I've been told I need to have an epiphany, but how I?

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I decided to shoot a feature film that is the career I want to get it into. I talked about it before in a previous thread on here:

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But I am told by people that I am crazy for wanting to spend my money on something like that and that I have delusions of grandeur, and what not. I am told I need to have an epiphany of some sort in order snap out of it and see it that way.

But do you think that's true? If so, how do I have an epiphany? I don't want to swayed from meeting my goal, but I am open to having one if I new how to, if that's the case.

What do you think?

My dad put it quite well when I wanted to become a circus artist: "I think it's a stupid idea, but then again, other's opinions of how a good life looks doesn't matter. A plan B is good to have, but focus on whatever makes you happy".

I didn't become a circus artist but I'm really happy for the time I spent working towards it. It doesn't matter that it didn't work out, it still brought me a lot of joy. Now I'm a painter, and that worked out just fine. But people still ask me what my "real" job is (since you can't possibly make a living out of that!). And my dad's advice stays the same.

If you want to get into movies, I'd say go for it. It doesn't have anything to do with delusions of grandeur, it's about your interests and passions. It's true that it doesn't work out for everyone, but there's no way of telling if it's gonna work out for you unless you try it.

There are plenty of people out there who will tell you what you can't do. Just go for it!

You can't force yourself to have an epiphany, "epiphany" literally means a manifestation of God(s). The people telling you to have an epiphany are relying on God to tell you what they want to hear because they can't come up with a real reason why you shouldn't do it. They are idiots. Go for it.

When I get discouraged I like to remember that somewhere out there is the person who invented the pool noodle. I bet plenty of people said that was a stupid idea which shows that just because something sounds stupid, it doesn't mean it is.

Creating a blockbuster is a long shot even for the pro's but then there's films like Good Will Hunting. Created by two nobodies which made a fortune.

If it's your passion, would you be happy walking away or would it just make other people happy?

Well I guess I am worried that what if other people are right, and I was not up to it, and I waste all my money. So that gets me worried, based on what they say.

Don't force yourself to try to have one. Epiphanies come when you least expect them to, sometimes during the weirdest times.

I wasted all my money on that circus-education. Still have no regrets. I had the time of my life doing it.
I made more money later anyways

But I was told I am about to waist tens of thousands of dollars, and I need to have an epiphany before I waist it.

Well, you have an idea of what movie you want to make, right? You have a script and all that? If you know what you're going to do as soon as you get the equipment and actors, there's nothing left to wait for.

I'm discouraged too and feel like I need to have an epiphany. Look, get your core course done, and then focus on the career you want to pursue.

An epiphany is "an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking." Others are probably encouraging you to grasp your own reality. This isn't to say that you don't know what you are doing, but just a kind word of caution.

Have you made professional connections with other filmmakers? Have you attended film festivals near you? The best way to start in the film industry is to work at any job within film projects. To find projects, become familiar with festivals and workshops, hang around a nearby college which has a film program. Attend filmmakers' labs to learn from those who are already working in film. Take a lot of notes.

As for making a movie yourself, I think it is a great idea! Make it your own little project. Use a video camera with computer-based editing (back up EVERYTHING, just in case). Teach yourself about editing, cinematography, lighting, staging and, most importantly, scripting. Start out small. Realize that a single full day of production yields just five minutes of screen time. And, that isn't counting the prep work to get ready for that single full day. So, aim for a 20-minute short film. At 20 minutes, your film would qualify for a lot of festivals, if it gets selected.

After a while doing this, you will soon understand the basics.

Good luck with your dreams!

I don't understand. Matt Damon and that other guy were already well-known actors when they made that movie.

They were young actors yes but not screen writers. Getting a script accepted was a huge achievement. Affleck was 20 and Damon was 22 when they wrote the script and it took them 5 years to get it to filming. When they first started looking for someone to accept the script, they were not celebrities but they didn't let that stop them and more power to them I say.

Okay thanks. Well I made a couple of short films so far. I have connections through the film school, and I already completed the course. I have the script and keep doing rewrites.

I can't teach myself everything though, and of course will hire people on each field such as cinematogaphy, sound, etc.

I haven't really entered the films into festivals, as it seems the festivals don't really do a lot for people, unless it's the huge ones like Sundance or something, but the movies are not high production enough to get into those.

As for people giving me a word of caution, I was told I have delusions of grandeur, and that I need an epiphany or I need to seek professional help. That sounds like more than a word of caution though.

It sounds to me that you are on your way in working with the film industry!

True, festivals can be grueling, but they look good on your resume/CV. They prove that others have selected your work for public presentation.

I certainly don't believe that you "have delusions of grandeur." Yes, it can be difficult to break out and get some attention, but if a film like The Blair Witch Project (and too many others that bored me to tears when I worked with the Sundance Institute and Film Festival) can be produced to ready audiences, almost anybody can do the same. The hard truth about Hollywood is that it now earns just one-fifth of the revenue of video games. That is why indie films are better positioned to lose less capital and actually draw in more loyal audiences.

Good luck!