--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To me the director’s job is to leave it…" description: "\"To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape than you found it, literally.\" — Steven Soderbergh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png" --- # To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape… ![“To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape than you found it, literally.” quote by Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png) > “To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape than you found it, literally.” [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. A director should improve a project, leaving it better than before. **In simple terms:** Directors improve what they inherit. Key Takeaway Focus on enhancing the material. Themes leadership creativity responsibility Mood reflective determined Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - film sets - post-production - creative meetings Key Concepts film production vision collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance artistic vision with practical limits? - What defines “better” in a creative work? A Different Perspective Improvement may be limited by budget or time constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-shape-538172/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Director Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-job-287692/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Leave Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-better-412579/) [Shape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) ## Related quotes > [I'm bigger now than when I was eating meat. My lifts in the gym are better. I'm in better shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bryan/i-m-bigger-now-than-when-i-was-eating-meat-my-lifts-in-the-gym-are/) [Daniel Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bryan/) > [I really do feel like I'm in better shape and look better now - even after having three kids - than I did before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-really-do-feel-like-i-m-in-better-shape-and-look-better-now-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You do not get into better shape being hard on yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-ingber/you-do-not-get-into-better-shape-being-hard-on-yourself/) [Mandy Ingber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-ingber/) > [I am always in much better shape when I am doing a Broadway show because you have the eight shows a week to kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-krakowski/i-am-always-in-much-better-shape-when-i-am-doing-a-broadway-show/) [Jane Krakowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-krakowski/) > [I was in better shape when I went into boot camp than when I came out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-ryssdal/i-was-in-better-shape-when-i-went-into-boot-camp-than-when-i-came-out/) [Kai Ryssdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-ryssdal/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) > [If they can play eight more years, then I can too. I'm in better shape than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teemu-selanne/if-they-can-play-eight-more-years-then-i-can-too-i-m-in-better-shape/) [Teemu Selanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teemu-selanne/) > [...she refused to leave anything to someone else that she could do better herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-moran/she-refused-to-leave-anything-to-someone-else-that-she-could-do/) [Michelle Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-moran/) > [Jealousy is a miserable feeling. It means you aspire to something that you cannot have. Even in love, it is better to leave, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/jealousy-is-a-miserable-feeling-it-means-you-aspire-to-something-that/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [“Stacey muttered, "But I hate this school, and this city, and the sooner I leave, the better. I want to start over in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-reep/stacey-muttered-but-i-hate-this-school-and-this-city-and-the-sooner-i/) [J.M. Reep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-reep/) > [When I meet somebody I want to leave a better impression than when I got there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/when-i-meet-somebody-i-want-to-leave-a-better-impression-than-when-i/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [I kinda like where I am. If I'm recognized all the time, I have to leave better tips in restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sanderson/i-kinda-like-where-i-am-if-i-m-recognized-all-the-time-i-have-to/) [William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sanderson/) > [When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/when-people-are-around-us-they-should-leave-better-off-than-they-were/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [My mother taught me when you go someplace, you leave it better than you found it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/my-mother-taught-me-when-you-go-someplace-you-leave-it-better-than/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [If I leave you alone, and you leave me alone, we are both better off. And I will leave you alone if you leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-g-kline/if-i-leave-you-alone-and-you-leave-me-alone-we-are-both-better-off/) [William G. Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-g-kline/) ## 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 Director quotes > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [A successful director is someone who has the combination of skills that you can learn, but there's also an intuitive sensibility that they bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-heinrichs/a-successful-director-is-someone-who-has-the-combination-of-skills/) [Rick Heinrichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-heinrichs/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) > [During script narrations, if I feel the screenplay mood jumping abruptly, I tell the director, and they work on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/during-script-narrations-if-i-feel-the-screenplay-mood-jumping/) [Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/) > [I'm publicist, patron of nine charities, creative director, food consultant, recipe developer - and mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-publicist-patron-of-nine-charities-creative-director-food/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) > [I've always wanted to be a director; it's just how my mind has always worked. If I hear music, I see music videos and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-wells/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-a-director-it-s-just-how-my-mind-has-always/) [Noel Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-wells/) > [There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/there-was-always-a-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-be-an-old-time-director/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [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/) > [Because I thought there's no point trying to second guess what people are looking for, because if I'm the right director for it, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-herron/because-i-thought-there-s-no-point-trying-to-second-guess-what-people/) [Kate Herron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-herron/) > [Sometimes you can't even find the director on a movie set. Sometimes you don't want to find the director on a movie set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/sometimes-you-can-t-even-find-the-director-on-a-movie-set-sometimes/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [As a director, people are trusting you with their lives, with their stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chai-vasarhelyi/as-a-director-people-are-trusting-you-with-their-lives-with-their/) [Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chai-vasarhelyi/) > [I loved working with Stephen Frears. He's a really fantastic director. He knows what he wants and how to get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/i-loved-working-with-stephen-frears-he-s-a-really-fantastic-director/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) [Browse all 2,786 Director quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape than you found it, literally.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Soderbergh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it-in-better-shape-than-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Director" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it-in-better-shape-than-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e99/steven-soderbergh-2075_director_to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it_2493007.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To me the director’s job is to leave it in better shape than you found it, literally.” — Steven Soderbergh", "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": "Steven Soderbergh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To me the director’s job is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it-in-better-shape-than-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/to-me-the-director-s-job-is-to-leave-it-in-better-shape-than-you/#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 } } ] } ```