--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everything had been done long before I…" description: "\"Everything had been done long before I started making movies. I mean, there's nothing that Godard hasn't already done. You can't do a single thing that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/steven-soderbergh-2075_done_everything-had-been-done-long-before-i-s_2261679.png" --- # Everything had been done long before I started making… ![“Everything had been done long before I started making movies. I mean, there's nothing that Godard hasn't already done. You can't do a single thing that Godard hasn't already thought of. And so you struggle to do something that is not predictable.” quote by Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/steven-soderbergh-2075_done_everything-had-been-done-long-before-i-s_2261679.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/steven-soderbergh-2075_done_everything-had-been-done-long-before-i-s_2261679.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a6/steven-soderbergh-2075_done_everything-had-been-done-long-before-i-s_2261679.png) > “Everything had been done long before I started making movies. I mean, there's nothing that Godard hasn't already done. You can't do a single thing that Godard hasn't already thought of. And so you struggle to do something that is not predictable.” [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often feels derivative because pioneers set high bars, making originality hard to achieve. **In simple terms:** Artists feel trapped by predecessors. Key Takeaway Seek fresh perspectives, not just imitation. Themes creativity influence originality Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - independent filmmaking - screenwriting - visual storytelling Key Concepts film theory artistic freedom Questions to Reflect On - How can you reinterpret existing ideas? - What constraints spark new creativity? A Different Perspective Innovation may be limited by existing conventions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godard-1670447/) [Godard Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godard-hasn-5206434/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Making movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-movies/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mean Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-godard-5206435/) [Predictable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predictable/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Thing Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-godard-5206436/) ## Related quotes > [For me, the French new wave is Truffaut and Rohmer. Godard I sometimes have trouble with because he's very much of a director's director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/for-me-the-french-new-wave-is-truffaut-and-rohmer-godard-i-sometimes/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [Suddenly I had a call one day saying they'd like me to come to the office to see Jean-Luc Godard. 'He is preparing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/suddenly-i-had-a-call-one-day-saying-they-d-like-me-to-come-to-the/) [Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/) > [Jean-Luc Godard saw me in a commercial. He first asked me to play a little part in 'Breathless' of a girl who is taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/jean-luc-godard-saw-me-in-a-commercial-he-first-asked-me-to-play-a/) [Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/) > [It makes no sense to bad mouth people, but I think Jean-Luc Godard is astonishing as a survivalist, somebody who can do a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babette-mangolte/it-makes-no-sense-to-bad-mouth-people-but-i-think-jean-luc-godard-is/) [Babette Mangolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babette-mangolte/) > [Godard never sought to be sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/godard-never-sought-to-be-sympathetic/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Godard is incredibly brilliant, the things he says. Apparently here in France, the most interesting thing when a new film of his is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/godard-is-incredibly-brilliant-the-things-he-says-apparently-here-in/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [I have been a long time fan of Jean-Luc Godard. It's my dream to work with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/i-have-been-a-long-time-fan-of-jean-luc-godard-it-s-my-dream-to-work/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [Godard is a phony to me. His technique is great, but he just keeps replaying the same political rhetoric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-sr/godard-is-a-phony-to-me-his-technique-is-great-but-he-just-keeps/) [Robert Downey Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-sr/) > [To me, Godard did to movies what Bob Dylan did to music: they both revolutionized their forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/to-me-godard-did-to-movies-what-bob-dylan-did-to-music-they-both/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Even if I make fun of him, I try to portray him as a human being. Sometimes because he's the great Jean-Luc Godard, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/even-if-i-make-fun-of-him-i-try-to-portray-him-as-a-human-being/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [After a while, Godard was going to do 'A Woman is a Woman' with Sami Frey and another actress in the leading lady part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/after-a-while-godard-was-going-to-do-a-woman-is-a-woman-with-sami/) [Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/) > [Is it any wonder that for millions of men the only intimacy is physical, silent, and predictable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/is-it-any-wonder-that-for-millions-of-men-the-only-intimacy-is/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/) [Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/) > [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I do enjoy intense, bloodthirsty action, but I like to blend and cross genres. I don't want to be too predictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-marshall/i-do-enjoy-intense-bloodthirsty-action-but-i-like-to-blend-and-cross/) [Neil Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-marshall/) ## More by Steven Soderbergh > [I was lucky that I was getting exposed to a lot of different kinds of films, and I was liking them all. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-was-lucky-that-i-was-getting-exposed-to-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Truth and facts have to trump partisanship. There has to be something that's true regardless of what your angle is on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/truth-and-facts-have-to-trump-partisanship-there-has-to-be-something/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I have a friend whose theory is that you're from wherever you went to high school. I think that's mostly true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-have-a-friend-whose-theory-is-that-you-re-from-wherever-you-went-to/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [In nature, if a cell gets too big, it divides. You can't come up with a set of rules that's going to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/in-nature-if-a-cell-gets-too-big-it-divides-you-can-t-come-up-with-a/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [You should never assume anything coming from a critical standpoint. You should go into everything assuming you're going to get crushed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/you-should-never-assume-anything-coming-from-a-critical-standpoint/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I'm sure some people will say, 'Why do this?' And my response is, 'Why wouldn't you?' The film business in general is using a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-m-sure-some-people-will-say-why-do-this-and-my-response-is-why/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A movie is something you see, cinema is something that’s made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-movie-is-something-you-see-cinema-is-something-that-s-made/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [If you're a painter and you want people to know who you are and recognize your work, you've got to build some long-term value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/if-you-re-a-painter-and-you-want-people-to-know-who-you-are-and/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Everybody, including me, has to submit to what it needs to be. The thing is at the top of the pyramid, the best version…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/everybody-including-me-has-to-submit-to-what-it-needs-to-be-the-thing/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A big part of making an album is that you want to have enough material - you want to have enough stuff for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-big-part-of-making-an-album-is-that-you-want-to-have-enough/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The reverberation of the freedom of making 'Schizopolis' absolutely resulted in 'Out of Sight' and everything that followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-reverberation-of-the-freedom-of-making-schizopolis-absolutely/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [ I've never been a snob. It \[movie\] is just about stories. And I've never felt just because it's a big screen and you plop… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-ve-never-been-a-snob-it-movie-is-just-about-stories-and-i-ve-never/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The ought to be a worldwide cultural taskforce that just stops you when you have ideas like combining The Red Desert with an armored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-ought-to-be-a-worldwide-cultural-taskforce-that-just-stops-you/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [There's definitely a way of thinking and a way of being in the South that has its advantages and disadvantages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/there-s-definitely-a-way-of-thinking-and-a-way-of-being-in-the-south/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [All I care about is the story and telling the story. I don't care how people ingest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/all-i-care-about-is-the-story-and-telling-the-story-i-don-t-care-how/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) [Explore all 187 Steven Soderbergh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. 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Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everything had been done long before I started making movies. 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