Calling My Shot for 2022

Sometimes the best way to manifest something is to speak it aloud, or to publish a blog post announcing your goals in this case. Well, here it is: I’m going to get one movie in the can (my second feature) and have another ready to go by the end of 2022. I’ll use this site to track my progress in the hopes that it galvanizes interest in the film, demystifies the process, and inspires others to take the leap and make their own movie. Any advice given is based solely on the knowledge I’ve accrued, both firsthand and by way of books, videos, interviews, and conversations in which other filmmakers share their experiences. I’m going to say it once here: YMMV (your mileage may vary). If any advice given isn’t possible in your circumstances, skip it and happily continue on your own journey (and consider sharing what works for you).

Timeline

As for the current status, the outline is complete, and the screenplay is underway. Here are the initial milestones:

• May 1 – complete first draft of the current WIP (tentatively titled Dry Run)
• June 1 – complete the outline for the second film (tentatively titled Natural Causes)

Strategy

A common struggle for writers of any medium is maintaining momentum. What works for me is figuring out what comes next (to some degree) at the end of a writing session. This practice plants the seed for the scenes and ideas I know I’ll be dealing with in the next session and allows my subconscious to work things out ahead of time. I also find that intense focus on something other than the primary project (exercise, video games, or another creative endeavor) allows my mind to process the project in a relaxed manner. What this means in relation to the two film projects is this: I’ll alternate between writing Dry Run and outlining Natural Causes. As of now, I’m 13 pages into the first draft and halfway done outlining.

As a reformed binge writer, I don’t have a set page count or set time for each writing session. I aim for at least a scene, but sometimes I’ll only get through a few lines and leave notes for the next session (I use the bracket method, i.e. “[note]”, which is faster than using the note tools in the software).

Parting Words

Finally, I want to end this post with some words that may seem negative, but are, in fact, liberating: Chances are, no one is going to care that I wrote some pages or outlined a scene, and that’s perfectly fine with me. These posts will chronicle the journey in a way that is open and honest and meaningful to me. I sincerely hope they’ll help others, but as with any personal endeavor, whether creative or not, the derived value and meaning must come primarily from within. External validation should only serve to augment the joy that comes from willing something into existence and the journey from conception to realization.