04/03/08 S_A Tip: Complete the Circle A lot of people ask me how to make a movie. Understandably, it can be quite a daunting task for the newcomer. So, I've included this page as a launching point for aspiring filmmakers, like myself. This is truly a great time to be alive! With popular websites like Youtube and Myspace, it's common to see thousands of "homemade" movies online. It seems like everyone wants to try their hand at making a film. So, here are a few tips that should help you turn your "homemade" movie into an entertaining film! Please note that all the information below is my opinion. As an aspiring filmmaker your mind should be a sponge, soaking up as much useful information as possible. But, at the same time be very careful what you ingest because it may hold you back rather than spark creative juices. The way I see it… (Which is probably the wrong way to "see it") The more rules you follow, the less successful you'll be at creating a unique, entertaining piece of art. Everything should come from you're soul, not a book or a class. Using that mentality, I refused to take music lessons as a child, because I feared that rules and proper training would affect my creative ability. I didn't want to sit down with my guitar and start throwing licks around only to be distracted … because I was breaking some rule! With that said, I'll move forward. 1.) Learning to channel your creativity. At some point you are going to wake up in the middle of the night with a GREAT idea for a movie, song, book or other form of art! You might even write down all the parts that you remember so that you can go back to those thoughts later on during the day. This is very common for the creative mind. However, making that image, story or feeling translate over to the physical realm may prove to be an extremely hard task. It's important to remember the way that moment made you feel… because unfortunately, you probably went back to sleep or went on about your day (job, school, Saturday morning cartoons.. whatever). Once you lose sight of the feeling you had… it's pretty much gone. So, the trick I use help myself remember all those creative ideas that occur to me at the most inconvenient times, is to "complete the circle". You're probably wondering what the hell I'm taking about… But, I swear it works. When you wake up in the middle of the night, or find yourself being inspired on the bus, in your car or office, all you have to do is complete the storyline. Images and ideas come and go so often that we barely have time to write them all down, let alone store them in our overstuffed minds, where bills take priority over creative inspirations. For instance, say you're driving home from work one day and you look over to the next car. You see a beautiful woman picking her nose… Suddenly you're attacked by this great idea to write a script about the things people do when they think no one is looking. Most people would generally start thinking about the time they did the windmill in front of the mirror that one time (it's a guy thing). You'll laugh to yourself then finish the ride back to you're house. DON'T STOP THERE!!! So, you've just had a creative moment? Complete the story! It can be the dumbest ending to any story EVER. It doesn't matter; the trick is to randomly finish the thought. Example: You look over and see this woman picking her nose. It inspires you to think of all the things people do when they feel like they are alone and no one is looking. Everyone in your story dies. Sounds, like a ridiculous ending but that's OK. The important thing is that the circle is complete. It's no longer a random thought. It's a beautiful pallet from which to build you're story. There is a catch though. You cannot use the same ending in every idea. Because, if you do, it ends up in the same brain folder as your bills do… that's what we are trying to avoid. Once you get home you can brainstorm on a proper ending. 2.) There are NO rules in filmmaking!! Rules are for people that are scared of failure. Some people believe that if you follow a pattern, or instructions that you're plan is fail-proof. However, in my experience this is not the case. I will say that knowing how these "rules" became "rules" can help you avoid disasters. But, following the rules blindly will certainly turn your art into tasteless cardboard. People want to be entertained, and as a filmmaker\ artist your goal should be to make people think. You should strive to unlock the chemicals in the minds of your audience. Helping people see the way YOU see is the greatest challenge to all artists. You must realize that pleasing everyone is impossible. Sometimes people will challenge your ideas, and that is welcome. Some will ignore your art, and that is ok. But, some will walk away thinking a little bit differently about themselves or the world they live in. I remember the first time I got that feeling from a movie. It was The Matrix that changed me somehow. I felt lighter as I walked out of the theater. As I made my way to my car I was silent… everyone around me was talking about their favorite parts or the super cool CGI. But, I couldn't stop thinking about the story. My silence lasted all the way till I got home. It was a truly great feeling to silently explore parts of my mind that had previously lay dormant. It was like finding a brand new landmass and exploring its beauty for hours. If after watching one of my films, only one person left the theater feeling positively changed as I did that one time.. I have succeeded as an artist. 3.) Tools of the Trade You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the camera, cranes, or a tripod. The fact is.. You won't hear me talk about those things. I believe that the equipment you possess is trivial. Making a move is NOT about shutter speed or focus. if you're interested in those types of things you should look elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I think it's important to research the technicalities of film making. But, it's not as important as you might think. I'll write more later on, Justin Mosley