Maya Deren response

This really resonated with me. I'm definitely not one of the people entering the film industry for money or to solely work on big budget films, although I wouldn't be opposed to either of those things in the distant future. Ultimately though I would much rather create something that lasts long after I die, even if my name isn't attached to it and I get no zero recognition. I believe that creative work in any form is one of the purest aspects of being human, and I would gain far more satisfaction in creating something that stood the test of time and that was considered high quality (at least by some people, I don't necessarily care about mass appeal either) rather than create a series of vapid, soulless youtube videos on a channel that went viral and made me a ton of money.

If I never progress beyond "amateur" film making but am able to create a number of unique, creative pieces I will be extremely satisfied. The freedom Maya Deren talks about is where true unique art can be created. Most big budget films follow formulas and are designed from the ground up with profit in mind - yet most of them will be lost to time with all the thousands of other summer blockbusters that are largely forgotten.

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I only recently rediscovered my passion and desire to work in the film industry, which had been my dream as a child. This is my second time going to college - the first ended abysmally since I didn't have the discipline or motivation to succeed and probably should have taken several years off from school after graduating high school. Instead I joined UNCG as a communications major after much prodding from my parents, where I was told (along with about 200 other students in a large auditorium) that no one from that school had ever gone on to any success in the film industry. The teacher saying this was a miserable human being who clearly didn't want to see the youth he was entrusted to teach go on to greener pastures. Needless to say, I was incredibly discouraged, although with my lack of discipline I was doomed to fail regardless. I went on to drop out of school after four incomplete semesters, then spent the next several years in a whirlwind of ups and downs, odd jobs, a lit...
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