Alfred Hitchcock said something to the effect that the most enjoyable process of movie making was the planning. Everything else, the shooting, acting, and editing was boring. Now I get it.
When I first started making videos for the photography School last year, I would turn on a camera and just start talking…totally ad lib. While some of it was quite funny, most of the footage was useless, unplanned and required tons of editing, fixing, or even re-shooting. I usually ended up shooting it sloppy, going back, replanning and shooting it correctly.
It seems crazy to me, but with all this complex technology, all the computers, video programs, software, burners used in production- I can say without a doubt the most useful tool in video production is a pen and piece of paper, to plan and script the idea. It is by far the most important, critical and efficient way to get to where you want to go. A solid, step by step plan….written on paper.
Now when I make a video, I sit down and brainstorm my ideas, arrange them, and try to present them in a simple way. I may spend 1-2 days planning a single 5 minute video.Once the basic idea is on paper, I can reshape it over and over, correcting mistakes before they happen. When I do this enough, I can see in my mind what the video will look like and how the information will be presented. After this, its just a matter of matching resources to the idea, but the best part is definitely the planning.
I understand that most of you arent shooting videos, but I know you do have goals, dreams, desires or you may enjoy a creative process. I think everyone has great ideas, but not everyone does something with them. And in that sense, not having a well thought out plan is like me sitting in front of the camera, making all kinds of mistakes. Sometimes you hit, but most of the time, you are spinning your wheels, peddling in no specific direction. I see it with some of my photography students, they want to take great pictures, but they arent sure how to do it, so they just start taking pictures hoping something will work, and dont understand why most of them are sucky.
You cannot reach your creative potential without a plan. That plan, until written is just an idea. Everyone has great ideas, but not everyone creates. Until you take a directed, planned approach, your efforts are scattered. Get it on paper.
the most useful tool in video production is a pen and piece of paper, to plan and script the idea
–> Agreed. Even with my daily work in front of computer, I still use a pen and piece of paper to plan what I will do for the day.
yeah, tell Disney and Pixar that they should go back to pen and Paper. You dont even need paper to script ideas anymore. Kinda like writing a term paper. You do it right on the computer, not paper AND then in Word.
I heard about a meeting back in the late 90’s where Pixar executives all sat down in a Cafe and planned their next 7 movies, all block buster hits and they sketched the characters on paper napkins. Still, Paper or in word, I think the process Michael describing is the same. Recording your ideas to a media that can be modified or adjusted, paper, computers, music or even images… and then perfected is the beginning of efficient creation.
Ah, man! I knew the fun would end sometime. This whole thing about a "plan" or even a, gasp, GOAL. Ridiculous! The only thing that planning and having a goal can do is result in REACHING or ACHIEVING a goal. No way. I’m out. That is just not the kind of life I want to live, thanks.
well said Michael – I couldn’t agree more.
pixar exes meeting at a cafe? post a link with that story, please. These "feel good" stories are getting old. Everyone wants to start a business in a basement and turn it into a powerhouse and they are willing to make up any story. 7 movies? Why stop there? They should have predicted peoples’ movie going trends until 2075….
Its a well known fact this meeting occured: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1704197/
That meeting is also referenced on the special features of The Incredables, and Finding Nemo DVDs. Probably a few others as well.