Creativity can be draining. If you work in the realm of creativity, no matter what kind—you know this to be true. I get asked often, how do you prevent things like: writers block, lack of ideas, or being uninspired. There …
The Story with Story
Like so many other things in life, making a good movie hinges on having the right story. And for your first movie, unless the Executive Producer Fairy just left $20 million under your pillow, the right story not only means …
Summer Muse
A few years ago I rediscovered what I like to call, “Improvisational Photography.” No real plan, no preconceived idea of what I need to be doing. It’s my way of playing. I usually put word out and take volunteers. One …
What If We …?
Three words when strung together in the right sequence and with the right tone amongst the right people … three words can change everything. What if we …? If you utter these words to dreamers they will dive into this sentence, …
Fear Sabotages Creativity
Serving as Managing Editor for Rebel Storytellers is a blast. I love reading what my friends are writing, and I especially love people who are passionate about helping others pursue their dreams. Because I read the submissions before they get …
Friends Make Your First Movie
My creative partner and friend, Brad Wise, frequently compares making a movie to kids building a tree fort in the woods. For so many reasons, this is very accurate—it’s a challenge, it’s collaborative, you don’t have many resources, it’s nearly …
A Fable on Character
Retold by Nicholas T. Proferes in Film Directing Fundamentals. A frog was sitting by a river swollen by a recent flood, when a scorpion came up to him. “Mr. Frog, the river is much too wide for me to cross. Could …
A Thousand Bytes
While in Chicago, I went downtown to visit a friend that worked at the Apple Store. Steve Jobs had just passed away earlier that week, and in front of the store was a memorial to him. A crowd had gathered, writing …
Devour the Rainbow
Tucked in the corner of my childhood living room stood a puke green bookcase. It was nothing fancy. In fact, it was the exact opposite of fancy. Old, cheap wood, ugly as sin. But that bookcase was my gateway to …
Storyboarding Braveheart
I love movies—and seeing my first pencil animation was magical—but storyboarding captured my heart. Every camera angle, movement, and cut either brings a story together or weakens it. Two months ago, my love of storyboarding came full circle when Rebel …