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Category: What I Learned From…

Jan292010

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… Flying

1. Trust in crew & equipment
You may not understand it all, especially when technology keeps changing, but hire the best crew, let them use the best equipment you can, and trust in them to do their job.

2. See how small the world is
Above the clouds the world below looks in miniature; it can give you perspective on life. Yes, sometimes the film industy appears huge, but as years move along you run in to the same folk over and over again and you realize how small this industry is.

3. If you want to fly… start with small planes first
Can you imagine a first time pilot’s first day flying a plane being at the helm of a jumbo jet? They start by flying small planes first. Gosh, the love to fly, so why not experience flight from more than jumbo jet perspective? So too with the film industry, start and learn on small films as you progress to bigger budgets, and more adventurous script challenges. Enjoy the journey!

Happy travels & magical shoots to you!

Cheers,
Deb

Nov132009

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… My Mother

Life can teach you about filmmaking even when you’re not making films… these gems I learned from my mother… a wonderfully optimistic spitfire of a woman who I am so very fortunate to be related to. I had brought my mom with me to a music concert to which I had been gifted complementary passes. This one evening brought together these 3 very important reminders:

1. Rest when you can
She fell asleep during the concert (and happily did not snore, so I did not wake her until the end). A freelance film life is full of hurry up and wait both on set and between jobs. It is a very stressful existence. You have to take care of yourself and get sufficient rest both during production and between jobs (ok, but I do not recommend sleeping on the set!).

2. They… uh… we are all just people
After the concert I took her backstage to express our thanks for the complementary tickets. My mom always admired the artistic lifestyle from afar, but never grew up with it. Still, you would never know it to meet her, she appears to take it all in stride, unfazed. She has a unique ability to chat with anyone and put them – and her – instantly at ease.  Stars, Directors, Production Assistants, Drivers, Stunt Performers… they are all just people too. And you never know who you are going to meet or what you are going to learn when you start a conversation with one of them.

3. Find the magic around you
As we left, we exited the stage door, and fans were crowded around the door awaiting the star’s exit (not ours, hee-hee). As we distanced ourselves from the theatre, my mother bubbled with excitement. She remembered  being such a fan waiting at the stage door many years ago, but she never dreamed she would be one to exit a stage door herself – a dream of hers had just come true! As you learn the “secrets” of this industry, it is too easy to become jaded over time. Keep the magic fresh within you. Remember who you were coming in to the industry and find the magic all over again, every day. You make the magic. So, enjoy living the dream!

Magical wishes to you!

Cheers,
Deb

Aug142009

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… My Grandmother

Life can teach you about filmmaking even when you’re not making films… here are 3 things I learned from my Grandmother… a unique fireball of a woman who knew nothing about the film industry:

1. If you can’t do it, keep trying
My grandmother didn’t have much education – nor access to education. She was a single mother when social norms looked down on such a situation, and though she was far from being a good cook, she spend most of her life making a living from cooking. She learned by doing, and never gave up. No education? No excuses. That’s a work ethic worth importing into a film career.

2. Make and eat dessert
Though she couldn’t really cook, my grandmother sure could bake. She collected a veritable ton of dessert recipes and her desserts were fabulous. Cooking was survival to her, but baking was colour of life. May we remember to taste the dessert of life as we slog through the survival of a film career.

3. Always wear clean underwear
She never lived to see blogs and Facebook, but her insistance of always wearing clean underwear is a good reminder for today’s e-world. Whatever we post on the web, or say to each other on the set is remembered for a long time, often searchable, and sometimes poorly interpretted. Make it clean. Don’t air any dirty laundry that could embarrass you later in your career.

Tasty desserts and a good shoot to you!

Cheers,
Deb

Jul172009

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… Horseback Riding

Life can teach you about filmmaking even when you’re not making films… here are 3 things I learned from horseback riding:

1. Get back on when you fall
It’s not “if” you fall, but rather “when”. As with horseriding, a career in the film industry is full of ups and downs. Keep trying. Especially try to learn from your mistakes – though this is a harder concept than it sounds. Your persistence will pay off in the long run as you become a seasoned professional.

2. Relax; your stress is being communicated
Horses KNOW when you are stressed as you sit on their back, and they will echo back your frame of mind. Horseriding then becomes harder and harder you fight their reaction and your rising stress level. Once relaxed, the job is easier, more pleasant, magical. Film crews can feel your stress level too. Find a way to relax (but stay focussed) and see the production atmosphere around you echo back a more pleasant, more functional environment. 

3. The shovelling and the cleaning is all part of it
The image of riding off into the sunset on a perfect, warm summer evening may attract you to horseriding as the glamour may attract you to working in the film industry. You still have the clean and feed the horse, shovel and sweep the barn… small payment for the reward of a perfect day of horseriding. In film, there is payment for the glamour too… all those small, seemingly insignificant jobs that contribute the bigger picture – right down to cleaning garbage cans on set. Be prepared for these jobs, they are the payment.

Happy trails and a good shoot to you!

Cheers,
Deb

Jun122009

3 Things I Learned About Filmmaking from… Racing Sailboats

Life can teach you about filmmaking even when you’re not making films… here are 3 things I learned from racing sailboats:

1. Hire the right team & rely on them
The right team on a racing sailboat is made up of people with differing skills and specialities. With the right folk on the bow, mast, jib trim, main & traveller, winches, helm, navigating, and so on, the boat races efficiently… creating magic as it harnesses the power of the wind. The crew rely on each other – maybe taking input from each other – but each specialist has a responsibility to their job in order to support the entire crew. Sounds familar to a set and film crew?

2. Food is essential
Long distance sailboat racing reveals how critical good food is to the crew and therefore to the boat. With 4-hour watches, a racing member’s waking hours revolves around sailing the boat, taking care of nature and eating. That’s a lot of focus on very few topics for a very long time. After 3 days sailing the Mackinaw race, you’ll hear the various crews in the bar minutes after the race one-upping each other about what they ate during the race, just as much as you’ll hear them brag about winning tactics and manoeuvres. Set crews need good food and craft service just as much to keep their focus.

3. If you always follow the leader… you will never be the leader
If you can see the back end of the boat in front of you, you’ll never pass it; the other boat has the clean air. You have to try different wind, different tactics. Not just to be different – you still have to put thought into your “different” strategy. But only then may you have the chance to pass the leader and win the race. In film you can copy what’s already been done, or you can try something new… not for the sake of being new, but with thought, forge a new path that is uniquely you. That’s has to be a winning strategy no matter what happens – you’ll be true to yourself.

Fair winds and a good shoot to you!

Cheers,
Deb