do you ever get unmotivated during a shoot?

I always get unmotivated when things seem like theyre taking too long and the actors are getting bored. It's cold right now where I am and small things such as bending down and moving stuff gets really tiring.

I usually just want to go home asap.

how do you stay motivated when things seem like theyre not going good?
 
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I always get unmotivated when things seem like theyre taking too long and the actors are getting bored. It's cold right now where I am and small things such as bending down and moving stuff gets really tiring.

I usually just want to go home asap.

how do you stay motivated when things seem like they're not going good?

I read a book once.. "Once" and one of the things i engraved in my mind from the book was the quote "begin with the end in mind". And i think of that every day when i am on shoots. Shoots will take long, and it will be tiring, and cold, and hot, and wet, and dry, but only those who are willing to stand by it will be successful. If your actors are getting bored, then perhaps acting is not for them. There is alot of hurrying up and waiting. Its an effect you may get when you're starting off as a filmmaker. Eventually you will become immune to these sort of feelings. Sometimes i also think it's more of an insecurity we have as filmmakers. "Am i doing the right thing.. or why are they yawning and on their phones?" What i recommend is to believe in yourself, and to believe in your project. Because if you don't, no one else will.
Above all, Just make sure you feed your actors and crew. Nobody likes to work on an empty stomach.
 
Is this your project/monkey show or someone else's project/monkey show?


If it's your's then you need to get better organized so that things move along PDQ.
Might need to try to just schedule more time / be less ambitious.


If it's someone else's:
  1. Learn what's going wrong and don't do that on yours
  2. Try to be the most helpful MFer on the set - so that NEXT time you'll be the goto guy (or sap this go 'round, cuz there'll be no next go 'round) and/or you can develop a reference contact
  3. Increase your crew position from scut monkey to AD or associate producer.


Otherwise, bring a 2liter drink of choice, a foot long sub, and a fully charged PSP or whatever you kids play on these days. :yes:;)
 
Last edited:
Is this your project/monkey show or someone else's project/monkey show?


If it's your's then you need to get better organized so that things move along PDQ.
Might need to try to just schedule more time / be less ambitious.


If it's someone else's:
  1. Learn what's going wrong and don't do that on yours
  2. Try to be the most helpful MFer on the set - so that NEXT time you'll be the goto guy (or sap this go 'round, cuz there'll be no next go 'round) and/or you can develop a reference contact
  3. Increase your crew position from scut monkey to AD or associate producer.


Otherwise, bring a 2liter drink of choice, a foot long sub, and a fully charged PSP or whatever you kids play on these days. :yes:;)


lets get more comments like these, organization is key, lets keep this list moving
 
I always get unmotivated when things seem like theyre taking too long and the actors are getting bored. It's cold right now where I am and small things such as bending down and moving stuff gets really tiring.

I usually just want to go home asap.

how do you stay motivated when things seem like theyre not going good?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Rq4EPkLCI
 
I read a book once.. "Once" and one of the things i engraved in my mind from the book was the quote "begin with the end in mind". And i think of that every day when i am on shoots. Shoots will take long, and it will be tiring, and cold, and hot, and wet, and dry, but only those who are willing to stand by it will be successful. If your actors are getting bored, then perhaps acting is not for them. There is alot of hurrying up and waiting. Its an effect you may get when you're starting off as a filmmaker. Eventually you will become immune to these sort of feelings. Sometimes i also think it's more of an insecurity we have as filmmakers. "Am i doing the right thing.. or why are they yawning and on their phones?" What i recommend is to believe in yourself, and to believe in your project. Because if you don't, no one else will.
Above all, Just make sure you feed your actors and crew. Nobody likes to work on an empty stomach.

ty very good speech sir
 
You have to have patience and self-control. Know why you're making the film you are making and put your best effort into it. Get the best sleep you can, supply (and eat) good food, and always be doing something. Don't fiddle with the camera while actors are waiting or drone on about something unimportant. Have a good schedule, and get things done well and fast. Boredom is common in filmmaking, and it's just something you have to deal with.
 
shooting in the cold. man you are crazy. I live in WI so fuck that.
I use to get a but unmotivated before the shoot but then when we where shooting
I would get all hyped up. it was like a drug.

but before the shoots yeah its understandable. it'll happen.
 
I think everyone gets unmotivated at times and if they don't, they're either lying or on amphetamines.

I'm supposedly a 'morning person', in that I find it much easier to push myself to do things in the morning and if I don't then I feel a sense of disappointment all day. On set, if I'm not busy, I get unmotivated pretty quickly after call time. That's just my nature. If I'm directing, then there's pretty much no point at which I'm not needed, so lack of motivation doesn't come into play. But I've ADed on projects which have amounted to me sitting around until someone needs some help and yes, I get unmotivated. Same as when I'm interning somewhere that doesn't really need an intern. If there aren't things keeping me on my toes, then I drift off and lose interest.

The important things are:

A) Make sure you're motivated when you're needed.
B) When you become unmotivated, try and change something.
C) Don't let lack of motivation become a self-perpetuating problem.
D) Put yourself out there and make yourself needed.
 
right now im storyboarding/thinking of shots and I keep asking myself are these shots too dull and boring. I need to think outside the box and have camera movement where camera movement is possible.

I feel like grabbing a baseball bat and bashing my walls in when I want to experiment something new but cant think of it.
 
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