No ideas...

[Crownom]

Hello,

I've been lately feeling frustrated and irritated. Every day I think and I think of any film/short or any idea and can't think of any reasonable ones. I feel guilty for having my camera laying on my table for weeks without work and I still have no ideas of any film I could make. I want to make films, I want to practice but can't think of anything!!...
I have a few friends who are filmmakers like me, but they also don't have any ideas.
I feel bad just wasting time...
Also, I just feel alone around filmmaking. Everyone is saying that the crew is the key, it's the team job, but where can I find the team. All I do is usually doing all roles and the most likely candidates for my team/crew are people just like me (what I mean is not sound guys, not light guys or sth).
I feel disappointed and these things just push and push down the passion for me...

Does anyone here felt or feel this way? What should I do, it's annoying. Or how do you, guys, come up with ideas. Please help...

P.S. It's not that I have no imagination or just am dull, but what I think of usually is too hard/impossible to depict without having a crew/budget.

 

[FrankLad]

One thing I've been guilty of in the past is sitting around, waiting for inspiration to strike.

But what I've found that actually works is to write... ANYTHING. Force yourself to freewrite. Let it flow, keep it child-like, don't censor your ideas, and get it on paper. (There's a difference between getting thoughts out of your head - written down, and trying to search for and assemble stories in your mind.)

It's the same simple concept as working for something instead of waiting for it.

What happens eventually is a good idea comes from all this.

 

[directorik]

All I do is usually doing all roles and the most likely candidates for my team/crew are people just like me (what I mean is not sound guys, not light guys or sth).

Then learn.

How many people in your team? On one movie YOU do the
sound and let someone else direct. On another movie YOU
do the lighting and let someone else direct. Then you direct
while the others work on building their skills in lighting and
sound.

P.S. It's not that I have no imagination or just am dull, but what I think of usually is too hard/impossible to depict without having a crew/budget.

Being creative means working within your limitations. This is
something we ALL must learn to do. I write a lot of TV, I cannot
just let my imagination go and write what I want, I have to
write within the limitations of the show I'm hired for. You can
do the same thing - you're creative. Write within your limitations.

But if you truly can't think of anything that you and your team
CAN do, how about turning to one act plays. Of course you can't
really do anything "official" with them because you do not have
the rights, but this will give you the much needed experience
you want. There are thousands of one act plays out there - all
with one location and two to four characters. Easy to shoot for
experience. That is something I did - one play a month for
about a year. We shot every weekend. A great way to learn
lighting, audio, editing, directing, working with actors, scheduling.

 

[cjnixon]

Hello,



P.S. It's not that I have no imagination or just am dull, but what I think of usually is too hard/impossible to depict without having a crew/budget.

I wrote a 18 page short that takes place in one apartment with one character bc i live in a town full of very few people to help me. Including actors. Cast and crew will be two people doing it all. Maybe three.

I firmly believe a few good people can make a good film with no budget. Just have to be creative.

Currently writing a feature that will have a cast and crew of three. Might sound crazy. But i'll learn a lot more. And I have little budget or help so it's my only option.

So write for what you have available. For instance, a one character piece starring just you.

 

[Ceolwulf]

Perhaps you could write down a list of famous books and make a film on what the title suggests to you,eg, `Stranger in a strange land` by Robert heinlein. Make a film about a person new to a country experiencing new people, food etc

You could instead use famous quotes or songs and try to make something on whatever the quotes/songs suggest to you, eg, `When shall we three meet again`, (shakespeare) a film about 3 friends visiting somewhere.

See the following for a list of Shakespeare quotes by theme:
http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/themes

 

[Crownom]

Then learn.

How many people in your team? On one movie YOU do the
sound and let someone else direct. On another movie YOU
do the lighting and let someone else direct. Then you direct
while the others work on building their skills in lighting and
sound.


Being creative means working within your limitations. This is
something we ALL must learn to do. I write a lot of TV, I cannot
just let my imagination go and write what I want, I have to
write within the limitations of the show I'm hired for. You can
do the same thing - you're creative. Write within your limitations.

But if you truly can't think of anything that you and your team
CAN do, how about turning to one act plays. Of course you can't
really do anything "official" with them because you do not have
the rights, but this will give you the much needed experience
you want. There are thousands of one act plays out there - all
with one location and two to four characters. Easy to shoot for
experience. That is something I did - one play a month for
about a year. We shot every weekend. A great way to learn
lighting, audio, editing, directing, working with actors, scheduling.

Well... First of all, there is no actual team nor lighting equipment, nor sound... That's not the point, I could do it all by myself, all I just need is an idea for film.
From the very beginning of my interest in filmmaking I was taught and heard criticism and unintersting, dull films. Film have to make sense! Initially, I'm programmed in the head like that and it's hard to think of anything like one scene film or sth. I'm looking for something special. All I need is little stories to practice my cinematography/directing skills or just simply roles behind camera. If I only make 2 shorts every 4-5 moths, I'm not going to improve...

