2017 and 2018, for that matter, haven’t gone entirely as I would have liked, but no matter how many times you fall down, all that matters is that you keep getting back up. I wrote this little script back in early 2017, did a handful of rewrites, got actors assembled… and then I kind of forgot about the project for a while. A lot of things were pulling my focus and I had to put it on the backburner. I won’t bore you with the details, but I was kind of a mess coming into the new year.
Once I was able to shake myself out of my funk though, I knew I still wanted to do this short film, and “rallied the troops” so to speak, leading to us getting a good portion of it filmed at the end of July this year. We had a pretty long break in between the first and second/last days of filming, but for me, it was immensely gratifying to actually get it done. This is why the people you collaborate with are so important, because they’ll offer feedback, motivate you, and sometimes tell you what you NEED to hear, instead of what you WANT to hear. But it’s also important to know your limitations, and making sure you know what you can handle. I’m still learning that myself, so whatever the outcome of this new little film of mine, I have the experience to look back on, and if need be, figure out how to do it better next time.
All things considered, I am definitely thankful to the cast and crew of folks I got to participate in this project, because they all did a fantastic job! I’m sure a lot of them were getting tired of the multitude of emails with subject lines written in all-caps, that I was sending, but once they showed up, they SHOWED UP! Things got pretty physical for the second shoot day (night actually, and we didn’t wrap until 2am … ), but everyone was gung ho and everyone seemed to have a good time with the material.
There’s still a lot to do, what with editing and scoring, but I’m just happy that we all finally got the filming done.
(Photo Credit: Kidada Kendall, Kayode Kendall)
First things first … HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! I know a lot of us were ready to show 2016 the door, given the proliferation of celebrities and other notable figures who left us, many of whom, younger than we would have expected. We’re not even gonna talk about the presidential election … Still, I want to be thankful for my professional accomplishments, as it is still a joy to be still be working full-time in a field where I had to learn a lot on my own, and relied on the support of a chosen few who kept giving me the opportunities to utilize the skills I was acquiring.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot I want to do in 2017, but I can only say so much about projects I want to do if I’m not putting forth the action. One thing I was reminded of in 2016 is that a lot of people can talk a good game, but few can actually back up their words. It’s great to have an idea, but if there’s no concrete plan beyond that initial half-baked pitch, none of us can be bothered to wait around for that oven timer to go off. And don’t think for a second I haven’t been one of these types of people in the past. Part of me still is, and I have to constantly remind myself to take that next step, once I have “the idea”.
Writing things down helps, and whether you have a pen and notebook, an app on your smartphone, or GoogleDocs on your computer, there are ways for you to tangibly contain your thoughts. If you have to start with a rough outline/treatment, DO IT! It’s better than rambling stuff off when you’re ready to bring your vision to life, until you have a “Bill O’Reilly circa early 90s Inside Edition” meltdown and just demand to “DO IT LIVE!”
Identify the people you’d like to collaborate with and stick with them when you can. Obvious exceptions to the “stop talking to everyone about every idea you have” rule, include frequent/previous collaborators. Folks who have worked with you even just once or twice … HAVE WORKED WITH YOU ONCE OR TWICE!!! This is to say that they’ve seen you take an idea and follow through with it. They’re more inclined to listen, and more forgiving if your ideas don’t immediately sound fully formed. The good ones will give you the advice and support to help you take those ideas and make them stronger.
Give yourself time to relax. Devoting more time to personal projects doesn’t have to mean you shouldn’t have a break every now and then. Schedule time just for that purpose, where you let yourself rest, or go see a movie, or catch up on A FEW episodes of whatever series you discovered on Netflix. DO NOT binge watch an entire season of a show after you get home from work! Maximize social engagements with large numbers of friends within a single group when you can, instead of trying to go to every event you get invited to. I can’t stress enough how high the likelihood is of wasting time when you commit to anything and everything just to be social.
I’m sure most of this sounds obvious or familiar, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate and reinforce it. Lord knows I still need to hear it myself every once in a while!
Three weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday for four days straight, and yes, it definitely took its toll. But in the midsts of happy hours, dinners, and a concert in New York, I carved out time to shoot some behind the scenes video of my sister taking photos of a friend of mine. We were grateful that the weather help up so well, and DC’s Meridian Hill Park is always a great place to take photos.
