Archives: Learning

My increasingly awesome Twitter-buddy Tyler Weaver posted this great article on his website today. I don’t know why, but I love peeking into other people’s work spaces, although Tyler’s minimalism puts my crazy-chaotic office/corner desk bombsite to shame.

I remember an old adage I used to try to placate my parents with at home:

A creative mess is better than a tidy idleness.
Anon

I clearly just need to learn how Tyler manages “creative tidyness”.

For a superstition, the muse certainly needs structure. You’ve got to tell it where and when to show up, or else it’ll become an excuse for you not to do your work.
Tyler Weaver, tylerweaver.com

Ben Craig, a Scottish director who made his short film MODERN TIMES for a budget of tea and sandwiches, has been taking some heat on his Vimeo page for the definition of “no budget” given the very nice Sony EX3 he shot it on and the studio space he used for a flick that’s now gathering some major buzz from Hollywood agents and execs ((as per yesterday’s Hollywood Reporter blog piece here)).

The truth is that Craig shot the entire film using equipment and a studio borrowed from a photographer when it was free at the weekends. He then set about doing all the visual effects himself, learning the software as he went.

The bitterness of the commenters is hard to fathom ((although sadly all too common)). If we as filmmakers want to make the projects we’re passionate about, we need first to focus on building a contacts book of creative collaborators – a network of mutually beneficial relationships.

By asking first “What can I do for them,” before “What can they do for me,” we can not only start relationships on a positive footing, but also potentially open doors to exciting opportunities that will never come the way of those filmmakers who spend their time bemoaning the fact that they don’t have the resources that people like Ben Craig or Gareth Edwards ((the director of the similarly home-made (effects-wise) MONSTERS)) had.

Sometimes selflessness and generosity is the best way of being selfish and getting what you want. I guess that’s what they call Karma.

Last summer I did a stint making short videos for THE PRODUCTION OFFICE LIVE. The show is presented and produced by my friend, author, filmmaker and blogger, Chris Jones. Its mix of interviews with genuinely valuable insight and lively studio chatter, saw it quickly become a favourite among indie filmmakers across the world ((literally, with viewers in the US, Germany and Australia among other places)).

Chris and his producing partners have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for the second season of the show to give them enough capital to run the show professionally. Take a look at their IndieGoGo page to find out more (and back them if you can).

The campaign itself has one key element that too many filmmakers ((and crowdfunders of other art forms)) miss: “perks” or “rewards” that backers genuinely want ((such as a credit on the show, a visit to the studio, a VIP pass to the always-awesome wrap party)) at minimal cost to the production.

Too often crowdfunders come up with lists of brilliant bonuses, but if you’re giving away a $40 T-shirt to people who back you to the tune of $50 it doesn’t take a genius to tell you’re not going to raise the amount you need to make your show. Some would argue even a $10 T-shirt on a $50 pledge is too much of a chunk to give away.

What Chris & Co have done is to come up with a crowdfunding model whereby they offer great value to contributors at little cost to themselves. That is the ultimate lesson in crowdfunding best practice not only because it gives the show the best fundraising model, but also because as a backer you know you’re money is going to help your favourite show get made, not to produce the rewards you’ll receive for putting your hard-earned in.

Well done to Chris, Judy, David and Gemma for creating a great campaign for a great show. I can’t wait for the new season ((which will also, incidentally, be featuring the return of the LOWDOWN from yours truly)).

The story goes that wherever he performed, Elvis insisted that his dressing room was placed 1000 yards from the stage.  As he walked those 1000 steps to get to his arena, he would slowly focus his mind and get into the head space he needed to perform to his best abilities.

Do you have your own 1000 steps? A routine or system that helps you get your head into gear?

For me, it’s making a hot drink ((green tea at the moment as I’m desperately trying to cut down on my caffeine intake)) and walking up the stairs to my home office. As soon as I close the office door and place the hot drink on the mat on my desk, my brain is in work mode and I’m focused on my To Do list for the day or the week.

