--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were just trying to make the films…" description: "\"We were just trying to make the films that we could get made, and to push the envelope. We didn't realize how far we had pushed the envelope. That all ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/william-friedkin-10094_age_we-were-just-trying-to-make-the-films-th_2018383.jpg" --- # We were just trying to make the films that we could get… ![“We were just trying to make the films that we could get made, and to push the envelope. We didn't realize how far we had pushed the envelope. That all came later. That all came from books and articles about the golden age of the '70s. Believe me, to a lot of us, it was no golden age. The studio…” quote by William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/william-friedkin-10094_age_we-were-just-trying-to-make-the-films-th_2018383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/william-friedkin-10094_age_we-were-just-trying-to-make-the-films-th_2018383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1eb/william-friedkin-10094_age_we-were-just-trying-to-make-the-films-th_2018383.jpg) > “We were just trying to make the films that we could get made, and to push the envelope. We didn't realize how far we had pushed the envelope. That all came later. That all came from books and articles about the golden age of the '70s. Believe me, to a lot of us, it was no golden age. The studio heads were very powerful then. They would fire guys right and left. They would look at your dailies and tell you what was wrong with them... a lot of stuff that doesn't go on today. Young filmmakers who are successful today, they don't often have that to put up with.” [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Filmmakers often push creative boundaries unintentionally, driven by industry pressures and personal ambition, leading to unexpected cultural impact. **In simple terms:** Artists push limits, sometimes without realizing it. Key Takeaway Embrace risk, but stay aware of its effects. Themes creativity industry risk Mood cautious inspired Type creative industry When to use this quote - independent filmmaking - career development - creative experimentation Key Concepts cultural influence artistic integrity studio power Questions to Reflect On - How can creators balance ambition with well‑being? - What safeguards protect artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Industry constraints can stifle innovation and cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Golden age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-age/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [Many of my colleagues and I do films, which push the envelope and try to bring some change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranvir-shorey/many-of-my-colleagues-and-i-do-films-which-push-the-envelope-and-try/) [Ranvir Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranvir-shorey/) > [When filmmakers are kept from making films, there's a lot of different reasons why. Sometimes you work on a film and cast it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dante/when-filmmakers-are-kept-from-making-films-there-s-a-lot-of-different/) [Joe Dante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dante/) > [Today, they make films where you have to sit for an hour and a half and watch somebody in the process of dying and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-harryhausen/today-they-make-films-where-you-have-to-sit-for-an-hour-and-a-half/) [Ray Harryhausen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-harryhausen/) > [Now, more then ever, we have the ability to make films for almost nothing and that's broken down all barriers of entry. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/now-more-then-ever-we-have-the-ability-to-make-films-for-almost/) [Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/) > [Sarah Michelle Gellar's made some really good choices. She's had some bad breaks. She goes with the independent, interesting young filmmakers and then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/sarah-michelle-gellar-s-made-some-really-good-choices-she-s-had-some/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [It is an entirely selfish decision to turn producer because I want my kind of cinema to last and flourish, and helping young filmmakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-kashyap/it-is-an-entirely-selfish-decision-to-turn-producer-because-i-want-my/) [Anurag Kashyap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-kashyap/) > [I go to conventions and universities and talk to young filmmakers and everybody's making a zombie movie! It's because it's easy to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/i-go-to-conventions-and-universities-and-talk-to-young-filmmakers-and/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [The only advice I can really give to the young filmmakers is to be persistent, don't give up, and keep watching and making as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/the-only-advice-i-can-really-give-to-the-young-filmmakers-is-to-be/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [For young filmmakers, Saw is a perfect film. It doesn't cost the GNP of almost every country of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-wahlberg/for-young-filmmakers-saw-is-a-perfect-film-it-doesn-t-cost-the-gnp-of/) [Donnie Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-wahlberg/) > [I love independent films because I love to help, I love to assist, I love to pass along knowledge or experience to young filmmakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/i-love-independent-films-because-i-love-to-help-i-love-to-assist-i/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [There's a rumbling with young artists and young filmmakers that are dying to get different points of view, different stories, out there. It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-stapleton/there-s-a-rumbling-with-young-artists-and-young-filmmakers-that-are/) [Alex Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-stapleton/) > [I