--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That’s editing, if I may say so. Choosing…" description: "\"“That’s editing, if I may say so. Choosing the shot. It’s telling us everything. It’s telling us things we don’t even know it’s telling us. It’s not ju..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/steve-erickson-9119_film_that-s-editing-if-i-may-say-so-choosing_1111567.png" --- # That’s editing, if I may say so. Choosing the shot. It’s… ![“That’s editing, if I may say so. Choosing the shot. It’s telling us everything. It’s telling us things we don’t even know it’s telling us. It’s not just telling us what these characters think, it’s telling us what we think. It’s manipulative as hell, there’s no getting around it, but then all…” quote by Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/steve-erickson-9119_film_that-s-editing-if-i-may-say-so-choosing_1111567.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/steve-erickson-9119_film_that-s-editing-if-i-may-say-so-choosing_1111567.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/steve-erickson-9119_film_that-s-editing-if-i-may-say-so-choosing_1111567.png) > ““That’s editing, if I may say so. Choosing the shot. It’s telling us everything. It’s telling us things we don’t even know it’s telling us. It’s not just telling us what these characters think, it’s telling us what we think. It’s manipulative as hell, there’s no getting around it, but then all movies are manipulative. When people complain about a picture that’s ‘manipulative,’ what they really mean is it’s not very good at its manipulations, its manipulation is too obvious.”” [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Editing shapes narrative by guiding audience perception, often subtly influencing thoughts, making manipulation inevitable in storytelling. **In simple terms:** Editing controls what we think about a story. Key Takeaway Use editing to convey clear intent. Themes storytelling media perception Mood analytical critical Type theoretical influential When to use this quote - film production - writing workshops - advertising - political messaging Key Concepts narrative theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does editing affect your own beliefs? - When is manipulation acceptable? A Different Perspective Manipulation can be transparent; audience may resist obvious cues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Manipulation Obvious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulation-obvious-2964173/) [Manipulative Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulative-really-1553520/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies Manipulative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies-manipulative-2964170/) [Picture Manipulative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-manipulative-2964172/) [Think Manipulative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-manipulative-2964171/) ## Related quotes > [I was a little worried that young people would think the only game was being political and manipulative when really the bigger game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-was-a-little-worried-that-young-people-would-think-the-only-game/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I don't like movies that are too manipulative. 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