--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to accept that the moment you…" description: "\"You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a director, even if you've written it as an original script, it becomes his or her movie. That'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg" --- # You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a… ![“You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a director, even if you've written it as an original script, it becomes his or her movie. That's the way it has to be because the pressures on a director are so staggering and overwhelming that if he or she doesn't have that sort of level of…” quote by Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg) > “You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a director, even if you've written it as an original script, it becomes his or her movie. That's the way it has to be because the pressures on a director are so staggering and overwhelming that if he or she doesn't have that sort of level of decision making ability, that sort of free reign, the movie simply won't get done. It won't have a vision behind it. It may not be your vision as a screenwriter, but at least it will have a vision.” [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A screenwriter must relinquish full control to a director, whose expertise and decision‑making are vital for a film’s completion and vision. **In simple terms:** Writers give directors creative authority to finish the film. Key Takeaway Trust the director’s vision. Themes collaboration creative control film production Mood pragmatic inspirational Type professional creative When to use this quote - movie making - screenwriting workshops - production meetings - film festivals Key Concepts authorial intent directorial autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can writers and directors align goals? - What boundaries protect a writer’s voice? A Different Perspective Creative conflicts can arise from differing visions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [It's hard to hand a script to a director, there's no question about it. You've lived with these characters, you've started with a blank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/it-s-hard-to-hand-a-script-to-a-director-there-s-no-question-about-it/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Any good movie or script usually, if they're doing their job, gives the highest platform possible for an actor to leap off of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-theroux/any-good-movie-or-script-usually-if-they-re-doing-their-job-gives-the/) [Justin Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-theroux/) > [To be fair to ourselves, in almost every original script, the timing is actually worked out down to the minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-loceff/to-be-fair-to-ourselves-in-almost-every-original-script-the-timing-is/) [Michael Loceff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-loceff/) > [In the original script, my character was a basketball player rather than a boxer. I didn't think I could pull that off. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/in-the-original-script-my-character-was-a-basketball-player-rather/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Producers on Broadway approached us with an original script after relaunching ourselves as 'A Great Big World,' and wanted us to write the music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-axel/producers-on-broadway-approached-us-with-an-original-script-after/) [Ian Axel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-axel/) > [What first attracted me to doing Swiss Army Man was just how mental it was - how insane and wonderful and original the script…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/what-first-attracted-me-to-doing-swiss-army-man-was-just-how-mental/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [A lot of our favorite comedies in general are usually directed by writers, whether or not they wrote the original script themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/a-lot-of-our-favorite-comedies-in-general-are-usually-directed-by/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [There's always something that draws you away from the original script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-corman/there-s-always-something-that-draws-you-away-from-the-original-script/) [Roger Corman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-corman/) > [I have always thought if you are going to make a film, it's much better to have an original script that will play to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-boyd/i-have-always-thought-if-you-are-going-to-make-a-film-it-s-much/) [William Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-boyd/) > [“I think maybe I’m just a victim of movies, y’know? That I have some completely unrealistic notion of what a relationship can be.” —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-think-maybe-i-m-just-a-victim-of-movies-y-know-that-i-have-some/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [When I got the script to this movie, The Good Girl, I read it in an hour. The writer, Mike White, has an ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/when-i-got-the-script-to-this-movie-the-good-girl-i-read-it-in-an/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [After I script the movie, I have to storyboard it out, I have to budget it, and I have to understand if I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-twohy/after-i-script-the-movie-i-have-to-storyboard-it-out-i-have-to-budget/) [David Twohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-twohy/) > [I always prefer a good script, be it a movie or drama script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-always-prefer-a-good-script-be-it-a-movie-or-drama-script/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [There are a lot of roles in Shakespeare, basically. If I feel that the script is a movie, I would be interested in doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/there-are-a-lot-of-roles-in-shakespeare-basically-if-i-feel-that-the/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [Writing is getting killed by too many chefs. Back in the Bogart days, it started with great scripts. You had a writer, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/writing-is-getting-killed-by-too-many-chefs-back-in-the-bogart-days/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) ## More by Victor Levin > [When your characters are not white hats or black hats but something in between, you do have to be very careful about your details.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/when-your-characters-are-not-white-hats-or-black-hats-but-something/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [It's always hard, but it's always fun to attack a premise that you think is interesting. It does take a few drafts for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/it-s-always-hard-but-it-s-always-fun-to-attack-a-premise-that-you/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [You want to surround yourself with people who are as dedicated to their discipline as you are to yours and let them do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-want-to-surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-as-dedicated-to/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Sometimes you go against what they say because you believe in it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/sometimes-you-go-against-what-they-say-because-you-believe-in-it/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [You learn to do your best writing on story rather than off story. Very often at the beginning of their careers, writers including me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-learn-to-do-your-best-writing-on-story-rather-than-off-story-very/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [My job, as I see it, is to give you a window into another world and another story, and then to be as graceful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/my-job-as-i-see-it-is-to-give-you-a-window-into-another-world-and/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Your favorite story, whatever it might be, was written for one reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/your-favorite-story-whatever-it-might-be-was-written-for-one-reader/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Most of the jokes that I wrote were funny and there always seems to be an aspect of comedy in my long-form work. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/most-of-the-jokes-that-i-wrote-were-funny-and-there-always-seems-to/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [I knew I wanted to work in Cinemascope because I find it much more beautiful just in terms of the shape of the screen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/i-knew-i-wanted-to-work-in-cinemascope-because-i-find-it-much-more/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [The stand-up really helped because you know the feeling when something feels true, and you know the feeling when it feels false. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/the-stand-up-really-helped-because-you-know-the-feeling-when/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [I think everybody has a little rule follower and a little rule breaker in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/i-think-everybody-has-a-little-rule-follower-and-a-little-rule/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Believe me, you can be in the middle of a beautiful take and the next thing you know you're awash in people crossing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/believe-me-you-can-be-in-the-middle-of-a-beautiful-take-and-the-next/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [It's hard to hand a script to a director, there's no question about it. You've lived with these characters, you've started with a blank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/it-s-hard-to-hand-a-script-to-a-director-there-s-no-question-about-it/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [There are people who are put on this earth to do everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/there-are-people-who-are-put-on-this-earth-to-do-everything/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [It's funny when you put music up against picture, and all your preconceptions go away, and you start over. You just realize that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/it-s-funny-when-you-put-music-up-against-picture-and-all-your/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) [Explore all 19 Victor Levin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a director, even if you've written it as an original script, it becomes his or her movie. That's the way it has to be because the pressures on a director are so staggering and overwhelming that if he or she doesn't have that sort of level of decision making ability, that sort of free reign, the movie simply won't get done. It won't have a vision behind it. It may not be your vision as a screenwriter, but at least it will have a vision.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Victor Levin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-hand-a-script-to-a-director/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-hand-a-script-to-a-director/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/victor-levin-28942_ability_you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-h_459606.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to accept that the moment you hand a script to a director, even if you've written it as an original…” — Victor Levin", "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": "Victor Levin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to accept that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-hand-a-script-to-a-director/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-have-to-accept-that-the-moment-you-hand-a-script-to-a-director/#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 } } ] } ```