always tell young filmmakers, don't go make a feature. Make a short. When you're ready to make a feature, people will tell you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-duplass/i-always-tell-young-filmmakers-don-t-go-make-a-feature-make-a-short/) [Jay Duplass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-duplass/) > [I've seen so many young filmmakers - even professional filmmakers who get a Hollywood deal - they don't quite know where to begin, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/i-ve-seen-so-many-young-filmmakers-even-professional-filmmakers-who/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [I think it's a mistake for young filmmakers to just buy digital equipment and shoot a feature. Make short films first, make your mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-for-young-filmmakers-to-just-buy-digital/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but feel incredibly lucky to be in the position I am now and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/i-made-a-lot-of-mistakes-along-the-way-but-feel-incredibly-lucky-to/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) ## More by William Friedkin > [I believe it's true that there's good and evil in everyone and it's a constant struggle to have your better angels prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-believe-it-s-true-that-there-s-good-and-evil-in-everyone-and-it-s-a/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [All of the films I have made, that I have chosen to make, are all about the thin line between good and evil. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/all-of-the-films-i-have-made-that-i-have-chosen-to-make-are-all-about/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [None of the chase scenes that I did had any opticals. We had to do all of that physically. The first thing you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/none-of-the-chase-scenes-that-i-did-had-any-opticals-we-had-to-do-all/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [I'm not a fan of Star Wars. That is not for me. That is for my nephews and nieces. I don't get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-m-not-a-fan-of-star-wars-that-is-not-for-me-that-is-for-my-nephews/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [The studios are making fewer films. They are making more expensive films. Profits are tougher to come by. Not only because of the expense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/the-studios-are-making-fewer-films-they-are-making-more-expensive/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [I'm not a fan of 3D. But I am a huge fan of digital imagery. Because it allows a filmmaker much more latitude to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-m-not-a-fan-of-3d-but-i-am-a-huge-fan-of-digital-imagery-because-it/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [There are films that I've made that I like a little bit more than the others. But the films that I mostly watch, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/there-are-films-that-i-ve-made-that-i-like-a-little-bit-more-than-the/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [If Star Wars had failed, you wouldn't have 90 percent of what's out there today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/if-star-wars-had-failed-you-wouldn-t-have-90-percent-of-what-s-out/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [I have seen lampoons of my work. And I have really enjoyed them. But I would never do another version of The Exorcist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-have-seen-lampoons-of-my-work-and-i-have-really-enjoyed-them-but-i/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [Technique is of less interest than character and story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/technique-is-of-less-interest-than-character-and-story/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [I don't like 3D. I don't believe there is any film that I have seen and loved that would have been improved by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-don-t-like-3d-i-don-t-believe-there-is-any-film-that-i-have-seen/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [But the audience is right. They're always, always right. You hear directors complain that the advertising was lousy, the distribution is no good, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/but-the-audience-is-right-they-re-always-always-right-you-hear/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [God knows, as a minority, gay people have taken serious lumps for their sexual preferences. As has every minority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/god-knows-as-a-minority-gay-people-have-taken-serious-lumps-for-their/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [I don't believe that Citizen Kane or Gone With the Wind, or any damn picture that you can name, would be better off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-don-t-believe-that-citizen-kane-or-gone-with-the-wind-or-any-damn/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [The Blu-ray is the real cinematech of world cinema. That's how it's being preserved. All of these guys that are trying to preserve 35mm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/the-blu-ray-is-the-real-cinematech-of-world-cinema-that-s-how-it-s/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) [Explore all 68 William Friedkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We were just trying to make the films that we could get made, and to push the envelope. We didn't realize how far we had pushed the envelope. That all came later. That all came from books and articles about the golden age of the '70s. Believe me, to a lot of us, it was no golden age. The studio heads were very powerful then. They would fire guys right and left. They would look at your dailies and tell you what was wrong with them... a lot of stuff that doesn't go on today. 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