Enthusiasm without Discipline Can Destroy Your Movie

Too much enthusiasm can actually derail a film project in several subtle and sometimes catastrophic ways. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I've seen it happen multiple times. I've even seen it destroy careers and friendships.

Too much enthusiasm without discipline can lead to Overpromising and Underdelivering. When passion runs high, it's easy to make big promises, promises about budget, promises about timelines, cast availability, or even distribution deals, without the infrastructure to back them up. This leads to disappointment, broken trust, and sometimes legal issues. This is a sign of an amateur, and can turn people off from future collaborations. Too much passion without experience can shoot you in the foot.

Too much enthusiasm can also lead to neglecting practical limits. It's always easy to say, "Go Big, or Go Home." But overly enthusiastic filmmakers might ignore real-world constraints like scheduling conflicts, weather conditions, location limitations, or equipment issues, assuming things will "just work out" because of their drive and passion. This can cause serious production delays or shutdowns. I have seen entire films completely collapse because of this. There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, I would never tell anyone to limit themselves, but, a person can't expect to fly if they have never walked or run. This goes especially for first time filmmakers, people who have never actually made anything before. They've watched too many youtube videos or went to film school or even been on someone else’s sets, and now they think they know everything and they throw caution to the wind and expect it to be easy because, "they want it" too much.

Over enthusiasm can lead to Rushing the Process. High enthusiasm often leads to skipping pre-production essentials, like detailed shot lists, proper budgeting, legal clearances, or rehearsals, in favor of getting to the "fun" part (shooting). Without a solid foundation, everything can fall apart during production or in post. I am ALL FOR Gorilla filmmaking! I love it! But there is a HUGE difference between making a youtube short or a TikTok than there is making a full length feature film. I have seen people who have no plan and think they can just run out there and make a movie with the mindset of "We will just adlib the scenes." Yes it can be done, but unless you want the entire movie to be one wide shot, and performed like a play, it takes planning. And rushing the process because you are not willing to put in the work before hand can lead to disaster and show your lack of professionalism.

Passionate filmmakers can become too emotionally attached to their vision, making them defensive or unreceptive to constructive criticism. They will ignore feedback. This can lead to poor decisions in casting, story development, or editing that harm the final product. They put their passion BEFORE the movie. And this can ruin a movie, or cause egos to be puffed up and feelings hurt. Dov Simens used to say, "there are twice as many letters in the word business than there is in the word show." Its called Show business for a reason. It's a business, and unless you are willing to put the film first and know the business. The show can suffer for it.

Also, over enthusiasm when not directed properly can lead to team burnout. Relentless energy from one person can exhaust the rest of the team, especially if the enthusiasm isn't backed by clear direction or leadership. There is nothing wrong with being energetic or even hopeful above everyone else. A Captain must set the bar and the tone for everyone else. But when one person allows their enthusiasm to run rampant, crew members may feel overwhelmed, undervalued, or frustrated, leading to high turnover or a toxic set. Over enthusiasm can also turn someone who is passionate into someone who will run others over or bully them into doing things. This is like a kid on a play ground who picks on others and manipulates them into playing their games, their way, by their rules. Remember... Filmmaking is a collaborative effort. (A captain must maintain order and the director must know where the ship is going, so having an organized vision is one thing. It's important to make sure that the film comes first. You can't always play nice and you will never make everyone happy, after all, if the movie crashes and burns, it's the captain that will go down with the ship, so there must be order) but without clear leadership and without clear communication, this will destroy your reputation and people will not want to work with you, if you have a bad attitude, and a toxic set.

Another thing that over enthusiasm without experience or discipline can lead to, is Overspending. Excitement often drives filmmakers to go “all in” financially, pushing the budget beyond what’s sustainable in hopes of creating something amazing. This can lead to running out of money mid-project or being stuck with unpaid debts. Believe me... I know... It happened to me.

Too much enthusiasm for a personal vision can also mean forgetting who the project is actually for. Films that don't consider the target audience or market potential can struggle to find distribution or connect with viewers. Know who and why you are doing this movie.

A healthy amount of enthusiasm is crucial! It's what gets films made! But it has to be paired with discipline, planning, and humility. Balance passion with professionalism, and you're far more likely to succeed. Be insane about how high you want to go, shoot for the stars and fly to the moon! But don't let your enthusiasm cause your dreams to fall flat on its face or get black listed just because you weren't willing to put in the hard work first. Enthusiasm is no excuse for laziness.