Happy Monday!
Let’s talk about what hinders every great idea: the hesitation of being perfect. Many legends have stumbled and almost given up when their projects weren’t perfect…but that didn’t stop them.
Alien 3 almost ended David Fincher’s career…
Fincher’s first feature film was Alien 3 in 1992, but it wasn’t the golden ticket he’d hoped for. The studio rewrote the script constantly while they were filming, sets were being built while the pages were being printed, and Fincher was left with no control, no support, and no way out. It was a humiliation.
Then this man followed up with Seven three years later. Then a few films called Fight Club, Zodiac, and The freaking Social Network.
Everyone knows the legendary David Lynch…
But do people know that he gave up all of his creative control when he made Dune (1984) which almost made him leave the filmmaking business entirely. Then two years later he made Blue Velvet.
The humiliation of making Dune taught him something no film school could ever, and that’s trying to please everyone can cost you everything.
Now Imagine Not Making Michael Mann’s Heat...
Well in 1983, Michael made The Keep. And he actively tried to prevent anyone from being able to see it because he’s so embarrassed by the project. From studio interference, to a score he hated, to the final cut he never approved of. He’s disowned it completely and it’s never had a proper release.
He survived his worst nightmare and went on to make some of the greatest action films made in the last 40 years with Manhunter, The Heat, and Collateral.
This is all what perfectionism costs. Between these filmmakers, you have the most celebrated films in cinema history and every single one started off with something far from perfect. But that didn’t stop them from getting to where they needed to be.
We know some folks subscribed are not creatives and that’s totally okay because this applies to any motivation you have in life, any aspiration you can dream of. The real threat to your goals isn’t failure, it’s the hesitation that stops you.
So whatever you intend on seizing in your life won’t happen without those first steps.
So take them.
To dreams and making them happen,
Pat and the Marquet Films team