Routines and systems are brilliant productivity aids, especially for freelancers working from home. They keep you focused on the task(s) in hand and keeping you from becoming distracted.

If you want to do more, achieve more and make the most of your day, find your own 1000 steps to performing your best.

A friend of mine Tweeted this yesterday afternoon, managing to precisely pinpoint the best way of getting what you want from 2011:

“Ink your goals rather than just thinking them”

Tamsyn O’Connor ((script writer, associate producer and Love Like Hers‘ spectacular 1st AD))

Rather than making resolutions that we won’t stick to, it’s much better at this time of year to set yourself goals and targets for the 12-24 months ahead and review your old ones.

The best way to ensure that you finish up 2011 and head into 2012 the way you want to is to take ten minutes today to sit and write down exactly what you want to get done this year.

You can scribble it on a piece of paper and stick it to the fridge; pop it on a post-it on the side of your computer screen; even make it public by posting it on your blog or Facebook profile.

Whatever way you do, the simple fact of having your goals and dreams for the year written down in a concrete form will force you to focus on what you want to achieve, keeping you eye on the proverbial prize.

The more we focus on what we want–rather than what we don’t want–the more success and happiness will come our way.

New Year: that traditional time when we’re all encouraged to make resolutions that tend to last until the furry green stuff has finally caused us to throw the left-over turkey from the fridge.

New Year is all about fresh starts, do-overs and re-trys and each year begins with the hope and expectation of great things to come. All too often, however, that feeling of hope and expectation is coupled with a sense of disappointment that we didn’t achieve all that we hoped we would at the dawn of the outgoing year.

Instead of focusing on what we don’t want and haven’t got, why not choose to focus on what we do want, but also what we already have?

In his book “I Can Make You Rich” hypnotist and self-help guru Paul McKenna suggests a version of the following exercise:

Take a moment to stop and think what you would do if you had all the money you needed. You can imagine heaps of cash piled on your kitchen table, you can imagine many, many zeroes showing in black on your bank statement, or you can just imagine having a card in your wallet or purse that will never be declined no matter what you’re trying to buy with it.

Now think about the things in your life that are important to you. If you had that unlimited source of funds, what would you change? Would you change:

• Your house?
• Your car?
• You husband/wife/partner?
• Your friends?
• Your job?
• Your hobbies and interests?
• Your family?

Any of these things to which the answer is ‘No’ is an area of your life where you’re already rich.

While we’d all love to be snowed under with all the money would could handle, a Rich Life is defined by more than just monetary gains.

Yes, money lets you do things you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do ((be that sailing around the world, flying first class or simply not stopping to check your bank account before buying a DVD)), but the happiness that it brings comes not from the money itself, rather from the feeling  of richness and empowerment it gives you.

Wealth is about enjoying what you have in your life that brings you happiness and fulfilment. Whether that’s writing, filmmaking, doing your job well or spending time with your kids, make yourself this one resolution this New Year:

I will strive to achieve happiness in all that I do.

As we all settle back for a well-deserved 48-hour respite ((or more, if you’re lucky enough to enjoy time off until 2011)) from slaving at our respective grindstones, it’s as well to remember to keep your writerly radar pinging throughout the festive season.

What with the trapping over-excited children, confused elderly relatives, stressed-out parents and chefs on the rampage in one confined space, mixed up with a drop of misunderstanding and too much booze, Christmas and New Year can be a real goldmine for writers.

That’s not to say everyone wants to see the inner workings of one another’s families, but it’s the interaction, the banter, the (often forced) joviality that combine to offer up little moments of genius that, if you’re paying enough attention ((Even if that attention is subconscious, thanks to writer’s osmosis)), you’ll find cropping up in your work in the year(s) to come.

So raise a glass, kick back, chill out and enjoy the goodwill of all mankind, but remember to keep your writer wits about you – you never know when you might strike paydirt.

