Not So Fast!

I’ve learned so much in the last few years of doing so many types of production that I have to actually stop and think about it all. I don’t mean to boast about this in any way but for anyone being in a creative role and being as busy as I have been, I’m sure you would reach a similar conclusion.

When I do stop and think about it, the lessons learned have been in areas I did not know at the time would bring so much value. In the midst of all the craziness, it’s very simple to overlook those valuable discoveries that often fire off a small light bulb. However, that small glimmer of light can later on become a beacon for a future project.

For example, I remember when working with Scott and Bengy from Athentikos on the story write for Reparando, we were prepping for the second trip to Guatemala to finish principle photography. I remember us talking about needing an efficient solution for allowing us to have a storyboard on location with minimal management but maximum usefulness. Scott, being a master with FileMaker, developed a database that allowed us to have a GUI synced with Bento. We were able to go through and mark off all the storyboards (with art and descriptions) and that night, at the end of the shoot day, sync with a laptop and see our progression. The benefit to this is that developing this idea not only was useful for our production on “Reparando“, but can develop into a workflow for all medium to large scale productions. Had we just settled for a traditional solution or chose not to put the effort into such an idea, we may not have been as effective in our current production and would not have laid some ground work for future endeavors.

Do not let these kinds of moments slip by or become so lost in memory that they are forgotten. You never know how they could help you in your current project, or later in future productions. I’ve been finding ways to jot down notes or make voice memos when such ideas come to mind. If you have an iPhone or any mobile device, look into getting an app (or even multiple ones) that can help you. I often use the voice memo app that comes with the iPhone to record me talking about certain ideas when I’m driving. Often times I’m at my computer and I see a website or video that sparks an idea so I use Evernote, an app that is easily accessible in almost every web browser and on any mobile device and can sync with each method. This way no matter where I’m at, I can access my pool of notes and ideas.

I’m sure there are other ways to help organize idea generation, these are just a couple of my own. The most important thing is to not let your ideas go by the wayside. Even if you think they will not amount to anything, write it down, record it, sync it, there will always be lessons to be learned.

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