you gotta fight....

in my readings on interviews with great directors and cinematographers, i've again and again people say that the best advice they've received was "don't back down when you know you're right," or attributing a great director's success to their determination to their vision, their refusal to back down.

and yet the global fundamental of working in a collaborative art form like film making is the grand art of compromise.  we all know that.  we all know that it's important to work with others, to listen to their ideas, even if they aren't your favorite.  not to demand that it's only your ideas, but to listen to others' opinions.

so i've been wondering about that this past week, as we've been going in circles on the story for our summer animation.  we've gotten tired, frustrated, and exhausted with the story and even with each other.  (in a twisted way, i kind of like this, because it think it'd be pretty rad to work in story some day and i know that this is absolutely what it's like in the big leagues....)   further making things difficult, there's no director here, no one with any greater weight or voice than any other.  so we just go in circles, almost coming to a solution then everything falling apart again in dissent.

by nature, i'm one who likes to include everyone, to try to listen to every voice and address them all.  and yes, that's a very good quality (no, i'm not perfect at it), but over the years i've been learning, too, that there are times when it's important and necessary to be decisive, to look at the options, and then make an executive decision.

i don't have that power or option here, but it's something i've been thinking about this week, and something i've been trying to be better at in my life.