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Forums  >  Film-making  >  reconciling the film in your head and what you got
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haverfilms
at 10:46, 2 Nov 2006
Posts: 7
reconciling the film in your head and what you got

Dear Sally,
First let me say I hope your master class went wonderfully well. I was terribly torn about attending but in the end needed to stay on course with editing my feature and not losing creative momentum with travel from the US. So instead here is a burning series of questions I would have asked you at the class...
I would assume that atleast for some sections of a film you are creating you may sort of have a bit of the film in your head which evolves and changes as you move thru various stages of development, casting etc... is this true for you ? And while being open to it growing changing and becoming more, what about those inevitable disappointments and limitations (budgetary, time, your creative partners, your own ability) where things somehow fall short? Or for a great director like you do they rarely ever fall short? It is always so wonderful when parts exceed your expectations and that is pure magic.... I have been reading some of your responses to other questions and I see dealing with fear as an artist to be a major theme in some of these discussions... how do you cope with the fear of a film not being all it can be or fear of not fulfilling your own potential? Do you ever lose perspective on your films? These are all issues I am dealing with and any insights you have for me would be of great help. If you ever have any of these fears or anxieties, you shouldn't Sally. Your work is the level we all aspire to.
Best,
Mary H
haverfilms@aol.com
sally potter
at 13:54, 7 Dec 2006
Posts: 193
reply....
There are a lot of questions intertwined in this one! I will try and answer.
First, every film is a process that evolves. Therefore much of the time one is dealing with the unknown, with accidents and the unexpected. This can sometimes feel like disappointment, if compared with a pristeen imaginary film, the one that could have, should have been made etc. The script, in my experience, from which all else flows, at a certain point must also be shed like a skin. It has taken you a long way and must then be let go, or it too becomes a silent tyrant, a document of imaginary perfection that can never be realised. In the mess and chaos of the reality of manifestation comes a rougher beauty, which, if you can see it courageously with open eyes, is even better than the perfect fantasy.
you mention fear several times. Fear is useful, it keeps you on your toes, it is an astringent counterpoint to complacency. Important not to let it paralyse you, though, rather to experience it as akin to excitement, a kind of trembling, an aliveness to the huge responsibilty of making something that will endure.
yes, I often feel that I lose perspective along the way. But which perspective? Sometimes caring so much about a film feels out of kilter with the way the world is run. But it is a grand passion and sometimes i burn up in it. That doesnt worry me too much, nor should it worry you. Much more worrying would be to stay 'cool', not care.
Hope the film is going well.
haverfilms
at 07:53, 9 Dec 2006
Posts: 7
thanks
I guess like imaginary friends and imaginary romances, imaginary films have their limitations! I am giving mine the boot in favor of the real thing, which I realize every day that I am so fortunate to be in the midst of, and I too am burning up with it. Thank you for taking time to reflect and answer my questions throughout this, it truly has meant so much.
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