"When you've got eight or nine or ten cables running around with someone trying to operate them, it's too much"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. Mayhew doesn’t dignify the problem with industry jargon; he counts it out like a person watching a situation slip from manageable to absurd. “Someone trying to operate them” collapses a whole department into a single stressed-out figure, spotlighting how film magic often depends on a few people white-knuckling impossible tasks. The subtext is a quiet defense of simplicity: the more you tether a moment to gadgets, the less room you leave for timing, spontaneity, and the actor’s ability to stay present.
Contextually, it reads as a veteran performer reflecting on effects-heavy filmmaking as it transitioned from practical rigs to increasingly complex systems. Mayhew isn’t anti-technology; he’s anti-overreach. The line lands because it punctures the myth that more gear automatically means more control. Sometimes it just means more failure points, more miscommunication, and a set where the human element gets drowned in wiring.
Quote Details
| Topic | Technology |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Mayhew, Peter. (2026, January 16). When you've got eight or nine or ten cables running around with someone trying to operate them, it's too much. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-youve-got-eight-or-nine-or-ten-cables-104949/
Chicago Style
Mayhew, Peter. "When you've got eight or nine or ten cables running around with someone trying to operate them, it's too much." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-youve-got-eight-or-nine-or-ten-cables-104949/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When you've got eight or nine or ten cables running around with someone trying to operate them, it's too much." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-youve-got-eight-or-nine-or-ten-cables-104949/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.











