I think Aaron Cheney, who wrote one of the songs in our film, said it best in this post from the Barn Dance thread:
Originally Posted by smallbutmighty View Post
As artists, it is always tough exposing our babies to the cold, cruel world, but as I always say, "If all I wanted was a pat on the back, I would have shown it to my Mom."...Aaron Cheney
I love this quote! It is so true. A big part of why I continue to enter these fests is that I know I'll get some useful bits of feedback. People were not afraid to tell me what didn't work for them, and that's good. I can either fix it (sound), or decide that I am okay with some people not clicking with the piece, and leave it as is. But, I get a "test audience" larger than any I could put together in person. If I'm not willing to at least acknowledge the reaction of the audience and accept the validity of their experience, then I have no business sharing my film in the first place.