-drug-laws-would-remove-the-risks-involved-with-producing/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [The falling apart of a man's life should make more noise. It should startle passesrby with its Sturm and Drang. It ought to sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/the-falling-apart-of-a-man-s-life-should-make-more-noise-it-should/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [For women of my generation, it was the 'juggling act.' Jobs, marriage, children, homes, and aging parents were the balls we added, tossing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-bay/for-women-of-my-generation-it-was-the-juggling-act-jobs-marriage/) [Willow Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-bay/) > [The rain was still crashing down, angrily machine-gunning the large windows; it poured through the gutters up in the tower and funneled along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/the-rain-was-still-crashing-down-angrily-machine-gunning-the-large/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) [Browse all 26 Crashing down quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crashing-down/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work or bring the whole movie crashing down around my head many months later.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sidney Lumet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-making-each-decision-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crashing down" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-making-each-decision-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec3/sidney-lumet-24948_crashing-down_there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-ma_21835.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are no minor decisions in movie making. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work…” — Sidney Lumet", "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": "Sidney Lumet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lumet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are no minor decisions in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-making-each-decision-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lumet/there-are-no-minor-decisions-in-movie-making-each-decision-will/#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 } } ] } ```