The Insecurities Of A Visionary Director

I had a beer with Zach Snyder at a bar in Pasadena.

Zach Snyder, writer/director of such movies as, 300, Dawn of the Dead, and Justice League.

He's the guy that made the spartan kick the spartan kick.

And, as we know I don't fanboy over anything except Brazilian football players and Writers. So, I was obviously excited and trying to play it cool.

He had come into the bar to pick up a to-go order. Someone had the foresight to offer him a free beer. So, he stuck around and started shooting the breeze with us at the bar.

He's one of the most established directors in the industry. So, what I was interested in was 1. Everything. and 2. How was his demeanor/energy?

Here's what I felt. He had a laidback, I'm killing it, I made it type of energy. He was comfortable in his own skin.

A certain shyness came around when we started talking about his movies.

One of the servers asked him why he made a specific movie, somewhat critically, and he answered politely.

But you could see it in his PR trained eyes, insecurity. He looked around for affirmation from those around the bar. He wanted people to like what he made and he cared deeply about what people felt.

This was my takeaway, every artist from big to small craves being able to sit at a bar and look over at someone next to them and hear them say, "I like what you make."

Self-doubt will always be with you. It keeps you curious and keeps you making better things.

So, embrace that self-doubt. It's not going anywhere, it's just a tool.
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L.L.