--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's wonderful to work on footage by…" description: "\"It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who understands how to get it to cut right, which a lot of directors don't.\" — Thelma Schoonmaker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png" --- # It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who… ![“It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who understands how to get it to cut right, which a lot of directors don't.” quote by Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png) > “It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who understands how to get it to cut right, which a lot of directors don't.” [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective editing requires a deep intuition for pacing and narrative flow, which many directors lack. **In simple terms:** Good editors know how to cut scenes properly. Key Takeaway Seek collaborators who understand rhythm. Themes editing collaboration film storytelling Mood appreciative professional reflective Type insightful practical When to use this quote - film production - post‑production - independent projects - documentary work Key Concepts narrative pacing visual rhythm director-editor dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does an editor’s intuition shape a film’s impact? - What qualities make a director receptive to editing advice? A Different Perspective Even skilled editors rely on clear direction and material quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [It is certainly a greater and more wonderful work to change the minds of enemies, bringing about a change of soul, than to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/it-is-certainly-a-greater-and-more-wonderful-work-to-change-the-minds/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [It's hard for people to understand editing, I think. It's absolutely like sculpture. You get a big lump of clay, and you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/it-s-hard-for-people-to-understand-editing-i-think-it-s-absolutely/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [To receive footage that has been shot with editing in mind, it is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/to-receive-footage-that-has-been-shot-with-editing-in-mind-it-is-a/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I can access footage much quicker, yes. But in terms of living with a film and knowing what's right, digital doesn't do that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/i-can-access-footage-much-quicker-yes-but-in-terms-of-living-with-a/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I love working with Bob Zemeckis. I think he's amazing and wonderful to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lloyd/i-love-working-with-bob-zemeckis-i-think-he-s-amazing-and-wonderful/) [Christopher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lloyd/) > [Bo Derek was wonderful to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/bo-derek-was-wonderful-to-work-with/) [Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/) > [It's wonderful to work with actors we haven't worked with before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-joy/it-s-wonderful-to-work-with-actors-we-haven-t-worked-with-before/) [Lisa Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-joy/) > [It is first and foremost very hard work! But I have a wonderful part and I do have fun. The company, cast and crew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-mills/it-is-first-and-foremost-very-hard-work-but-i-have-a-wonderful-part/) [Juliet Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-mills/) > [“Hey, you know I might not be perfect! But I'm a wonderful work in progress!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-c-akers/hey-you-know-i-might-not-be-perfect-but-i-m-a-wonderful-work-in/) [D.C. Akers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-c-akers/) > [It's really wonderful to work in an environment with a lot of smart people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/it-s-really-wonderful-to-work-in-an-environment-with-a-lot-of-smart/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [What a wonderful work Wagner has done for humanity in translating the toil of life into the readable script of music! For those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/what-a-wonderful-work-wagner-has-done-for-humanity-in-translating-the/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [Salman is wonderful to work with, apart from being a good friend, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohnish-bahl/salman-is-wonderful-to-work-with-apart-from-being-a-good-friend-of/) [Mohnish Bahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohnish-bahl/) > [It's wonderful to work with someone with mentor status.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-peyroux/it-s-wonderful-to-work-with-someone-with-mentor-status/) [Madeleine Peyroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-peyroux/) > [It's wonderful to work with Sumanth Ashwin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/it-s-wonderful-to-work-with-sumanth-ashwin/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [You know who was wonderful to work with? Was Paul Gleason, may he rest in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/you-know-who-was-wonderful-to-work-with-was-paul-gleason-may-he-rest/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) ## More by Thelma Schoonmaker > [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/) > ['Raging Bull' was just a dream to work on, but it took a lot of work to get all those fights to work right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/raging-bull-was-just-a-dream-to-work-on-but-it-took-a-lot-of-work-to/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Film, if properly cared for, will last almost 100 years, but digital will not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/film-if-properly-cared-for-will-last-almost-100-years-but-digital/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [My family goes way back in New York. So I am a New Yorker; I feel like a New Yorker. It's in my bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/my-family-goes-way-back-in-new-york-so-i-am-a-new-yorker-i-feel-like/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [People expect artists to be too normal, I think. I've been around enough of them now to see that they're very extraordinary human beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/people-expect-artists-to-be-too-normal-i-think-i-ve-been-around/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Throwing things out is one of the most difficult and important things you ever have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/throwing-things-out-is-one-of-the-most-difficult-and-important-things/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [That's the great thing about filmmaking: Things happen you don't know are going to happen at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/that-s-the-great-thing-about-filmmaking-things-happen-you-don-t-know/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [One day, I read an extremely vague ad looking for someone interested in working in film. Seeing as I loved watching films, I replied,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/one-day-i-read-an-extremely-vague-ad-looking-for-someone-interested/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Even though my parents are American, I spent my whole childhood and adolescence abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/even-though-my-parents-are-american-i-spent-my-whole-childhood-and/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [When you're in a movie with an audience, you can feel where a film is dragging. People start to move. They fidget. You need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/when-you-re-in-a-movie-with-an-audience-you-can-feel-where-a-film-is/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [In the very beginning, women were editors because they were the people in the lab rolling the film before there was editing. Then when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/in-the-very-beginning-women-were-editors-because-they-were-the-people/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Michael's Powell art director was a painter and they had a wonderful friendship and artistic understanding. Michael himself, in the way he designed his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/michael-s-powell-art-director-was-a-painter-and-they-had-a-wonderful/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Boxing is insane and, in my opinion, should be banned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/boxing-is-insane-and-in-my-opinion-should-be-banned/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I love improvisation. I mean, it's hard to edit, because things don't necessarily fall together - you have to find ways to give it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/i-love-improvisation-i-mean-it-s-hard-to-edit-because-things-don-t/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Even in 'The Red Shoes,' a film that nobody ever has complaints about, there are enormous continuity bumps, and it doesn't matter. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/even-in-the-red-shoes-a-film-that-nobody-ever-has-complaints-about/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) [Explore all 83 Thelma Schoonmaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [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/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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 am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who understands how to get it to cut right, which a lot of directors don't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thelma Schoonmaker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-someone-who-understands-how-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-someone-who-understands-how-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/thelma-schoonmaker-8192_cinema_it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-som_2576059.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's wonderful to work on footage by someone who understands how to get it to cut right, which a lot of…” — Thelma Schoonmaker", "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": "Thelma Schoonmaker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's wonderful to work on footage...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-someone-who-understands-how-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/it-s-wonderful-to-work-on-footage-by-someone-who-understands-how-to/#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 } } ] } ```