--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every film is a puzzle really, from an…" description: "\"Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.\" — Walter Murch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg" --- # Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of… ![“Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.” quote by Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg) > “Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.” [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Film editing involves assembling scenes like pieces of a puzzle, especially from an editorial perspective. **In simple terms:** Editing is like solving a puzzle. Key Takeaway Treat each scene as a piece of a larger picture. Themes film editing storytelling creativity structure Mood analytical reflective Type cinematic educational When to use this quote - movie production - editing workshops - film criticism - storyboarding Key Concepts narrative construction visual rhythm authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - What does a puzzle metaphor reveal about editing? - How does editorial perspective shape a film’s meaning? A Different Perspective Editorial choices can limit audience interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Editorial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editorial/) [Editorial Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editorial-point-4606491/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Puzzle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-puzzle-4606489/) [Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Puzzle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzle/) [Puzzle Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzle-really-3358486/) [Puzzles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzles/) [Really Editorial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-editorial-4606490/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [I think there is a real value in an editorial point-of-view and in editorial curation, and in putting together an entire narrative around a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolf/i-think-there-is-a-real-value-in-an-editorial-point-of-view-and-in/) [Michael Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolf/) > [I see a film as a puzzle, with a beginning, middle, and end, but I like to start at the end sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-lelouch/i-see-a-film-as-a-puzzle-with-a-beginning-middle-and-end-but-i-like/) [Claude Lelouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-lelouch/) > [There's this moment sometimes, when you do a crossword puzzle and you have the one really long word. And once you get that, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/there-s-this-moment-sometimes-when-you-do-a-crossword-puzzle-and-you/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [An illustration is a visual editorial - it's just as nuanced. Everything that goes into it is a call you make: every color, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/an-illustration-is-a-visual-editorial-it-s-just-as-nuanced-everything/) [Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/) > [I have seen journals with good financial backing and editorial support die because they looked so bad nobody wanted to publish them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/i-have-seen-journals-with-good-financial-backing-and-editorial/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [As with many teens, my first jobs included babysitting and mopping floors at McDonald's. 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Anything we can do to help newspapers find new ways of expression that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-we-need-editorial-oversight-now-more-than-ever-anything-we/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The first time I ever wrote anything, it was an editorial column for my high school newspaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/the-first-time-i-ever-wrote-anything-it-was-an-editorial-column-for/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [We have for too long put vast oil and natural gas reserves off limits to exploration and production, as The Washington Post editorial stated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/we-have-for-too-long-put-vast-oil-and-natural-gas-reserves-off-limits/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [Vanity Fair has but two major articles in its editorial creed: first, to believe in the progress and promise of American life, and, second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-crowninshield/vanity-fair-has-but-two-major-articles-in-its-editorial-creed-first/) [Frank Crowninshield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-crowninshield/) > [Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/only-kings-presidents-editors-and-people-with-tapeworms-have-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Walter Murch > [My job as an editor is to gently prod the attention of the audience to look at various parts of the frame. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/my-job-as-an-editor-is-to-gently-prod-the-attention-of-the-audience/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [One of the rules of the road is that if you want to create the sense of silence, it frequently has more pungency if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/one-of-the-rules-of-the-road-is-that-if-you-want-to-create-the-sense/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [Take any writer you want in the 19th century: they wrote with quill pens, dipping a piece of goose feather in ink and writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/take-any-writer-you-want-in-the-19th-century-they-wrote-with-quill/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [Writing is a process of discovery of what you really do know. 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Even if it's a dialog scene, I lip read what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/when-i-m-actually-assembling-a-scene-i-assemble-it-as-a-silent-movie/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [Film editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/film-editing-is-now-something-almost-everyone-can-do-at-a-simple/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [The word processor is a better tool than a quill pen because you can do so much more with it, but on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/the-word-processor-is-a-better-tool-than-a-quill-pen-because-you-can/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [As I've gone through life, I've found that your chances for happiness are increased if you wind up doing something that is a reflection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/as-i-ve-gone-through-life-i-ve-found-that-your-chances-for-happiness-2/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [Blinking is some way of tabulating - a kind of carriage return, click, or save to disk - that helps the process of 'Okay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/blinking-is-some-way-of-tabulating-a-kind-of-carriage-return-click-or/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [You can always make a film somehow. 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If you want to reassure your cat, stare at your cat, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/if-you-want-to-freak-your-cat-out-stare-at-your-cat-if-you-want-to/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [I believe that one of the secret engines that allows cinema to work, and have the marvelous power over us that it does, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/i-believe-that-one-of-the-secret-engines-that-allows-cinema-to-work/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) [Explore all 30 Walter Murch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Murch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-editorial-point-of-view/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-editorial-point-of-view/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/walter-murch-20784_cinema_every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-ed_1352873.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.” — Walter Murch", "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": "Walter Murch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every film is a puzzle really,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-editorial-point-of-view/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/every-film-is-a-puzzle-really-from-an-editorial-point-of-view/#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 } } ] } ```