I am in the process of developing my next film. As I move forward with the project I started reflecting on some things I learned from my previous two films. I’d like to share these lessons with you.

Lesson #1: Don’t put your story in a box.

The second film I worked on with my good friend, Clay Banks “Graves Method” was a fine example of this principle. We had, I believe, a really touching story to tell. The problem was we had to write the script to fit our short shooting schedule and run time. We tried to jam in a mental problem, marriage issues, a deep psychiatrist character and much more into a 10-15 min run time. In the end it was rushed and confusing. There was too much going on “under the surface” stuff that didn’t get a chance to pop it’s head above the water and character relationships that were shallow, to say the least.

The current film I am working on was a promise I made to myself. I told myself the next film festival DVXUser put on I would enter. I checked the website periodically until they announced the next fest: “Loss”. This was a perfect fit as I had seen a video on YouTube recently that really touched me. I won’t be sharing the exact details of the story since it’s still in development but suffice to say it fit perfectly for the festival. The problem was as I began to research the story and develop the concept I realized the 6 minute limit would be very difficult to work with. Bottom line, don’t sacrifice story for time limit. If you have to, extend the production and do another fest.

Lesson #2: Keep it to yourself.

I have the bad habit of giving too many people too much information or access to my projects. I tried to get lots of opinons about the script, actors. locations etc from too many people. On this project I’ve decided to work with one other writer and share information, footage, drafts, etc with only a small group of people. I’ll collaborate with fellow filmmakers and artists I respect and have access to resources that will help me but I’m going to keep it at that.

I’m also not going to be showing post-production work around. There can be great benefit to having a fresh set of eyes on a scene or piece you are working on but it’s important to make sure those eyes can be truly objective and help you to improve whatever it is they are looking at.

Lesson #3: Keep it simple, stupid.

I’m a jack of all trades, it’s true. I write, produce, direct, shoot, edit, deliver et al. One of the drawbacks of doing all of these things is I tend to over complicate things. I’m reminded of a piece I shot for a video celebrating Dodie Osteen’s birthday at Lakewood Church. The shot was a nurse pushing a patient down the hallway in a wheelchair. My first reaction was to find a DP, get a HMI, grips etc. We ended up shooting with me, my Arri 1k, and the actors. The footage was beautiful and fit the piece perfectly. Somtimes the simplicity of something is what makes it beautiful. Now, as a video professional I know that to make something look “natural” in a feature film takes ALOT of work. You think those actors are just sitting on a bench outside? No, sir.

I don’t want the technical details to get in the way of the simplicity of the story. I am going to focus on keeping the story and directing in the very forefront of my mind. As far as I’m concerned, the story is #1 in this project. There are so many talented people around me to selectively pull knowledge and insight as to executing the story. The technical details can wait until production after the script is rock solid.

I am in no rush to get this film out the door. I do, however have a plan. Write in January, Pre-produce in Februrary and shoot starting in March. That’s the plan, and it’s important to have a plan and goals for me. They keep me motivated and focused.