--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only one time in my career I had that…" description: "\"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..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/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… ![“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/quotes/i/07c/ang-lee-2496_book_only-one-time-in-my-career-i-had-that-fe_1972320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/ang-lee-2496_book_only-one-time-in-my-career-i-had-that-fe_1972320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/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.” [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Budgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgets/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Of Pi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-of-pi/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [ I think for most people, the audience probably couldn't tell the difference, but I know they \[shots of visual effects\] can be better. And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-think-for-most-people-the-audience-probably-couldn-t-tell-the/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Every time I make a movie, I'm prepared for it to become influential and career-defining - but I have no control over these things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/every-time-i-make-a-movie-i-m-prepared-for-it-to-become-influential/) [Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/) > [ It was nerve-wracking \[to unleash 'Life of Pi' to the world\]. The first show to the journalists, that was the first one, so I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/it-was-nerve-wracking-to-unleash-life-of-pi-to-the-world-the-first/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [ First we pre-visualized it \[the flying fish scene in 'Life of Pi'\] so the actors could act. It took a long time to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/first-we-pre-visualized-it-the-flying-fish-scene-in-life-of-pi-so-the/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [There's a certain time in the core of making a movie from pre-production to halfway through post-production I don't read any project, my agent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/there-s-a-certain-time-in-the-core-of-making-a-movie-from-pre/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Before 'Life of Pi,' I wanted to do economics. And now, I realize how bad a mistake that would have been. I just can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suraj-sharma/before-life-of-pi-i-wanted-to-do-economics-and-now-i-realize-how-bad/) [Suraj Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suraj-sharma/) > [“Yes! Practice-singular!' the wise men screamed in unison. Three index fingers, like punctuation marks, jumped to attention in the air to emphasize their point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/yes-practice-singular-the-wise-men-screamed-in-unison-three-index/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Repetition is important in the training not only of animals but also of humans." Yann Martel in Life of Pi, Page 25](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/repetition-is-important-in-the-training-not-only-of-animals-but-also/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Happy Pi Day. Today you must either eat some pie, watch Life of Pi, or drink 3.14 cases of beer. Extra credit for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-pi-day-today-you-must-either-eat-some-pie-watch-life-of-pi-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ang Lee’s been nominated for Best Director for Life of Pi, which is what I’m going to call the six weeks after I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/ang-lee-s-been-nominated-for-best-director-for-life-of-pi-which-is/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [ “...I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. \[...\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-am-a-person-who-believes-in-form-in-the-harmony-of-order-where-we/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [A contemplative life has more the appearance of a life of piety than any other; but it is the divine plan to bring faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-david-cecil/a-contemplative-life-has-more-the-appearance-of-a-life-of-piety-than/) [Lord David Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-david-cecil/) > [The water in 'Life of Pi' is very realistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-knight/the-water-in-life-of-pi-is-very-realistic/) [Travis Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-knight/) > [“The daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, born with a precocious scientific intellect and a thirst for chemical knowledge, Elion had completed a master's degree in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/the-daughter-of-lithuanian-immigrants-born-with-a-precocious/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [The Baptists believe in The Right to Life before you're born. They also believe in Life After Death, but that is a privilege and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-whitney-brown/the-baptists-believe-in-the-right-to-life-before-you-re-born-they/) [A. Whitney Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-whitney-brown/) ## More by Ang Lee > [When I'm not working, I get very down, but when I am working, I get very immersed in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-m-not-working-i-get-very-down-but-when-i-am-working-i-get-very/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-am-not-particularly-religious-but-i-think-we-do-face-the-question/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I'm not a romantic. In life I didn't have much experience with romance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-not-a-romantic-in-life-i-didn-t-have-much-experience-with-romance/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [When I see something I like, that's all that counts. What they use, how they get there, I never bother them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-see-something-i-like-that-s-all-that-counts-what-they-use-how/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Mostly it's like, I get inspired by something and I want to learn that part of filmmaking, I want to delve into that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/mostly-it-s-like-i-get-inspired-by-something-and-i-want-to-learn-that/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Film study was considered disgraceful by my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/film-study-was-considered-disgraceful-by-my-father/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I hope people don't compare 2D and 3D because 3D's new, it's unfair to compare to 2D which is really sophisticated, even when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-hope-people-don-t-compare-2d-and-3d-because-3d-s-new-it-s-unfair-to/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/on-a-chinese-film-you-just-give-orders-no-one-questions-you-here-you/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I had to test a new terror in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-had-to-test-a-new-terror-in-myself/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [My cultural roots are something illusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/my-cultural-roots-are-something-illusive/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Kids don't even read comic books anymore. They've got more important things to do - like video games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/kids-don-t-even-read-comic-books-anymore-they-ve-got-more-important/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't care about writing really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-care-about-writing-really/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't have incredible knowledge about films or of filmmaking history; I'm not that kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-have-incredible-knowledge-about-films-or-of-filmmaking/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [A lot of people will think I changed the book: ‘so you’re the tiger instead, you’re the tiger who ate the cook.’ That’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/a-lot-of-people-will-think-i-changed-the-book-so-you-re-the-tiger/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) [Explore all 163 Ang Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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]. 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