Filmmaker is one of my identities I put on to connect with and be shaped by my 'tribe'. My tribe are filmmakers and audiences who decide whether my film fits their cultural construction of what a 'good' film is. I will then adapt my film to grow as an artist and human being, conform to the tribe's expectations, and work out my dysfunctions. An end goal of an identity is to shed all identities and live out of the true self, that is the part of me which is confident and compassionate.
Test audiences who have seen my first feature film say that the story is fragmented. The story gaps between plot points are too big. So big even "Three Months Later" cannot fill them. Traditionally story editors assist in resolving these issues. Our process didn't include a story editor. In fact, we shot the first act of the film before we had the second act written. So our process risks not meeting audiences' cultural expectations. This does not mean that we are right and they are right or that no standard exists. It just means that the film will be different than other films. Can we grow by including others in our story editing process? If we wanted. Does it make me, my films, inferior to others? From a film industry construction it could affect how I am perceived. In the end, I need to be confident in my choices and experiments. I need to be compassionate with myself and know that I am in formation.
Identities are necessary ego structures for the individual to experiment with for the purpose of working out their human nature issues.
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