Merry Christmas to one and all and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

The week leading up to Christmas is always a weird one. Whether you’re at home, at work or both ((working from home, that is)) no one is really interested in doing anything and it’s never a hugely productive period ((unless your in Panto, in which case you’re rushed off your feat right about now)).

So how do we make the best of the week before Christmas and the odd limbo of the following week before the New Year kicks off?

Rather than sitting at your desk procrastinating and clock-watching while dreaming of warmer, sunnier climbs, why not make use of the semi-downtime to make some progress on those little pet projects that have been kicking about in your head for the last three, six or even twelve months?

You know the ones I’m talking about: the projects that you love but just haven’t found time to focus on. The projects that you want to make a reality, but you’re not ready to share them with others just yet. The projects that really excite you, that fill you with drive and passion.

Too many great projects get lost in the maelstrom of everyday life and work, so use this little two-to-three week window to really reignite that passion.

If nothing else, just by working on a project that energises you for a few weeks, it’ll help launch you into the New Year with renewed vigour for achieving your goals and making the most of your life, your career and your talent.

When does promotion become procrastination?

When social media goes bad (cue over-the-top American-TV intro music and flashy title sequence) ((Apologies to my American readers, I couldn’t use British TV as all our shows are pretty bland and boring when held up against the US. Two ends of the same spectrum, I guess.)).

We’ve all been there: listless, unmotivated, snowed under with things we just don’t want to be doing with our day.

We just sneak a peek at what the Twitterverse is up to before we get down to it. We just see who’s thrown a sheep ((Does anyone actually throw sheep any more?)) at us before we put our noses back to that grindstone.

Before we know it, we’ve lost hours of our day to commenting, reTweeting and generally putting ourselves about, always telling ourselves that it’s all in the name of networking and promoting ourselves, our product or our project. Which it very often is.

But it’s vital not only to your productivity, but to the success of said product or project, that we pay attention to those warning signs of procrastination. There’s no point in marketing yourself if you’re never going to have anything to deliver.

So shut that browser down, Command-Q Tweetdeck and set yourself to task. You’ll be glad you did when you jump back on later to Tweet “I finished it!”

This weekend I took a couple of days respite from the rigours of the last couple of weeks chained to my desk finishing off a couple of projects. On Sunday morning, K and I headed to a nearby village to meet a couple of friends for some period festive merriment at a Dickensian-themed Christmas fair.

As we wandered around, my friend and I got chatting about the last 12 months: he was made redundant, which finally gave him the kick up the arse he needed to pursue his career as a magician and hypnotist full-time and I officially started – and started finding success with – my production company TinyButMighty. Then we naturally segued into our thoughts, plans, hopes and dreams for next year and the year after.

We’re both very similar people: highly motivated, hugely ambitious and very lucky to have supportive partners. But the more we chatted the more it struck me how important these real-world friendships are in these days of myriad virtual followers and “friends”.

My online friends tend to be my filmmaking buddies; the people I interact with most on Twitter are those that motivate and inspire me to push on with my film-related projects, hence the term ‘reel life’ friends.

My ‘real life’ friends are those who I’ve known a lot longer, have been through more with, but who aren’t necessarily engaged and enthused by the same things in life as I am.

Until this weekend, I’d always thought of the two sides of the reel/real coin as being entirely separate. Now I see that what they are is the yin and the yang of a cohesive whole.

Without my little online ‘tribe’, I’d have nowhere to turn when I hit that roadblock in developing ideas, concepts and screenplays. But without my friends to hang, chill out and relax with, I wouldn’t have the enjoyment and the richness in my life to motivate myself to push forward with anything.

Sometimes you need a push from someone who knows what you’re going through, who’s been there before and can sympathise, empathise and hold your (virtual) hand while you rough it out.

And sometimes it’s precisely because they’re from outside your ‘reel world’ that someone can offer more support and a bigger spur to your dedication and commitment than your hundreds (or thousands) of Twitter followers all tweeting you at once.

The yin/yang nature of online/offline connections should remind us of the balance we need to strike between our different worlds and how they can best help us achieve what we want in their own separate and inimitable ways.