Filmmaking 101: Why personal projects are a great way to stay sharp
Nearly a year ago at some point in January 2016, I decided to to embark on a creative project to keep my skills active, my mind engaged and my creativity flowing. I decided that at the end of each month, I would create a video using footage taken throughout that month and publish it online. Now this is the first time I’ve ever attempted something like this and I was cautious about what I was willing to commit to. For me, sticking to a regular schedule isn’t always easy. In fact, I’ve been pretty terrible at it. Until now that is.
Somehow, I stuck with it. 1 video every month, for an entire year. And here we are, nearly entering the month of December, with video 11 on the way. So what’s going on? I think there’s some simple reasons why I was able to stay committed to this project. Here’s some thoughts on why personal projects are so important and why (for the first time) I was able to follow through.
They force you to be realistic
I often have overly-ambitious ideas for various projects. Sometimes I start well, even making tremendous progress after a month or so…but the majority of these projects don’t make it very far at all. Some sketches, an outline, some storyboards, a script, and then nothing. So what is realistically possible? A video a day? A week? nah… a month. To some that might seem lazy, but there are a few factors in choosing monthly intervals. The main one being that I work full-time.
This time, I wanted to manage my ambition and set a realistic goal for producing videos. So I went out with some friends, shot a bunch of stuff and boom, that was that. I was able to shoot, edit and export ‘January’ over a weekend. This made me realize that the goal of creating a video a month was totally achievable. Once I had this one video as a proof of concept.. then it was just a matter of sticking to it….
They force you to be active
This is an obvious one but an important one. Interesting places, people and things aren’t going to come to you. Well…they might! be that seems unlikely. For most of us, you have to go find them. So far, 8 of the 10 videos I’ve made have been shot within approx. 20 miles of where I live. None of them were shot on my doorstep or street. My point here is that I had to do some walking, public transport, taxis…etc. Now you might be asking…
“But what if I live in a boring shit-hole?”
Well to that I say ‘shit-hole’ is a relative term. Your shit-hole neighborhood might seem dull but to someone else, it could be fascinating. See that ugly town hall which is in desperate need of renovation? No. It’s actually a glorious castle that has stood for more than an eon. Or how about that ruptured garbage bag full of trash, leaving a stream of bin juice for you to step in on your way to work? Nope. That’s actually the bi-product of civilization, a haunting reminder of our impact on the planet. All the insignificant, ambient visual traffic in your daily life is someone else’s muse.
The point is to get out there and film stuff. Search for something that interests you. Or film things that you think are mundane but try to make them interesting. Rewire your brain so that everything is new. Then hit record.
They give you a starting point.
I know what it feels like to be in a creative rut. A black hole of imagination. It sucks. That sense of frustration. You may have so many ideas you don’t know where to start or you don’t feel like you have any ideas worth pursuing, either way you’re creatively stagnant…and probably feeling a bit crazy. Deciding on a format and schedule gives you structure. Create a plan and write it down, if only just to commit the plan to memory.
They teach you discipline.
Giving yourself clear achievable goals with monthly deliverables reduces the opportunity to make excuses. Imagine you’re working for a magazine. Being dependable and efficient is huge asset and a skill that needs to be practiced and maintained. Even if your videos aren’t getting any views, it may feel like they’re lost in the youtube/vimeo annex, buried under a pile of more relevant content, it’s important to keep producing. Often times with these longterm projects, it isn’t about any one particular piece. It’s about the aggregate of the pieces. Before you know it a year will have passed and you’ve got something that resembles a portfolio.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Yup. I just made that up. Totally original.
See the ‘Month by month’ project here
Find out more about Michael Lathrop here
