About two years ago, I had the idea to write and produce a short film every month. I though it might help me to bring consistency into my work. Knowing that, this title should be completely different. It should be: “Making a Short Film every Month - Month 24 - Week 2”. But it isn't.
Filmmakers tend to struggle with consistency. We get stuck by doubts, uncertainty and hesitation. Most great ideas never leave the comfort of their home - our brain. Inconsistency can have many roots but reveals the same way. We don't get shit done.
For me, it was (is) the matter of "I don't think that this is good enough". "Nobody will care about this" or "What if people cringe at my short films?".
I did what many filmmakers do. I drowned myself in theory. I watched hundreds of hours of videos, read many books and re-watched my favorite movies. Theory became my procrastination. The problem is that without turning your knowledge into practice, you will forget most of it. You don't know where you stand. Without testing your abilities, you will never know if your ideas are bad or the next best thing since sliced bread.
“Never call yourself a philosopher, nor talk a great deal among the unlearned about theorems, but act conformably to them. Thus, at an entertainment, don’t talk how persons ought to eat, but eat as you ought.”
- Epictetus, The Enchiridion & Discourses of Epictetus
That's why I want to do this. I want to see where I stand, where I can improve myself and bring more consistency into my work.
What can you expect from this journey?
This blog/newsletter is my accountability partner. I will post regularly (likely weekly). I will write about the different steps of filmmaking (from coming up with ideas to editing and publishing). Besides that, I hope to find like-minded people that share the same passion and love for filmmaking.
Cheers!
-Leo