Personal Formula for Filmy Inspiration

I’ve spent the past two years or so greenlighting and canceling short film projects - a cycle which has been killing me for the longest time now. The idea of not being able to give birth to a new short is just sad and pathetic at the same time. It’s probably this lethal combination of bad timing and mood swings that’s thwarted me from achieving the end goal. And while I continue to try and push myself to move forward, I realize that the only thing to do now is to just really keep pushing and not rely on anyone else to do the motivating for myself (which has forever been my curse.) And though sometimes it may seem like I’ve lost all inspiration - both the physical and the conceptual, at the end of the day, as cheesy as it sounds, there will always be films to pull from.

And as I attempt to create a brand new concept for an all-new short, allow me to seek help from my treasure trove of favorite films to unearth depths of my emotions which I’ve yet to uncover and overplay in previous works. Haha. All pretentiousness and bullshit aside, let me share with you a formula of sorts for personal filmy inspiration.

Let’s start with the basics - damn good dialogue.

I personally like mine wildly romantic and painfully realistic.

Propel it with the most haunting soundtrack.

Doesn’t matter if it’s purely instrumental or with lyrics, classical or contemporary - the most important thing to keep in mind: mood is key.

Occasionally (and never always), there’s the option to go silent.

Beyond sound, think eye candy.

From production design including costumes and make-up to sweeping cinematography.

Personally I usually love some pops of color but there is always the temptation to go black and white. 

Most importantly - an iconic scene to serve as the film’s signature.

When all else fails, stay true to yourself and speak from the heart.