Find Your Film’s Story: Brainstorm & Be Messy
Most filmmaking programs are looking for storytellers. Creative work – like a short film – is a way to demonstrate your skills in crafting a story and your individual voice. A short film is also often an application requirement.
That’s a lot of pressure! Especially since all filmmakers struggle at some point with finding the story for our next project. Getting started can be the hardest part. This is totally normal.
This is the first of four blogs to give you a few strategies that have helped me find the seed of a new project. Try them out! They might help you too.
BRAINSTORM: LIST IDEAS, FREE WRITE, IDEA MAP
Brainstorming can be done many different ways, but my favorite is simple: set a timer for 15 minutes and write as many ideas down as you can.
Don’t cross anything out. Brainstorming is about refusing to edit out ideas before you fully consider them.
Don’t stop writing, and don’t worry about how much you write. This is a process, not a race.
There are many techniques with more or less the same intention. Two common techniques are free writing and an idea map.
Free writing is when you write whatever you are thinking without stopping. You should write in sentences and paragraphs, even if that means writing something like, “I’m free writing right now. Let’s see what happens,” over and over.
An idea map is basically visual brainstorming. Start by writing down a theme, genre, character idea, mood, topic, etc. Anything is fine. Draw a circle around this, and then five lines extending outward. Write down anything (anything at all!) that seems connected to your original element.
Setting a timer helps me to have a goal that isn’t related to my ideas or how I feel about them. Just by brainstorming until the timer rings, I achieve my goal.
LET THINGS BE MESSY
It’s challenging to come up with a good idea. Instead, why not try and come up with some bad ideas?
One version of this approach comes from the world of tech startups: fail fast, fail often. In other words, the more mistakes we make, the faster we learn.
Also, just a bit of personal advice: You must let it be okay to have bad ideas. Remember that writing is a process. It goes well, and it goes poorly. It is always okay to struggle. You are more than any process.
Hesitate to cut things out, even if they don’t make sense! There will be plenty of time to trim away later in the writing and editing process.
Your artistic process is a deeply personal thing that you alone can develop. Mix and match the techniques suggested in these four blogs. Keep what works for you, but trust your feelings and intuition. Creating a personal process is part of your own personal overall film journey.
If you are interested in working with Jesse Damazo on your film portfolio or need help with any part of your application process, contact Best Fit Education or email us at info@bestfitedu.com.