So again, where/how to find inspiration/imagination to write the simplest ideas, stories, scripts?
Like you said you shot every month for a year. I'd do it every week, just can't make up anything nor have friends who can do it for me. ;/

 

[Crownom]

Make a film about a person new to a country experiencing new people, food etc

Thanks for the suggestion! But that's not very amusing or interesting, more like predictable. You can show how he's struggling with the language, how he reacts to the food, traditions. It's boring..

That's what I mean, I tend to turn down casual ideas like that.. Is it my problem? Would you like to see this movie? I wouldn't :/

 

[mlesemann]

That depends on what you do with it.
The "fish out of water" story is a comedy staple.

 

[Ceolwulf]

Make a film about a person new to a country experiencing new people, food etc

Thanks for the suggestion! But that's not very amusing or interesting, more like predictable. You can show how he's struggling with the language, how he reacts to the food, traditions. It's boring..

That's what I mean, I tend to turn down casual ideas like that.. Is it my problem? Would you like to see this movie? I wouldn't :/

It was just meant to show how you can get ideas from words, book titles etc. What you imagine when you see the book title is up to you

 

[rayw]

1. http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=186753#post186753

2. http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=196432#post196432

3. http://www.nytimes.com/pages/todayspaper/index.html?src=hp1-0-P or http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&tab=wn

Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid.

Write for the location, equipment, talent (such that it is), and budget (preferably $0) you have available.
Throwing money at a project doesn't make Uwe Boll a better director.
Your greatest limitation isn't equipment or locations or talent.
It's always you/me/us/ourselves.

I have a few friends who are filmmakers like me, but they also don't have any ideas.
I feel bad just wasting time...
Also, I just feel alone around filmmaking. Everyone is saying that the crew is the key, it's the team job, but where can I find the team.

Cross train.
Get your idea-less filmmaking friends to commit to one [expletive] weekend or whenever the stars can align.
Come to the meeting with print outs of the two or three page* screenplay already hashed-out beforehand, online or over the phone.
Four or more director wannabes would be ideal: Two act, one directs from behind the camera, and one operates the audio and boompole.
Shoot your short.
Someone edits. If all of you are director wannabes let everyone edit copies the raw material to come up with their own finished products.
Upload to youtube or vimeo and tear apart each other's final product.
Debate and discuss the merits of both what happened in front of and behind the camera and microphone.
Learn from each other's mistakes because...

... next week/month you guys are going to rotate jobs.
Everyone gets a crack at filling the shoes of those they wish to direct and learn how to direct them.
Some people wanna take two takes as "experiential" directors or actors. They want the raw and unrefined look.
Some people wanna shoot thirty-two takes as "lily gilding nut cracker" directors or actors. They want the perfected and precise look.
(Me? I'm a pragmatic "good enuff gor government work" sort of director. I expect better than sh!t, but nothing is ever perfect, so don't waste time.)
Both have advantages and disadvantages, and are each appropriate for specific kinds of films.
You all have to learn to manage both types of people (including self-management!) on the set at the same time.
Cultivate respect for the different ways people go about the same task.


GL & GB


* You will learn more from five four minute shorts than from four five minute shorts, certainly more than from two ten minute shorts, and a helluva lot more than from a single twenty minute short.

 

[Crownom]

Thanks, rayw, as always helpful!
The team is not that big of a problem actually. Maybe I didn't emphasize it enough, but the problem is getting the right idea and writing a script. The whole week I'm just thinking thinking and filtering my brain for various hundreds of film ideas and nothing good pops. My brain is, literally, tired. I can't concentrate or do anything else. It's frustrating!

For the sake of this, can anyone think of one scene short rough idea? Just to compare your thoughts with mine

 

[Mimi910]

Everybody who has replied is more than likely more experienced than me and has given you great advice. I will add my two [inexperienced] cents anyways

​

I am currently struggling with the same thing and I've found a couple things that have eased the frustration for me.

​

The first is the following quote: "The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." I know this is common sense maybe but just keeping that in mind has made me a little less frustrated. What also helps with the thinking process is jotting down the ideas, that way you could build off of them instead of restarting the thinking process. It is also important to not limit your self to logic at first. I find that very hard to do since I tend to overthink things and jump ahead so this is a learning process for me, but it is very important to consider all ideas the boring, the bad, the impossible, the ugly and somewhere amongst them will be the feasible and maybe even the genius. Waiting for a bolt of genius to strike is not only inefficient but also frustrating.

​

Another method to get inspiration is to collect knowledge (i.e. watch more films; read novels, plays, and screenplays; listen to music and relax; read articles). In my opinion you can't come up with something if you don't have the raw materials to do so in the first place.

