If You're Not Scared

If you aren't scared from doing a project, you aren't doing it right.
I heard this from Daniel Mindel, the cinematographer of "Star Wars: Force Awakens" who was told this by director Tony Scott.

I'm really glad someone verbalized it. Because it's a fucking scary thing to do, for someone to put their dreams in your hands. We should never marginalize the stress that is involved when it comes to how much the moving image means to people. It's been floating around in heads for so long, the least we can do is respect it by trying our hardest to get what's in head to picture.
The biggest issue is that people can see it, but can't articulate what they want. Hard to be indecisive when you're on someone else's clock (this is money being lost). The stress comes from time. Everything takes time in movies. So we move like a chicken with its head chopped off.

I have a shoot today where I'm loading up expired film, that I've not tested, shooting a location that I've never seen. Nor have I met with the talent. This is a high wire act that I can only boil down to...the original thought. I am scared that I don't give the director what they want. Because it costs money. Money is always the cause of/solution to stress. Stress is fine, and money stress is fine. It's the reaction when things don't go right. The variables are enormous and...as I never want to be that person to say something CAN'T be done, it's often times wanting to say what SHOULD be done. For safety, happiness and general respect for others' time. Granted, I usually put this on myself. The simple answer is to shoot for the best and sidestep the worst. Is it a way of working? Sure, a whole generation started out with insane experimentation. Film was created under trial and error. We only have our own vision (at this point) to deal with. Not some faceless corporation to answer to.

Having fear and stepping forth to the unknown...all I can express to you, is how much more fun it is. As you get older, it gets harder to deal with, as you do have a reputation to uphold. The risk vs. the rewards. Go big, or go home.

Welcome to Hollywood.