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Tag: creative life

Nov262017

The Three Heads of Write! Shoot! Edit!

I.

Wild Inventor Brain

Shy in a world lopsided

Teach me creativity

 

II.

Doctor Structure Editor

Vocal critic analyzes too soon

My creative problem-solver

 

III.

Nit-picky Copy Editor

Reveres logic, form and detail

Polish work creatively

 

Poetry about the creative process? Am I serious?

Yes, I am.

Well, serious in just-have-fun-with-it sort of way.

I found a poetic form that’s really fun to play with: The Lune. There are two forms of lunes, actually. Both are three-lines long (which I totally love, because I see the creative process as being three stages). The original lune goes: 5 syllables, 3 syllables, 5 syllables and when done on the page it looks a bit like a crescent moon in shape. The lune variant is a little different: 3 words, 5 words, 3 words – which I find a bit more flexible for play, and I suppose looks like a gibbous moon.

So, using the variant, I created lunes for the Three Heads of Creativity from my book Write! Shoot! Edit! A Complete Guide for Teen Filmmakers. Really? Yes. Because each stage of the creative process is just that… creative! Why not write a poem for each of them? It is a creative process.

Try it out yourself. Use either lune structure and write your own version of one or all three of the creative heads. Which head is easiest for you? Which one do you gravitate toward?

If you don’t really understand what I’m talking about regarding the Three Heads, there’s more info on the 3-step creative process along with lots more info on how to craft your own stories and movies using that creative process in my book; here’s a link to the book’s webpage (and preview inside the book): www.debpatz.com/book/write-shoot-edit.

When you’ve created your lune(s): use them as a memory aid; or share them online; or share with me! I’d love to read them. But whatever you do, enjoy flexing your creative muscle… three ways.

Cheers & happy creativity to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She loves to watch the crescent, gibbous or full moon on a clear night… especially from the bow of a boat at anchor.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

May102017

How The Creative Brain Works: Two Perspectives

I read an interesting article in the May 2017 issue of National Geographic about how the brain works regarding creativity. As a people, we’ve tried to understand creativity for years. Can’t see it, can’t touch it, but it – whatever “it” is – is definitely there.

Nat Geo reports another scientific attempt to understand the creative process.

Researchers managed to record brain waves in an MRI while jazz musicians played music that was memorized and then music that was improvised. They learned that for the improv, the brain activity was “fundamentally different” and that it appeared the brain was able to turn off its own ability to criticize itself.

I find this fascinating because, I’ve learned the same thing from leading a creative life, and share as much in my new teen filmmaking book (“Write! Shoot! Edit!”) coming out this July. I believe it’s important to understand the creative process so you can better harness your creativity.

Though it appears the researchers break the creative process into two types of activities (in this case playing improv vs playing memorized music), through my experience, I believe the creative process breaks down into three stages:

(1) wild invention (the improv, free-creative activity)

(2) structural edit (a big picture activity where you work with historical conventions)

(3) nit-picky edit (a fine-tuning activity where details and consistency matters)

Each one of these stages needs its time at centre stage, its time of focus, so if it’s a writing project, you’ll have to write the project at least three times to focus your brain’s perspective for each draft.

I’d love to see an MRI scan of differing brain activity for each of these three phases of the creative process, as I believe each one taps into a different skills in the brain… but I guess we’ll have to wait for science to explore that idea someday.

For those living the creative life, what’s your perspective on the activity happening in your brain while you’re creating?

All the best of creativity to you,
Deb

For more info on my new book “Write! Shoot! Edit!” see my website’s book page.

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of “Film Production Management 101” and the upcoming “Write! Shoot! Edit! A Complete Guide to Filmmaking for Teens” both published by MWP Books. She’s lived a creative life for… uh… all her life!

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Jun.3-7 – Guest instructor – PEI Screenwriter’s Bootcamp, Charlottetown, PEI
Jun.24 – Book launch party for “Write! Shoot! Edit!” at Chapters Pinetree, Coquitlam, BC
Jul.30-Aug.3 – UFVA Conference, Los Angeles, CA