Lesson 7: Build Momentum, Not Perfection
One of the biggest career killers I’ve seen over the past 25 years isn’t a lack of talent. It’s perfectionism disguised as preparation.
I’ve met filmmakers who have spent five years rewriting the same screenplay because they don’t think it’s quite ready. I’ve met directors who have been storyboarding the same movie for years, convinced that one more revision will finally make it perfect. I’ve met producers who are still “getting ready” to raise financing. Meanwhile, another filmmaker with half the experience has made two short films, a feature, played a few festivals, built relationships, learned from every mistake, and is already working on the next project.
Which filmmaker do you think is in a better position five years later?
Filmmaking isn’t a profession you master by reading books or watching YouTube videos. Those things absolutely have value, and I’m constantly learning myself. But there comes a point where you have to stop consuming information and start creating something. You have to make decisions, solve problems, deal with setbacks, and finish a project. That’s where the real education happens.
I’ve always believed that completing a film teaches you more than writing ten unfinished screenplays. Once you’ve gone through financing, pre-production, production, post-production, festival submissions, sales conversations, and distribution, your perspective changes. You’re no longer guessing about how the industry works because you’ve actually experienced it. That experience becomes something no book or seminar can ever replace.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is filmmakers putting their entire career on one screenplay. They spend years trying to get that one project made because it’s their passion project, their masterpiece, or the story they’ve always dreamed of telling. There’s nothing wrong with having that dream project. I certainly have mine. The mistake is believing your entire career depends on making that one film first.
It doesn’t.
Sometimes the screenplay you’re most passionate about isn’t the screenplay that’s going to launch your career. Another project may be more affordable, easier to produce, or simply a better fit for today’s marketplace. That’s okay. Your goal isn’t to make one movie. Your goal is to build a career that allows you to make many movies.
That’s why I encourage filmmakers to think about momentum instead of perfection. Every project should create an opportunity for the next one. If you’re making a short film, ask yourself how it can lead to a feature. If you’re making a feature, think about the relationships you’ll build with your cast, crew, investors, and distributors. If you’re attending a festival, don’t just focus on your screening. Think about the conversations you’ll have, the people you’ll meet, and the opportunities those relationships might create down the road.
Everything should connect.
I also think filmmakers underestimate how much credibility comes simply from finishing what you start. Investors know filmmaking is difficult. Producers know things go wrong. Actors know schedules change. When people see that you’ve consistently completed projects, they immediately have more confidence in you. Completion builds trust, trust strengthens relationships, and those relationships become the foundation of a long-term career.
That’s one of the reasons I always encourage filmmakers to have multiple projects in development. While one screenplay is out being read, you should be writing another. While one film is in post-production, you should already be developing the next one. Momentum creates confidence, not just in other people, but in yourself.
One of the biggest advantages I had making Key of Bones was that we never stopped moving. There wasn’t a point where we sat around waiting for someone else to solve the next problem. Every day there was another decision to make, another milestone to hit, another conversation to have. That momentum carried all the way through production, post-production, and eventually to our screening at the Marché du Film in Cannes.
I’ve found that careers work exactly the same way.
People often ask me what the secret is to getting your first feature made. They’re usually expecting some hidden industry trick or magic introduction. The truth is much less exciting. The filmmakers who consistently build careers are simply the ones who keep going. They don’t stop after a rejection. They don’t disappear because a project falls apart. They adjust, they learn, they pivot when necessary, and they start working on the next thing.
Every filmmaker has projects that don’t happen. Every filmmaker hears “no.” Every filmmaker has moments where they wonder if it’s worth continuing. Those moments are part of the process. What separates the people who build long careers from those who don’t is what they do next.
They keep moving.
So don’t wait until your screenplay is perfect. Don’t wait until you’ve met the perfect producer. Don’t wait until you have the perfect budget or the perfect cast. Those things rarely arrive all at once. Start with the resources you have today. Make the best film you can. Learn everything you can from the experience. Then take those lessons and immediately apply them to the next project.
Momentum has a way of creating opportunities that planning alone never will. The more work you put into the world, the more people begin to notice. Your network grows. Your confidence grows. Your reputation grows. Before long, people stop seeing you as someone trying to become a filmmaker.
They simply see you as a filmmaker.
And that’s when doors begin to open.