Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
Werner HerzogRead
Perseverance has kept me going over the years. Things rarely happen overnight. Filmmakers should be prepared for many years of hard work. The sheer toil can be healthy and exhilarating.
Interpretation
Perseverance is essential for success, especially in filmmaking, where hard work over time often leads to rewarding outcomes.
In this quote, Werner Herzog emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the creative process, particularly in filmmaking. He highlights that achievements do not occur instantly; rather, they require sustained effort and dedication over the years. The challenges faced along the way can be both demanding and invigorating, suggesting that the journey itself can bring about personal growth and fulfillment.
In practice
This quote can be used as a motivational speech for aspiring filmmakers at a film school.
Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
For a moment the feeling crept over me that my work, my vision, is going to destroy me, and for a fleeting moment I let myself take a long, hard look at myself, something I would not otherwise do--out of instinct, on principle, out of self-preservation--look at myself with objective curiosity to see whether my vision has not destroyed me already. I found it comforting to note that I was still breathing.
Very often, footage that you have shot develops its own dynamic, it's own life, that is totally unexpected, and moves away from you're original intentions. And you have to acknowledge, yes, there is a child growing and developing and moving in a direction that isn't expected-accept it as it is and let it develop its own life.
Without dreams we would be cows in a field, and I don't want to live like that. I live my life or I end my life with this project.
Coincidences always happen if you keep your mind open, while storyboards remain the instruments of cowards who do not trust in their own imagination and who are slaves of a matrix If you get used to planning your shots based solely on aesthetics, you are never that far from kitsch.
Martin Luther was asked, what would you do if tomorrow the world would come to an end, and he said, 'I would plant an apple tree today.' This is a real good answer. I would start shooting a movie.
Greatness starts with a clear vision of the future.
If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.
Yeah, the world would swing if I were king._x000D_ _x000D_ Can I help it if I still dream time to time?
We talk a lot about the importance of physical exercise to wake us _x000D_ up out of the half sleep in which so many of us walk around. But we need, even more, some spiritual and mental exercises every morning to stir us into action. Give yourself a pep talk every day.
Faith doesn't mean you don't have to do the work; it just means you're absolutely certain the work will pay off.
When I was really young, I busted my nose when I was racing. The first thing my dad asked me was: 'Are you OK?' I said, 'Can you fix the car for tomorrow?' And I won the race the next day.
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