--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you direct is the only time you get…" description: "\"When you direct is the only time you get to have the world exactly how you want it. My movies are very close to what I set out to do. And I'm super-opi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/sofia-coppola-11024_direct_when-you-direct-is-the-only-time-you-get_1383956.jpg" --- # When you direct is the only time you get to have the world… ![“When you direct is the only time you get to have the world exactly how you want it. My movies are very close to what I set out to do. And I'm super-opinionated about what I do and don't like.” quote by Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/sofia-coppola-11024_direct_when-you-direct-is-the-only-time-you-get_1383956.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/sofia-coppola-11024_direct_when-you-direct-is-the-only-time-you-get_1383956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/sofia-coppola-11024_direct_when-you-direct-is-the-only-time-you-get_1383956.jpg) > “When you direct is the only time you get to have the world exactly how you want it. My movies are very close to what I set out to do. And I'm super-opinionated about what I do and don't like.” [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directing lets you shape reality to match your vision, demanding strong personal conviction. **In simple terms:** Directors control their film world. Key Takeaway Stay true to your vision. Themes creativity control vision Mood confident reflective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - film production - creative workshops - personal branding Key Concepts authorial voice artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance vision with teamwork? - When is compromise necessary? A Different Perspective Creative rigidity can limit collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies-close-4185967/) [Only time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only-time/) [Opinionated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinionated/) [Super Opinionated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/super-opinionated-4803327/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-movies/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I loved the cinema of Basu Chatterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya. Their movies were close to life, yet heart-warming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepti-naval/i-loved-the-cinema-of-basu-chatterjee-hrishikesh-mukherjee-and-basu/) [Deepti Naval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepti-naval/) > [I love 'Mad Max' and 'The Road Warrior,' in particular - those movies are very close to my soul, you know what I mean?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-root/i-love-mad-max-and-the-road-warrior-in-particular-those-movies-are/) [Jim Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-root/) > [It's tough to make a movie about movies... We're all too close to it. But 'The Bad and the Beautiful' was very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/it-s-tough-to-make-a-movie-about-movies-we-re-all-too-close-to-it-but/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [Movies may be as close to a document of our national culture as there is; they're supposed to represent what we believe ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/movies-may-be-as-close-to-a-document-of-our-national-culture-as-there/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [Even from a really young age I was a huge movie buff - five, six, seven, eight. Just loved movies, but in a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/even-from-a-really-young-age-i-was-a-huge-movie-buff-five-six-seven/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [As long as people want to see me in movies, and as long as I find it interesting, I'll keep working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-macpherson/as-long-as-people-want-to-see-me-in-movies-and-as-long-as-i-find-it/) [Elle Macpherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-macpherson/) > [I want to do movies that I'm proud of where my kids, at some point, can see and I can feel comfortable sitting there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-james/i-want-to-do-movies-that-i-m-proud-of-where-my-kids-at-some-point-can/) [Kevin James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-james/) > [I do think Hollywood is recognizing that there's a craving for it, that there's a huge audience in our country. They want movies that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-drew/i-do-think-hollywood-is-recognizing-that-there-s-a-craving-for-it/) [Sarah Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-drew/) > [I want to do more movies, more adult roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/i-want-to-do-more-movies-more-adult-roles/) [Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/) > [I've come to a point where I just want to do movies that I just believe in. I have come to an understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-ve-come-to-a-point-where-i-just-want-to-do-movies-that-i-just/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [People don't know what they are doing most of the time. They don't know what they want. It's only in 'the movies' that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/people-don-t-know-what-they-are-doing-most-of-the-time-they-don-t/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I think that people want to go to the movies and watch shows on TV or in theaters that make them feel good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-snow/i-think-that-people-want-to-go-to-the-movies-and-watch-shows-on-tv-or/) [Brittany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-snow/) > [I want stories where you either hate it or love it. I want to do movies like that, where it's not show and tell,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-keoghan/i-want-stories-where-you-either-hate-it-or-love-it-i-want-to-do/) [Barry Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-keoghan/) > [I want to get into movies, not just TV series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latoya-london/i-want-to-get-into-movies-not-just-tv-series/) [LaToya London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latoya-london/) > [I