Only one time in my career I had that feeling [that this…
![“Only one time in my career I had that feeling [that this is not gonna get made], it was for this movie [Life of Pi]. It was right before we started the physical pre-production. I pre-visualized the whole ocean part before we made the movie, I was that prepared. At one point they seemed to want to…” quote by Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/07c/ang-lee-2496_book_only-one-time-in-my-career-i-had-that-fe_1972320.jpg)
“Only one time in my career I had that feeling [that this is not gonna get made], it was for this movie [Life of Pi]. It was right before we started the physical pre-production. I pre-visualized the whole ocean part before we made the movie, I was that prepared. At one point they seemed to want to drop it because it was really risky. The budget we proposed was a lot higher than they expected, they wanted to [drop it]. After all, it's a philosophical book and a literature property, it's not Batman.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Lee felt a deep doubt about the film’s feasibility during pre‑production, fearing it was too risky and costly.
In simple terms: He doubted the movie would be made because of its ambition and budget.
Key Takeaway
Trust intuition but balance risk with realistic planning.
Themes
risk
creativity
budget
vision
Mood
anxious
determined
reflective
Type
industry
leadership
When to use this quote
- pitch meetings
- budget approvals
- creative brainstorming
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
film production
visualization
authorial doubt
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide when to push a risky idea forward?
- What safeguards can protect creative projects from budget overruns?
A Different Perspective
Even with strong vision, financial constraints can halt projects.