--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Making a movie is a network of decisions…" description: "\"Making a movie is a network of decisions that keep multiplying as you go. You leave a trail of decisions behind you, and that's how you start to see th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/sydney-pollack-2385_enough_making-a-movie-is-a-network-of-decisions_1385682.jpg" --- # Making a movie is a network of decisions that keep… ![“Making a movie is a network of decisions that keep multiplying as you go. You leave a trail of decisions behind you, and that's how you start to see the shape of what you've done. When you get far enough, you turn around and say, 'Ha, that's the movie.' It's only then that you find out if it's…” quote by Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/sydney-pollack-2385_enough_making-a-movie-is-a-network-of-decisions_1385682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/sydney-pollack-2385_enough_making-a-movie-is-a-network-of-decisions_1385682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/sydney-pollack-2385_enough_making-a-movie-is-a-network-of-decisions_1385682.jpg) > “Making a movie is a network of decisions that keep multiplying as you go. You leave a trail of decisions behind you, and that's how you start to see the shape of what you've done. When you get far enough, you turn around and say, 'Ha, that's the movie.' It's only then that you find out if it's going to work or not.” [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative projects evolve through cumulative choices that reveal their final form over time. **In simple terms:** Decisions build on each other, shaping the outcome. Key Takeaway Embrace each decision as part of the whole. Themes creativity process decision‑making Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - directing - screenwriting - project management - personal projects Key Concepts film production systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you track the impact of each choice? - What methods help you reflect on past decisions? A Different Perspective If early decisions are poor, later work may suffer despite later adjustments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Look at the movies of the sixties and seventies. They were making a different kind of movie then. Would 'Network' ever be made now?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/look-at-the-movies-of-the-sixties-and-seventies-they-were-making-a/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [We all have to start with ourselves. It is time to walk the talk. Take the journey of making very difficult decisions. Start removing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-hammond/we-all-have-to-start-with-ourselves-it-is-time-to-walk-the-talk-take/) [Lisa Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-hammond/) > [“Most reasons to delay are invalid if you get right to the core: no time, no money, no audience. These are all future concerns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-jarvis/most-reasons-to-delay-are-invalid-if-you-get-right-to-the-core-no/) [Paul Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-jarvis/) > [Every single day of making a movie is going to bring new problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-moreau/every-single-day-of-making-a-movie-is-going-to-bring-new-problems/) [Marguerite Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-moreau/) > [It's kind of true that they just start making the same movie over and over again. It's also true that the times dictate what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jane/it-s-kind-of-true-that-they-just-start-making-the-same-movie-over-and/) [Thomas Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jane/) > [I became addicted to the movie-going experience in the 1970s, when I attended multiple screenings of films such as 'Chinatown', 'Jaws', 'Star Wars' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-roeper/i-became-addicted-to-the-movie-going-experience-in-the-1970s-when-i/) [Richard Roeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-roeper/) > [Maybe my movie isn't over, I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-my-movie-isn-t-over-i-say-because-sometimes-moviemakers-trick/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [\*at the cinema\* Hey, what movie are you going to see? Snakes on a plane. Snakes on a plane? What's it about? Horses on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash/at-the-cinema-hey-what-movie-are-you-going-to-see-snakes-on-a-plane/) [Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash/) > [I'm doing the same thing and it's a hundred times bigger and a hundred times better. So if your going to make a computer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-worthington/i-m-doing-the-same-thing-and-it-s-a-hundred-times-bigger-and-a/) [Sam Worthington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-worthington/) > [As long as everyone is playing for the scene or the movie, rather than themselves, then you're going to have something really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-blunt/as-long-as-everyone-is-playing-for-the-scene-or-the-movie-rather-than/) [Emily Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-blunt/) > [Theatergoing is a communal act, movie going a solitary one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brustein/theatergoing-is-a-communal-act-movie-going-a-solitary-one/) [Robert Brustein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brustein/) > [I'm not thinking about forcing my kids to watch my movies. It's always awkward when someone says: "Hey, I wrote a song, can I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-black/i-m-not-thinking-about-forcing-my-kids-to-watch-my-movies-it-s-always/) [Jack Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-black/) > [The problem with movies is that you see from the first day - you're on a train, and if the movie is not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/the-problem-with-movies-is-that-you-see-from-the-first-day-you-re-on/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [For me, there are always things to learn. It's like the next movie is going to be the good one, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maiwenn/for-me-there-are-always-things-to-learn-it-s-like-the-next-movie-is/) [Maiwenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maiwenn/) > [A lot of times, you finish a movie, and you're either going, 'Oh, thank God, that's over,' or 'Oh, my God, it's over, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyck-godfrey/a-lot-of-times-you-finish-a-movie-and-you-re-either-going-oh-thank/) [Wyck Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyck-godfrey/) ## More by Sydney Pollack > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [It's my job to motivate the audience to believe. I have to get them to suspend their judgment in favor of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/it-s-my-job-to-motivate-the-audience-to-believe-i-have-to-get-them-to/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/burt-lancaster-was-largely-responsible-for-me-becoming-a-director/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [People sense when you're pretending, when you're worried about your own ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-sense-when-you-re-pretending-when-you-re-worried-about-your/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-personally-have-never-made-a-movie-in-hollywood-because-i-don-t/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Every film I've made has a kind of frustrated love story in the center of it. They were people who saw life from opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/every-film-i-ve-made-has-a-kind-of-frustrated-love-story-in-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-mustn-t-regret-decisions-that-you-make-because-the-decisions-are/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [When you're shooting a feature that costs $200,000 a day with a crew of 250, you don't want accidents; you want to know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/when-you-re-shooting-a-feature-that-costs-200-000-a-day-with-a-crew/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [What makes architecture extraordinary is that you're looking at the building, but your peripheral vision is also seeing how it fits within a space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/what-makes-architecture-extraordinary-is-that-you-re-looking-at-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't get nervous talking about my films, but if I'm the subject, it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-get-nervous-talking-about-my-films-but-if-i-m-the-subject-it/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You are not an active creator of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-are-not-an-active-creator-of-the-film/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/all-films-are-political-whether-they-mean-to-be-or-not-star-wars-is/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't consider myself a teacher of moral and political positions. I don't want to be that. 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I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Making a movie is a network of decisions that keep multiplying as you go. You leave a trail of decisions behind you, and that's how you start to see the shape of what you've done. When you get far enough, you turn around and say, 'Ha, that's the movie.' 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