I like to wake up early and put in a solid effort of writing first thing when I wake up. Whether I get ten pages done, one page or one paragraph. If I don’t get anything else done that day I can at least say I accomplished something.
Why? So I can spend the afternoon crafting query letters, hitting the gym, play a game of pick up basketball or getting stuff done for the summit.
There’s only so much one has control of in this crazy industry we are in.
I played varsity basketball in High School and by no means was I the tallest or most athletic player on the court.
In fact, I even wore goggles and got made fun of multiple times on occasion for my “look”.
But when the game started I had to use drive and work ethic to out-muscle my competition. I had to dive for loose balls, block out for rebounds, and be a pest to the person I was defending to make up for the athleticism one might need for the game.
And since I was the nerd on the court with my goggles, when they left me open I would knock down the 3 pointer.
I couldn’t outmuscle the guys that were half a foot taller than me and weighed forty more pounds.
I HAD TO PLAY TO MY STRENGTHS.
And as filmmakers, that is exactly what we must do. You must play to your strengths, and find other people to fill in the gaps.
Are you more of a visionary and see the scene behind the camera? Or are you better at writing and focus on the development stages of the project?
That’s what is so great about this medium. It takes teamwork and multiple hats to get a film off the ground. Find somebody or a group of individuals that can complement your strengths and weaknesses to get a film off the ground.
Don’t waste your time trying to figure out story structure or what kind of lighting aperture your scene is going to need if those aren’t your strengths.
You can go to your local community college, craigslist, and theaters to find like minded individuals. Before you know it, you have your film crew ready to tackle that project you’ve put on the back burner the last few months.
People would kill to be a part of a film project. Even if they just get an assistant or intern credit. You are giving them experience and opportunity they wouldn’t acquire otherwise.
In return, they are giving you the skill set you need.
So there you go.
Play to your strengths. Be okay to get your hands “dirty”.
Be smart. Be resourceful. Don’t try to outmuscle your weaknesses.
No more excuses.
Start now!
A big reason why I created Genre Summit was to give you a different perspective on the filmmaking process. I wanted the biggest writers and directors in the industry to give you a step-by-step tactical training you can implement.
We don’t train you to become a grip or production assistant. Instead, you become a lean, mean filmmaking machine. It’s about being resourceful so you don’t have to stress and twiddle your thumbs thinking how you’re going to make your next film project.
Genre Summit is right around the corner. Get your free ticket at the link below.
Shant Yegparian