don't want to be part of movies where I just sing and dance and go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keerthy-suresh/i-don-t-want-to-be-part-of-movies-where-i-just-sing-and-dance-and-go/) [Keerthy Suresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keerthy-suresh/) ## More by Sofia Coppola > [I like telling the story in a visual way. I don't like explaining a lot in dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-like-telling-the-story-in-a-visual-way-i-don-t-like-explaining-a/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [That's the way I work: I try to imagine what I would like to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/that-s-the-way-i-work-i-try-to-imagine-what-i-would-like-to-see/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [Everyone in my family is in the film business; I knew I wanted to be creative and it was important in my family to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/everyone-in-my-family-is-in-the-film-business-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [For everyone, there are those moments when you have great days with someone you wouldn't expect to. Then you have to go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/for-everyone-there-are-those-moments-when-you-have-great-days-with/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [My father is so in love with making movies, and he'sso charismatic about it, that it's hard to be around him withoutwanting to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/my-father-is-so-in-love-with-making-movies-and-he-sso-charismatic/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [It’s about misunderstandings between people and places, being disconnected and looking for moments of connection. There are so many moments in life when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/it-s-about-misunderstandings-between-people-and-places-being/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [I feel like the internet has encouraged people to look into things and try to find issuesthat because people have a lot of opinions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-feel-like-the-internet-has-encouraged-people-to-look-into-things/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [It's about moments in life that are great but don't last. They don't go on, but you always have the memory and they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/it-s-about-moments-in-life-that-are-great-but-don-t-last-they-don-t/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [I try to always be open to what the actors want to try. I don't storyboard and try to be intuitive and open on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-try-to-always-be-open-to-what-the-actors-want-to-try-i-don-t/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [There's so many more female directors than when I started. That's encouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/there-s-so-many-more-female-directors-than-when-i-started-that-s/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [Having a kid, it makes you slow down; when you're walking with a toddler to pick up a leaf it can take a half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/having-a-kid-it-makes-you-slow-down-when-you-re-walking-with-a/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [I think anything you do that's different, that doesn't take the typical approach, invites differing opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-think-anything-you-do-that-s-different-that-doesn-t-take-the/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [It seems that the greatest difficulty is to find the end. Don't try to find it, it's there already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/it-seems-that-the-greatest-difficulty-is-to-find-the-end-don-t-try-to/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [I work with my brother a lot, and we don't fight - probably because it's not two girls. And he's six years older. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-work-with-my-brother-a-lot-and-we-don-t-fight-probably-because-it-s/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [I like doing personal films, after doing a bigger movie, I enjoy doing smaller, intimate films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/i-like-doing-personal-films-after-doing-a-bigger-movie-i-enjoy-doing/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) [Explore all 62 Sofia Coppola quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) ## More Direct quotes > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [The method of magnitude estimation provided a direct measure of sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-smith-stevens/the-method-of-magnitude-estimation-provided-a-direct-measure-of/) [Stanley Smith Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-smith-stevens/) > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I'm currently trying to direct my own material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-skerritt/i-m-currently-trying-to-direct-my-own-material/) [Tom Skerritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-skerritt/) > [By the time you get into other kinds of music - R&B, country, or whatever - it becomes something that's romantic. It becomes something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/by-the-time-you-get-into-other-kinds-of-music-r-b-country-or-whatever/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [They are the gateway for our modern esthetic development, the prophets of the new time. They are most of all, the primitives of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/they-are-the-gateway-for-our-modern-esthetic-development-the-prophets/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [I'm too direct and too unsparingly impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-m-too-direct-and-too-unsparingly-impatient/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [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/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) [Browse all 3,391 Direct quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you direct is the only time you get to have the world exactly how you want it. My movies are very close to what I set out to do. 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