The other day, I was listening to an interview of twenty-one-time Tony Award winning Director-Producer Hal Prince. If it was on Broadway and you've heard of it, he probably was involved or nearby!
🎬 The Success & Failure Matrix Every Artist Needs to Master
Success. Failure. Hit. Flop.
These words get thrown around constantly in the arts—but do you really understand the difference?
📌 If not, you need to.
I was reminded of this recently while listening to an interview with Hal Prince, the legendary Broadway director and producer behind some of the most iconic musicals of all time.
What he said about success vs. failure completely reshaped how I think about creative work—and it’s something every filmmaker, writer, cinematographer, and artist needs to hear.
Let’s break it down.
🎭 Hal Prince’s Perspective: Creative Success vs. Financial Success
One day, mid-career, Hal Prince had a show that flopped—it opened and closed almost immediately. Naturally, he was devastated.
Seeing his disappointment, his wife asked him:
🗣 “Are you proud of the show?”
💡 His answer? Yes. He was incredibly proud of the work.
Her response changed everything:
👉 “Then it was a creative success—even if it was a financial flop.”
💥 That’s the distinction most artists fail to make.
🎥 The Difference Between Success & a "Hit"
📌 Success or failure is a CREATIVE evaluation.
📌 Hit or flop is a FINANCIAL evaluation.
This means:
✅ A project can be a financial flop but a creative success.
✅ A project can be a financial hit but a creative failure.
✅ The dream, of course, is for something to be both a creative and financial success—but that’s not always necessary for fulfillment as an artist.
🎬 Filmmakers & artists must learn to separate these two things.
🔗 Inside The Hollywood Film Coach, we dive deeper into these industry realities—helping filmmakers build meaningful, impactful careers, regardless of financial outcomes.
🎞 How This Mindset Helps You as an Artist
In today’s world, financial success is often seen as the only metric that matters.
📌 But if you let the market alone define your artistic value, you’re setting yourself up for constant frustration.
Instead, ask yourself:
✅ Did I achieve what I set out to do creatively?
✅ Did I make something I am proud of?
✅ Did this project push my skills and vision forward?
If the answer is yes, then you’ve already succeeded—regardless of box office numbers, YouTube views, or festival selections.
🔗 _Want to explore what makes a film a creative success? Join the discussion inside The Hollywood Film Coach, where we analyze real-world case studies of films that missed financially but succeeded artistically.
🎯 Final Takeaways: Redefining Success as an Artist
✅ Creative success and financial success are not the same thing.
✅ A “flop” can still be a creative masterpiece.
✅ The most fulfilling projects push your skills forward—regardless of outside validation.
💡 How do YOU define success as an artist?
Drop a comment below, or better yet—**join the conversation inside The Hollywood Film Coach, where serious filmmakers and artists discuss these deeper questions.
✅ #FilmmakingTips. ✅ #ShortFilmMakers✅ #Creative Success ✅ #Broadway.
✅#OscarShorts. ✅ #Motivation ✅ #HollywoodFilmCoach
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