"Early on I had a kind of adolescent view of most things, a kind of contemptuous view of institutions. In my view, institutions had never been a very good judge of art. But Hollywood is a very seductive place. You're surrounded by peers and the media. You begin to give these institutions greater importance. I fell prey to that, particularly as I was given a certain amount of attention for some of the things that I had done."
"The day after you win an award, you still have to get up and face the blank page. In fact, I found that success has this weird counterintuitive effect. There's something anxiety-provoking about it: Why did this thing work when the others didn't?"
Edward Zwick, an Academy Award-winning director and producer, shares insights from his memoir about navigating Hollywood's unpredictable landscape. He describes his career as a roller-coaster alternating between isolation and glamour. Initially dismissive of awards during film school, Zwick became influenced by Hollywood's seductive environment and institutional recognition. However, he ultimately discovered that winning Oscars—including Best Picture for "Shakespeare in Love" and directing "Glory"—had little bearing on his self-esteem or creative methodology. Success paradoxically creates anxiety, prompting questions about why certain projects succeed while others fail. Zwick emphasizes that regardless of accolades, filmmakers must confront the blank page daily.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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