Film festivals usually require money to submit a film. We don’t like paying money to show our movies.
Film festivals prevent you from releasing your movie before the festival. We don’t like preventing people from seeing our movies.
Most filmmakers want to break into the business. Money is on the mind. Don’t get me wrong. It would be cool if Vanish was our full time gig. But if that’s at the forefront of your mind you will follow the well-worn trail of heartbreak, of which film festivals are a crucial pit stop.
What about approaching filmmaking like gardening? People garden because they love being outdoors, digging in the dirt, and watching their vegetables grow. After harvest, they enjoy the vegetables with people in their lives or give some to their neighbors. Maybe a neighbor serves your vegetables to a rep from a grocery store chain and you get a phone call. It could happen, but does it have to?
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Dictionary.com defines an “Aha Moment” as a sudden understanding, recognition, or resolution. Interesting, but they leave out the best part – the emotion. The only way I can describe it is a gentle head rush with a sudden surge through your muscle system. In other words, it will melt your face in a good way.
So what the hell are these things? Let’s start with a few general principles about Aha Moments (from our experience):
1. You can’t force it. If you concentrate on doing it, forget it. I’m betting you’ll come up short. It’s a natural process that will present itself when the time is right. God, I sound like Ann Landers… don’t worry Biff, the right one will come along soon! Honest!
2. You can’t predict when they will happen. See the previous Ann Landers comment. However, the thing you need to remember is that it will happen. Unfortunately, it may happen after you’re done shooting the flick, but it will happen. It’s the curse of a filmmaker. If you can, use the idea for your next flick.
3. They may come in clusters. Sometimes an Aha Moment will set off a chain reaction of other ideas. Consider yourself one lucky muchacho if this occurs. Do not ponder the legitimacy of the ideas. You can do this later. Just make sure you record all of them. The iron is hot…strike it!
So why the hell did you title this post “Maximizing Aha Moments in Filmmaking?”
Because you can take action. You can’t force the Aha’s, but you can create an environment they dig on.
1. Get outside. While Mike is working his landscaping gig, I can usually expect a call with an idea for a shot or movie. As he’s digging in the dirt, his brain is digging too. Get outside and into the elements. Go for a walk or observe the activities around you. Your brain will reward you.
2. Go for a drive. Mike and I tend to call each other with ideas while we’re driving. I don’t think this is a coincidence. The trance of driving distracts you from keeping all the goodies buried in your head. Let them out babies! Make sure to keep a recording device in your car. I personally use the IdeaOrganizer app on my iPhone.
3. Listen to music that gives you a buzz. In the last Vanish Old Time Radio show I talked about listening to music while I write. Depending on your tastes, the right music will dig up some interesting ideas from your subconscious. Pick your poison and go for it. I’m big on ambient/instrumental music like Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” soundtrack. Check it.
4. Listen to binaural beats. I discovered this phenomenon a few months ago. Wikipedia defines it as auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds, the perception of which arises in the brain for specific physical stimuli. For me, that stimuli was a major shipment of ideas – some good, some bad. I listen to binaural beats through my iPhone with the Attractor app. Real or placebo, it does the job for me.
5. Run an errand.
Trista experienced her idea for the set of Surely You Jest while she was shopping for groceries. She passed by a magazine and the whole layout of the house came together right there. Sounds easy enough but she was waiting for that moment for days. It was worth it.
So there you have it. Let us know where you experience the Aha Moments. Keep it clean kids; this is a family show. Just kidding…let it rip.
As Mike and I were talking after recording our latest Vanish Radio segment, we realized something. We forgot to talk about the death and rebirth of our dream. Whoa, chalk one up for drama!
Actually, it’s not that dramatic. When we first started Vanish, we couldn’t help wondering “What if Hollywood came calling down the road?” We didn’t think we had the chops, but everybody dreams.
This dream has Vanished. We don’t want it, even if it was possible. If you’re into movies, eventually you’ll read books about the movie business. Broken promises, false hope, and heaping piles of bullshit. That’s the majority of it, anyways. Film festivals don’t appeal to us. (We want you all to be premiere.) Plus, we don’t want the money telling us what to do. You don’t have nothin’ if you don’t have a vision. And we’ll lose limbs to defend it.
So what do we want? Here it is, the new dream:
Doing what we’re doing right now. We want to continue to grow and offer more films and content for y’all. Honestly, the kicker would be to make a living on this dream. Who knows? We’ll see. But when Mike, Trista and I are 80 years old, sitting outside a nursing home, cussing at teenagers, we’ll sleep well (without medication) because we realized the dream, whether we made money at it or not.
We don’t want Hollywood. We want our own movie making system RIGHT HERE, in the middle of nowhere.
1. DIY Filmmaking Sucks Great title. So true but we do it anyway. We love the wide spectrum of the topics. Advice on everything from coaching actors to methods of distribution. Favorite posts include:
Seth is not a filmmaker. His blog isn’t focused on filmmaking. He’s all about ideas. You can apply his thoughts directly to your DIY filmmaking world. Just make sure you’re wearing the decoder glasses when you’re reading his posts. A few recent favorites:
Everyone needs a manifesto. Here you’ll find volumes. Change this is technically not a blog. Instead it offers essays on uprooting the old oaks and planting the new breed. You may not see the word “film” but it’s rooted in revolution and inspiration. Manifestos on my wall:
