11-15-12017
Enjoying the process
filming, editing and storytelling.
Starting a new project or even finishing a current one, comes with a cost. Filming and event or shooting a model or subject then editing can be very…very time consuming. After a wedding shoot the amount of footage to rummage through is at times daunting. With anywhere between 500- 800GB of data its needless to say that the work starts when you sit behind the keyboard. But for me the learning curve is the pay off. starting a new project, big or small usually comes with the cost of learning something new and thats what interest me the most. I just finished filming a wedding this past weekend and had a great time doing it. I Always learn something new and this time it was clear what the lesson was. Between doing interviews for the bridal party and getting detailed b-roll the hours go by fast. When you promise the interviewee that you will only take about 5 min of his or her time , and it turns into 10 with the blink of any eye, its part of the game. So I quickly saw that to get all the interviews done in a way that left time for everything else like traveling to the next location or scoping a set to find the right angles before the action starts, I had to keep my questions short and brief. I tend to over analyze and ponder more than I should. So when your on a time restraint it forces you to just stick to the bare minimum at times. and the real lesson I learn from this is that most of the time over analyzing and pondering can get in the way of the production. Thinking to much about somethings can set you back or cost you greatly in an environment like this. In one example I was trying to get the interviews all done in 5 min or less and that was instantly clear that was not going to happen. So instead of bull shitting to much or over explaining myself to the interviewee I just got straight into the questions right after a really brief explanation of what I was going to be asking. 30 seconds and I'm rolling the cameras and recording the dialog, I kept the questions straight forward and honestly ,kept them the same for each interview. I had a tendency again to over think it and try to find more interesting questions to ask instead of repeating the former ones. But I kept it simple After I arrived at the venue I got to scouting out the location right away. I dint walk around and waste anytime. I got right into the camera viewfinder , circled the place and found what I needed, keeping in mind the position of the sun, which would be setting during the ceremony and paying close attention to what angles may or may not show things in the background, like cars, porte-potties or power lines. This took me about 5 min and I was already filming. The wedding came out great and to be honest I felt like a thief getting away with the goods, I got in got out and took a lot from it. Now I have even more to do here behind my desk. So I figured I would take a break and write this blog . I guess it should have been titled as KISS, keep is simple stupid. But read on and you will see why I called it, Enjoying the process . I also recently did a photo shoot for a beautiful couple on their wedding day. It was here in our downtown and the weather was perfect. I caught a ride down to the courthouse and met them in the entryway, it was super simple and the opportunity for a Beautiful photo was all around us so we went for a walk in the downtown area. After the day of shooting was over I came home to do some editing I sat down to realize the obvious to any photographer/videographer. I had a mountain of images to go through and started the elimination process right away. Ive heard that when the photo is taken edited and shared(posted) that this is just 50% of the work. and I completely agree. This is where the process really starts and for me it is a completely new territory . The marketing starts after the said work is done. We can call it the communication part or the following up/promoting. This is what I would call the work side of things. The finished product is just half the battle and the phone calls, website maintenance and business tasks are all left to do. I look forward to starting this side of things because as a young man I was always drawing, painting and creating something. I never did anything after that, usually either gave the art away, threw it away or stashed it for my collection. The process of making the art was enough for me. I still today love every step of creating something and would be totally content with just taking great photos or film at the end of the day and delivering it to the clients. although the art aspect of this all is great and incredibly satisfying, its only just the begging. and to love the process and find the good in it, your sure to be exhausted and sometimes frustrated learning a new program, or app or piece of tech, but its worth the persistence . Because then you become something you have never been, learn something you never knew and now are equipped with more skills and know how that you never had . In this is the reason I enjoy the process , Because of what I will learn where I will go with it and who I will become in completing it. Enjoy the process and find the good in it. Don't stop at the completion of the shared photo or film, or art or anything creative for that matter. Keep working and developing and the reward will be what it makes of you in the end. If you enjoy reading these blogs and have any questions of comments, please feel free to leave them on the section below or contact me anytime. Id love to hear what you get out of these post or if you have any thoughts to share of your own at all . Hope to hear from you and most of all, Enjoy ! - Joshua