Got into watching these recently; bought the DVDs that are available here in the UK and also finding bits and pieces of stuff online. I find them quite fascinating from an animator-is-an-actor-with-a-puppet viewpoint. I don’t normally post just quotes or that kind of stuff on here but the final words of Kevin Spacey to the students struck a chord with me, and I thought I’d share them.
In response to a question about how to deal with and appreciate the journey to the ‘ultimate prize’:
“There is no prize, out there. The only prize is this one [pointing at his chest], and what you feel, and what you want to accomplish … I feel that I very often watch a lot of young people sort of meander around, without any idea about why they’re doing what they’re doing. I mean, to want, and to be ambitious, and to want to be successful, is not enough. That’s just desire.
To know what you want, to understand why you’re doing it, to dedicate every breath in your body to achieve… if you feel you have something to give, if you feel that your particular talent is worth developing, is worth caring for, then there’s nothing you can’t achieve.
You’re going to grow up with your colleagues. You’re going to watch them have success and watch them have failure, and watch how they deal with it. They can be as much a teacher to you as anybody here, or anyone that’s privileged enough to come here and speak to you.”
Right here is a link to a YouTube clip of the quote itself.
Animation Seven Ltd 