--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most film directors do not come up with…" description: "\"Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects or write their own screenplays.\" — Thomas Harrison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg" --- # Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects… ![“Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects or write their own screenplays.” quote by Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg) > “Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects or write their own screenplays.” [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directors often rely on existing material rather than creating original stories or scripts. **In simple terms:** Directors usually adapt rather than originate. Key Takeaway Seek original ideas or collaborate on scripts. Themes film creativity authorship Mood critical analytical Type observational industry When to use this quote - indie filmmaking - studio pitches - screenwriting workshops Key Concepts originality collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can directors foster originality? - What role does collaboration play? A Different Perspective Budget constraints can limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Directors Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-come-361205/) [Film directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-directors/) [Screenplays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplays/) [Write Screenplays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-screenplays-1067794/) ## Related quotes > [I don't assume, because I can write screenplays, that I know how to write a novel. It's a very different world. There's a craft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/i-don-t-assume-because-i-can-write-screenplays-that-i-know-how-to/) [Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/) > [Although I write screenplays, I don't think I'm a very good writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/although-i-write-screenplays-i-don-t-think-i-m-a-very-good-writer/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I don't want to write any more screenplays, I'll tell you that right now. It's a waste of time. You've got too many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-want-to-write-any-more-screenplays-i-ll-tell-you-that-right/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I think I would like to write screenplays, books, really anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-hayward/i-think-i-would-like-to-write-screenplays-books-really-anything/) [Kara Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-hayward/) > [I write screenplays in the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-write-screenplays-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Being known as a writer did change the relationships I had with directors. The rap on actors is that they always want to inflate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/being-known-as-a-writer-did-change-the-relationships-i-had-with/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [I do not think I will ever write screenplays based on my books. I would not know what to cut out and what portions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-subramanian/i-do-not-think-i-will-ever-write-screenplays-based-on-my-books-i/) [Ravi Subramanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-subramanian/) > [When people asked me what I was going to do when I grow up, I always said, 'I'm going to be a writer. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/when-people-asked-me-what-i-was-going-to-do-when-i-grow-up-i-always/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I don't read books on how to write screenplays just because I'm stubborn. So it's all sort of made up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-carruth/i-don-t-read-books-on-how-to-write-screenplays-just-because-i-m/) [Shane Carruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-carruth/) > [Although I write screenplays, I don't think I'm a very good writer. I'm very interested in studying cultures and social issues, but as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/although-i-write-screenplays-i-don-t-think-i-m-a-very-good-writer-i-m/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [My songs aren't built around choruses or hooks or anything like that. That's kind of how I write screenplays too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/my-songs-aren-t-built-around-choruses-or-hooks-or-anything-like-that/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I actually think I'm probably more interested in structure than most people who write screenplays, because I think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-actually-think-i-m-probably-more-interested-in-structure-than-most/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [It's really hard to write a screenplay, it's nauseating. All those great writers that tried to write screenplays, they couldn't do it, most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hampton-fancher/it-s-really-hard-to-write-a-screenplay-it-s-nauseating-all-those/) [Hampton Fancher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hampton-fancher/) > [Stand-up life is really hard. At one point, I got so paralyzed I could write five screenplays before I could write three jokes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/stand-up-life-is-really-hard-at-one-point-i-got-so-paralyzed-i-could/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) ## More by Thomas Harrison > [No art form points like poetry to this originality of language as to its essential and abiding concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/no-art-form-points-like-poetry-to-this-originality-of-language-as-to/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [With the question of the effect of a poem, the topic of investigation shifts from that of textual autonomy to textual reception - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/with-the-question-of-the-effect-of-a-poem-the-topic-of-investigation/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [A jacket commemorating the Germans as champions of the 1990 World Cup is out of date two weeks after the event has passed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/a-jacket-commemorating-the-germans-as-champions-of-the-1990-world-cup/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [Still the question remains of what actually speaks in a poem, if not subjectivity as historically constructed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/still-the-question-remains-of-what-actually-speaks-in-a-poem-if-not/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [Other, far fewer, directors are more like the composer - conceptualizing the piece, scoring it, distributing its musical lines among a range of registers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/other-far-fewer-directors-are-more-like-the-composer-conceptualizing/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [Unlike metaphor, metonymy does not try to fuse images together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/unlike-metaphor-metonymy-does-not-try-to-fuse-images-together/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [To liberate words means first to shatter their function as vehicles of idea, memory, hope, or regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/to-liberate-words-means-first-to-shatter-their-function-as-vehicles/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [A poem conveys not a message so much as the provenance of a message, an advent of sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/a-poem-conveys-not-a-message-so-much-as-the-provenance-of-a-message/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [In recent decades this symbolic or metaphorical lyric has given way to one which leans toward metonymy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/in-recent-decades-this-symbolic-or-metaphorical-lyric-has-given-way/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [In an age where history is recorded on T-shirts, the very notion of dwelling on the deep structure of an experience has come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/in-an-age-where-history-is-recorded-on-t-shirts-the-very-notion-of/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [As witnesses that the things were not done in a corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/as-witnesses-that-the-things-were-not-done-in-a-corner/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) > [Experience has ceded to a series of happenings, about which the most we can expect is information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/experience-has-ceded-to-a-series-of-happenings-about-which-the-most/) [Thomas Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) [Explore all 13 Thomas Harrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/) ## More Directors quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [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 you're the director and the writer, you never have to remember your lines, and there's no one to call you on it. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/when-you-re-the-director-and-the-writer-you-never-have-to-remember/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [David Cronenberg is the most provocative, original, and consistently excellent North American director of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hoberman/david-cronenberg-is-the-most-provocative-original-and-consistently/) [J. Hoberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-hoberman/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [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/) > [I was in good shape from Divergent. Damien Chazelle, the director of Whiplash told me, ‘Stop Working Out! Don’t go outside!’ He wanted me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/i-was-in-good-shape-from-divergent-damien-chazelle-the-director-of/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/) [Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/) > [I'm seen as a little risky to the industry, I think. All my favorite directors are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-baker/i-m-seen-as-a-little-risky-to-the-industry-i-think-all-my-favorite/) [Sean Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-baker/) > [Music and language are a vital element. We, as actors and directors, offer it to people who want to experience it. Sometimes the actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-branagh/music-and-language-are-a-vital-element-we-as-actors-and-directors/) [Kenneth Branagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-branagh/) > [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/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [I was focused on The Hunger Games movie with my director, with the studio, and with the cast and crew. We all just focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/i-was-focused-on-the-hunger-games-movie-with-my-director-with-the/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [If the director's a communist, whatever, he's a communist. All I care is that he directs. For the actor, the same thing. All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/if-the-director-s-a-communist-whatever-he-s-a-communist-all-i-care-is/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [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/) [Browse all 4,068 Directors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects or write their own screenplays.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Harrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with-their-own-subjects-or-write/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Directors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with-their-own-subjects-or-write/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/thomas-harrison-35893_quote_most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with_1244571.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most film directors do not come up with their own subjects or write their own screenplays.” — Thomas Harrison", "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": "Thomas Harrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most film directors do not come...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with-their-own-subjects-or-write/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harrison/most-film-directors-do-not-come-up-with-their-own-subjects-or-write/#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 } } ] } ```