--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was making commercials. That's how I…" description: "\"I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft. That was the marketing part of it: directing commercial for TV. It wasn't the most common thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg" --- # I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft… ![“I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft. That was the marketing part of it: directing commercial for TV. It wasn't the most common thing to become a filmmaker in Greece. I started by saying I was interested in marketing and have a proper job in advertising and commercials…” quote by Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg) > “I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft. That was the marketing part of it: directing commercial for TV. It wasn't the most common thing to become a filmmaker in Greece. I started by saying I was interested in marketing and have a proper job in advertising and commercials. Basically, I studied film to learn how to do marketing, and commercials. As I studied film I learned I'd be interested in making films instead of commercials.” [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He entered film through advertising, learning storytelling via commercials before shifting to cinema. **In simple terms:** He started in ads, then moved to movies. Key Takeaway Leverage early work to transition fields. Themes career development creativity film advertising Mood inspirational pragmatic Type career advice personal narrative When to use this quote - film production - advertising agencies - career counseling Key Concepts learning pathways skill transfer industry crossover Questions to Reflect On - What skills from your first job can you apply now? - How do you navigate identity shifts? A Different Perspective Transition may require new networks and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greece/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) ## Related quotes > [I learned about making films by going into advertising, making commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-learned-about-making-films-by-going-into-advertising-making/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [No power on earth can ever get me back to directing a commercial film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-bhatt/no-power-on-earth-can-ever-get-me-back-to-directing-a-commercial-film/) [Mahesh Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-bhatt/) > [I always loved films, and when I decided to go to film school, it was with the excuse that I would go into making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-always-loved-films-and-when-i-decided-to-go-to-film-school-it-was/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [The first time I was paid was with 'The Lobster,' because with the Greek films, we just had to pay ourselves - work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/the-first-time-i-was-paid-was-with-the-lobster-because-with-the-greek/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I love being able to tell a story visually. It's something I love about making commercials, where you put a magnifying glass over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-trachtenberg/i-love-being-able-to-tell-a-story-visually-it-s-something-i-love/) [Dan Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-trachtenberg/) > [Dear McDonald's, Please stop making your commercials look so damn good, its getting harder to explain the teeth marks on the TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-mcdonald-s-please-stop-making-your-commercials-look-so-damn-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I walked in thinking, 'I have ten movies under my belt and now they want me to go back to making commercials?' I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-jones/i-walked-in-thinking-i-have-ten-movies-under-my-belt-and-now-they/) [Orlando Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-jones/) > [If you're making commercials which sell products which are unhealthy or which are unnecessary, I think that you are part of a system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/if-you-re-making-commercials-which-sell-products-which-are-unhealthy/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [I fell in love with movies as a kid. I had been making shorts and making TV and making commercials and it's such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-vogt-roberts/i-fell-in-love-with-movies-as-a-kid-i-had-been-making-shorts-and/) Jordan Vogt-Roberts > [A lot of people are coming down on people taking old rock 'n' roll songs and making commercials out of them, but from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-cale/a-lot-of-people-are-coming-down-on-people-taking-old-rock-n-roll/) [J. J. Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-cale/) > [It's good fun making commercials because you are picked up in a posh car and pampered all day by your personal pamperer, or 'runner'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/it-s-good-fun-making-commercials-because-you-are-picked-up-in-a-posh/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [It's true that there are younger people making films, and there are different kinds of films. This has created some attention in what's coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/it-s-true-that-there-are-younger-people-making-films-and-there-are/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [Even before the economic crisis in Greece there was no structure for making films - no proper industry, and the structure didn't help filmmakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/even-before-the-economic-crisis-in-greece-there-was-no-structure-for/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I wouldn't be making films if I just wanted to express some specific ideas; then I would be writing essays or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-wouldn-t-be-making-films-if-i-just-wanted-to-express-some-specific/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I'm very open to making films anywhere in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-m-very-open-to-making-films-anywhere-in-the-world/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) ## More by Yorgos Lanthimos > [As long as I can make the films I want to make in decent conditions, I am happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/as-long-as-i-can-make-the-films-i-want-to-make-in-decent-conditions-i/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I'm just trying to progress with every film I make and become better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-m-just-trying-to-progress-with-every-film-i-make-and-become-better/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [For me, filmmaking is not about making statements but about exposing human behavior so people are eager enough to start thinking on their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/for-me-filmmaking-is-not-about-making-statements-but-about-exposing/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [When people don't understand what they're watching, a lot of what they perceive has to do with who they themselves are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/when-people-don-t-understand-what-they-re-watching-a-lot-of-what-they/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [No studio picks up the phone after seeing 'Dogtooth' and goes, like, 'We have the next superhero movie.' Though if one did, that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/no-studio-picks-up-the-phone-after-seeing-dogtooth-and-goes-like-we/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [Everybody has a love/hate relationship with their own country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/everybody-has-a-love-hate-relationship-with-their-own-country/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I learned about making films by going into advertising, making commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-learned-about-making-films-by-going-into-advertising-making/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I don't have time to read much. I'm trying to read 'The Brothers Karamazov' again, for a year now - I keep getting halfway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-don-t-have-time-to-read-much-i-m-trying-to-read-the-brothers/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [Yeah, it shouldn't be an issue. Stories about women, about men, about homosexuals, about heterosexuals. We shouldn't point at what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/yeah-it-shouldn-t-be-an-issue-stories-about-women-about-men-about/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I think children are really violent with each other often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-think-children-are-really-violent-with-each-other-often/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I think it's been obvious from the beginning that my projects are not going to be something that people already have in mind. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-think-it-s-been-obvious-from-the-beginning-that-my-projects-are-not/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [Anytime people see an emotion that is not extremely emotional, they call it 'deadpan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/anytime-people-see-an-emotion-that-is-not-extremely-emotional-they/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I never think in metaphors or fully make those kind of associations myself. I just lay down a complex situation and hope things arise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-never-think-in-metaphors-or-fully-make-those-kind-of-associations/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I'm very open to making films anywhere in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-m-very-open-to-making-films-anywhere-in-the-world/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I work very closely with my co-writer, Efthimis Filippou. Ideas either start from him or me, and then the other one develops it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-work-very-closely-with-my-co-writer-efthimis-filippou-ideas-either/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) [Explore all 105 Yorgos Lanthimos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft. That was the marketing part of it: directing commercial for TV. It wasn't the most common thing to become a filmmaker in Greece. I started by saying I was interested in marketing and have a proper job in advertising and commercials. Basically, I studied film to learn how to do marketing, and commercials. As I studied film I learned I'd be interested in making films instead of commercials.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yorgos Lanthimos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-learned-the-craft-that-was-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-learned-the-craft-that-was-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/yorgos-lanthimos-4870_advertising_i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-le_917984.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was making commercials. That's how I learned the craft. That was the marketing part of it: directing…” — Yorgos Lanthimos", "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": "Yorgos Lanthimos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was making commercials. That's how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-learned-the-craft-that-was-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-was-making-commercials-that-s-how-i-learned-the-craft-that-was-the/#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 } } ] } ```