Other filmmakers make their movies and put them out and that’s that. For me, for some odd reason, it goes deeper than that.

Smith contrasts a conventional, workmanlike approach to filmmaking—finish the film, release it, move on—with his own more personal, emotionally entangled relationship to his work. The line suggests that his films are not merely products but extensions of identity, memory, and community, which fits his public persona as a diaristic storyteller and fan-facing commentator. It also hints at why he remains closely involved with his films after release (through Q&As, podcasts, touring talks, and ongoing discussion): the meaning of the work continues beyond the premiere, because it is bound up with self-expression and audience connection rather than only craft or commerce.