Let’s Get Creative- Motion.
“How will you create something that’s unique, to the point, and tells a great story?” you ask.
Like any artist, I often lose motivation when I’m not inspired. Luckily, planning for a shoot inspires me.
If it’s a film or video project, I sometimes begin by writing a script. It always starts out with a big idea, something a bit ludicrous and probably way out of my budget. From there, I whittle it down- why it works, what’s the core moral of the narrative, and how it could fit in a smaller scale scenario. If it has dialogue, it needs to flow, compliment the story without mansplaining it away. Don’t underestimate the power of implication.
Next, I decide based on the genre of film, how it will be shot. Am I going for something Wes Anderson-esque: symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing, and humour woven into camera movement? Or perhaps the opposite direction- more unplanned, brooding, or handheld videography style. Is it designed for social media, or as a campaign website piece? Usually as I’m writing the script, the imagery will come naturally and I’ll know the right way to storyboard it. I always make sure to run the wordy part of the project by fellow creatives to fine tune the story.
And now comes storyboarding, a crucial part of my process. I started drawing long before I first picked up a camera, but the practice has always stayed with me, and I love integrating it into my video projects. Sometimes I find it difficult to explain how exactly something looks in my mind. From angles to framing, getting your point across to a third party can end up being lengthy and frustrating. That’s why I love to draw each shot, to help myself lock in visuals and share my ideas with you! Might be a sketch, might be a watercolour- could be a huge mess of arrows + boxes on an A1 pad. Regardless of the medium, seeing it will give you 2020 vision of my concept and story.
At this point, I’ll make sure you’re happy with everything. You’ve given the script and storyboard a once-over (twice if you’re generous), and you’ve picked either your own licensed music or one of 5 choices I’ve provided. Phase one complete!
If i’m feeling extra wary or unconfident about a tricky shot, you can bet my next step is to practice that frame in my own time. Whether it’s uncharted territory in lighting, a camera movement, or the pacing of an interaction- the best way to get it right on the day is to go for a trial run. I’m pretty committed to getting it right for you guys whenever I can! If you’re unsure about how something might be executed, I’m always happy to shoot my version + your brief, and see if it suits what you’re looking for.
On the day of the shoot, I make sure my gear is fully charged and we’re off! If it’s scripted/storyboarded, we’ll make sure to get the shots in a logical order. If it’s impromptu/BTS footage, I’ll capture a wide variety of interesting frames and provide direction to models when needed. As someone who has experience on both sides of the camera, I’ve got an idea of how good artists work.
From then comes the editing. Whatever kind or length of video you’ve specified, i’ll be choppin’ to. Seeing it all come together is undoubtedly my favourite part. I also work with a talented audio engineer who I outsource my sound design to, and a graphics guy who can turn titles into a main event- adding that cherry to your video sundae.
To make it easy on the both of us, once I’ve finished the first picture lock draft, I’ll send a compressed version over for you to respond to. Once you’ve let me know what you love and what can go, I’ll alter the video, colour grade and finish off all audio/graphics before sending over your web ready final.
Now that you’ve heard the gory details of what my creative process entails, let me know if you’d be interested in talking through an idea you haven’t made reality just yet.
