Studios look backward. Filmmakers look forward.
Don't abandon what makes you who you are. Don't give up hope.
Every production is by faith, every single one. You can't do it unless you have faith because one, you never know if it's going to work, and two, if you aren't compelled and you aren't passionate, then you can't convince the studio to give you millions of dollars to make a movie and then spend millions more to market it.
I was an executive at Columbia Pictures for ten years. I was doing great. My career was on the upswing. But, right then, was when I said I gotta quit. I gotta start my own company. I gotta be on the other side of it because I felt the strong call on my life - to tell stories that, on the face of it, might not look like a commercial movie.
Someone says, 'oh, you know what? I'm going to give you a shot to see what you can do', and you've been praying for a promotion, now someone gives you an opportunity, that's a miracle.
What if you are just one bend in the road away from achieving your God-ordained purpose? If you give up on your faith now, could you live with knowing that your chance of a lifetime was only one act of faith away?
Growing up in the church in West Virginia, faith is always there. It's part of the fabric of the culture.
Writing about my illness put me into places. It was very triggering. I had to completely remove myself and practice self-care. I learned to be patient.
In regards to my artistry, I've learned the importance of being vulnerable.
My mother, because of her life, had almost a contradictory way of viewing life. She had this great zest and joy for life and I think that I have that. The glass is always half full for me.
What are the "maximum" limits of acceptance of the term "intellectual"?