--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started out my career as a screenwriter…" description: "\"I started out my career as a screenwriter and quickly discovered that adhering to a script isn't always the best way to make a film. You have to take i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/wong-kar-wai-9417_always_i-started-out-my-career-as-a-screenwrite_1617780.jpg" --- # I started out my career as a screenwriter and quickly… ![“I started out my career as a screenwriter and quickly discovered that adhering to a script isn't always the best way to make a film. You have to take into consideration the nuances of the characters and what the actors bring to their roles.” quote by Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/wong-kar-wai-9417_always_i-started-out-my-career-as-a-screenwrite_1617780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/wong-kar-wai-9417_always_i-started-out-my-career-as-a-screenwrite_1617780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/wong-kar-wai-9417_always_i-started-out-my-career-as-a-screenwrite_1617780.jpg) > “I started out my career as a screenwriter and quickly discovered that adhering to a script isn't always the best way to make a film. You have to take into consideration the nuances of the characters and what the actors bring to their roles.” [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rigid scripts can stifle film’s organic evolution; actors and characters demand flexibility. **In simple terms:** Film thrives when scripts adapt to actors’ contributions. Key Takeaway Embrace improvisation and character depth in storytelling. Themes film creativity collaboration storytelling Mood thoughtful inspirational Type cinematic creative When to use this quote - Screenwriting workshops - actor‑director rehearsals - indie film productions - creative retreats Key Concepts Improvisation character development directorial flexibility Questions to Reflect On - When should a director stick to the script? - How balance actor input with story vision? A Different Perspective Too much flexibility may dilute narrative focus and coherence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Career Screenwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-screenwriter-6166973/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Consideration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-consideration-6166974/) [Make Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-film/) [Screenwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenwriter/) [Script](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/script/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [As a screenwriter, there's so many layers you have to go through in order to tell your story. You have to write the script,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley/as-a-screenwriter-there-s-so-many-layers-you-have-to-go-through-in/) [Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley/) > [A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/a-screenwriter-is-much-like-being-a-fire-hydrant-with-a-bunch-of-dogs/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [I think that scripts should be published, but they are published, really, because when you're a screenwriter, your stuff ends up in samizdat form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-think-that-scripts-should-be-published-but-they-are-published/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [I'm not coming from film school. I learned cinema in the cinema watching films, so you always have a curiosity. I say, 'Well, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-m-not-coming-from-film-school-i-learned-cinema-in-the-cinema-2/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I've always wanted to make a film about the Tong Wars, the rioting and the crime factions in San Francisco's Chinatown in the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-ve-always-wanted-to-make-a-film-about-the-tong-wars-the-rioting-and/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [The reason it takes me so long to make a film, the reason it gets so difficult, is that I'm trying to think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/the-reason-it-takes-me-so-long-to-make-a-film-the-reason-it-gets-so/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [It is rare that you read scripts that genuinely move you and make you feel that, regardless of the commercial possibilities, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/it-is-rare-that-you-read-scripts-that-genuinely-move-you-and-make-you/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) > [I wanted to do a film for a while, but I never found a script that I felt I was going to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-corbijn/i-wanted-to-do-a-film-for-a-while-but-i-never-found-a-script-that-i/) [Anton Corbijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-corbijn/) > [I'm a filmmaker; I want to make films. I don't want to sit in a hotel room waiting to make films, and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lindholm/i-m-a-filmmaker-i-want-to-make-films-i-don-t-want-to-sit-in-a-hotel/) [Tobias Lindholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lindholm/) > [In our case, we have no script. So the only people we can work with are people who have been working with us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/in-our-case-we-have-no-script-so-the-only-people-we-can-work-with-are/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [You get to Hollywood and you are in the land of big money where they don't like to see only one screenwriter's name. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kneale/you-get-to-hollywood-and-you-are-in-the-land-of-big-money-where-they/) [Nigel Kneale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kneale/) > [You are the executive director and screenwriter of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-are-the-executive-director-and-screenwriter-of-your-life/) [Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/) > [What I want is to be the highest grossing screenwriter, or to have some other woman be the highest grossing screenwriter, instead of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-rosenberg/what-i-want-is-to-be-the-highest-grossing-screenwriter-or-to-have/) [Melissa Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-rosenberg/) > [A great trick that I learned having worked as a screenwriter for many years, the way screenwriters work, is they break the project down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/a-great-trick-that-i-learned-having-worked-as-a-screenwriter-for-many/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [As a screenwriter, you're always being told: a good scene is one where somebody wants something, the other one doesn't want to give it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-sciamma/as-a-screenwriter-you-re-always-being-told-a-good-scene-is-one-where/) [Celine Sciamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-sciamma/) ## More by Wong Kar-wai > [Love is all a matter of timing. It's no good meeting the right person too soon or too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/love-is-all-a-matter-of-timing-it-s-no-good-meeting-the-right-person/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [In our case, we have no script. So the only people we can work with are people who have been working with us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/in-our-case-we-have-no-script-so-the-only-people-we-can-work-with-are/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [Each production has certain circumstances that will bring you to a certain way of making it. It is not intentional, it is not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/each-production-has-certain-circumstances-that-will-bring-you-to-a/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I didn't know anything about martial arts. I'm a big fan, but I never practiced martial arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-didn-t-know-anything-about-martial-arts-i-m-a-big-fan-but-i-never/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [We love what we can't have, and we can't have what we love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/we-love-what-we-can-t-have-and-we-can-t-have-what-we-love/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [When I look at 'Fallen Angels,' I realize it is not a film that is truly about Hong Kong. It's more like my Hong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/when-i-look-at-fallen-angels-i-realize-it-is-not-a-film-that-is-truly/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [Ip Man was an extraordinary man who lived during extraordinary times. He was born to a rich family when the country was still a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/ip-man-was-an-extraordinary-man-who-lived-during-extraordinary-times/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [It is always good to work with a very regular group of people because we know how high we can fly and what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/it-is-always-good-to-work-with-a-very-regular-group-of-people-because/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [What makes international cinema so interesting is that each territory has its own sensibility. When you look at an Indian or French film, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/what-makes-international-cinema-so-interesting-is-that-each-territory/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [For 'Chungking Express,' the way we shot the film was all handheld and with all this existing light, and that became very popular. Everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/for-chungking-express-the-way-we-shot-the-film-was-all-handheld-and/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I always think to shoot action scenes is not really about the stunts. It's more about an expression and about imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-always-think-to-shoot-action-scenes-is-not-really-about-the-stunts/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [When it's time to let go, I don't look back, and I start another project as soon as possible. One thing I remind myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/when-it-s-time-to-let-go-i-don-t-look-back-and-i-start-another/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [This is what the difference is between Hong Kong and Chinese cinema - Chinese cinema was made for their own communities. It was for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/this-is-what-the-difference-is-between-hong-kong-and-chinese-cinema/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I'm not coming from film school, I learned cinema in the cinema watching films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-m-not-coming-from-film-school-i-learned-cinema-in-the-cinema/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) > [I never studied film formally at school, but as a kid, I spent most of my time in cinemas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wong-kar-wai/i-never-studied-film-formally-at-school-but-as-a-kid-i-spent-most-of/) [Wong Kar-wai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) [Explore all 73 Wong Kar-wai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wong-kar-wai/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started out my career as a screenwriter and quickly discovered that adhering to a script isn't always the best way to make a film. 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