How long before you know...

G

gorillaonabike

So I shot my first short... thanks to the folks on Indie Talk who described it as 'accomplished... for a first.' I now cringe looking back at it and would do a million things better.

However, it told me I have the basics of storytelling, shooting etc...

Roll on a little bit of time and I now have a couple of music vids, an extra short, a couple of interviews etc... under my belt and I am beginning to get to the next level of 'technical' ability. I now have more tools for the storytelling but still lack ability, intelligence in the storytelling, make technical mistakes etc...

So how long before you knew you were good? Or how long before you knew you should give this up and leave it to someone else?
 
You'll never be perfect, so don't stress it.

As long as you continue to learn, from both experience & mistakes, you're doing okay.

.
 
It begins when people you respect start saying "not bad" about your work and then ask your opinion about their work.

You're a professional when you know instinctively in your gut that, no matter how much you've accomplished, you've still got an awful lot to learn.


What is really strange is when you are working with other professionals and you are thinking "Man, do I really belong here? They're all so smart and all so talented!" Guess what? Most of them are thinking the same thing.
 
It didn't take me long to realize that I wasn't just good, but a freaking genius! And then it didn't take me long to realize that I was actually an amateur hack. So I kept working at it, and got better, didn't take long for me to remember that I'm a freaking genius! And then it didn't take long to realize that I'm a total fraud. No matter how much I progress, I kinda never get out of this bi-polar cycle of artistic confidence, and I don't think that's weird or unusual.

It sounds to me like your question isn't so much focused on your technical abilities, but on your artistic confidence. Based on what I know of you, I think you're able to view your work objectively enough to see its technical flaws, take constructive critiques, and build your skills. So, you've got your head in the right place, as far as progressing in technical skills is concerned.

As for the emotional side of being able to stick things out, I think asking how good you are is the wrong question. The only relevant question is how good you can be, and the only person who can answer that question is you (and maybe your mom). Whether we're talking about sports, business, art, whatever -- the people who truly shine didn't get there overnight, and you can rest assured that they all have one thing in common -- they were insane enough to believe that they could do it.
 
Part of being a professional is when reaching an obstacle, you know what you have to learn in order to own it.

Experience will teach you not only the things you experienced, but also broaden your horizons on things that where yet to be achieved.
 
A) When people start paying you money for what you're doing.

B) You don't mind taking their money WHILE feeling like a fraud.


When you goto get your oil or brakes changed on your car do you think the grease monkey feels like a fraud or shouldn't be taking your money?
How about your doctor or dentist? Do they feel guilty or fraudulent?
About how many customers did they go through you figure? :)
 
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