​

If all else fails shoot the mundane for now, such as someone making coffee (tell the story of how to make coffee make it visually appealing, etc.) or a short scene that contains a stasis, an intrusion, and a restablished stasis;in other words a beggining, a middle, and an end.

​

I recently learned that your first films or shorts don't have to be award winning pieces or really intresting. They just have to teach you something, anything, so that when you do find the awesome you will have the necessary skills to do it justice. So all there really is to do is create, anything and everything, that will get juices flowing.

​

As far as keeping the passion alive, well I don't have an answer for that. It is something I struggle with, but constantly reminding myself why I love film and I want to do it seems to ease things.

Sorry for the super lengthy message and any redundancy and the format. I hope this was of some help and good luck!

 

[rayw]

D@mmit, man! Did you read any headlines today?!!

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/todayspaper/index.html?src=hp1-0-P
THE FRONT PAGE

One director cameraman and one audio man record:
- Three guys sitting in a car discussing the death or injuries of their family members due to terrorist activities.
Complex Attack by Taliban Sends Message to the West
Suicide bombers and gunmen struck the Afghan capital and three provinces in a clear attempt to erode confidence in NATO and Afghan military gains.

- Two family members arguing over either how to earn more money or spend less.
G.O.P. Lawmakers and Romney Face a Delicate Tango
House Republicans said that Mitt Romney could go his own way on smaller issues if elected, but that he must understand they are driving the party’s policy agenda.

- Family or friends hear of an impending natural disaster and leave the house in three minutes with... what?
100 Tornadoes in 24 Hours, but Plenty of Notice
Some officials credited a warning system for the relatively small number of injuries and deaths from unrelenting storms over the weekend in the Midwest.

- A younger supervisor tells an older employee he/she is being fired/downsized for non-competitive productivity compared to workplace peers.
Declining as a Manufacturer, Japan Weighs Reinvention
Many Japanese have a sense that their country has outgrown an economic template based on constructing commodity goods, but they disagree over what should replace it.

- A coworker tells his workplace friends he's quitting and moving away to a different city.
Many U.S. Immigrants’ Children Seek American Dream Abroad
As opportunities expand in countries like China and India, a growing number of well-educated Americans are emigrating to their ancestral homelands.

- Three or four friends sit around or walk along or drive around discussing what they're going to do to win the affection of the local "hot chick".
Obama Camp, Sensing Shift, Bets on a Long Shot in Arizona
The obstacles to a victory by President Obama in Arizona are considerable, but his aides say it is possible they can move the needle of history by winning a state analysts believe is heading Democratic.


Being creative, you should be able to sit around and do this all day long on any given day.

 

[Crownom]

@Mimi910
Thanks for sharing your experience, it's nice to know someone was in my shoes, too!
@rayw
Nice ideas, but again, they don't look appealing nor interesting. Should I still do it?

A while back I came up with this idea and wanted to shoot it, but my friend told me it's crap and it's not worth shooting, because it's a bad idea, not interesting and boring. That's what made me look for the quality of the ideas, not the quantity. Should I do vice versa now till I get more exeperienced and therefore better? Here's the script, what do you think? :/

EXT. STREET - AFTERNOON

The guy is walking down the street. While walking, a friend calls him and he picks up the phone.

Main Character

Hi. | Yeah, of course, the address is St. Jespers 18. They offer you one of the best guitar lessons in city. | No, I quit a few weeks after I started | Because all we did is learn notes and even more notes without playing the actual guitar. | OK, good luck, see ya.

EXT. pedestrian crossing - afternoon

Then the guy comes to the pedestrian crossing to cross the road. The red light is on, the cars are driving. The guy looks impatiently at the light, at the clock, mutters something like "come on". When the green light gets on, the guy rushes and crosses the road.

EXT. bus stop - afternoon

The guy is looking at the bus timetables. He impatiently looks at his clock, down the road, spins around, mutters something like "what's taking them so long?!"

INT. main doors - afternoon

The guy enters through the main doors and notices a suitcase placed on the ground. He looks around, picks it up and examines it. On the suitcase it is written: FOR YOU; and with smaller letters beneath: open it when I tell you or you won't get what's inside. Then he puts it down and goes towards the second doors, but turns back, grabs it and gets inside.

INT. guy's room - AFTERNOON

The guy is sitting at his desk examining the suitcase.

MAIN CHARACTER

What is this?! What the fuck does "open it when I tell you" mean?!

He stands up, he walks around, takes his phone, looks at it, then sit downs again. (camera showing the whole room in fast motion) He stands up, walks around, lies down, tries to read, gets angry, rushes to the suitcase. Unlocks it, lingers for a moment, locks it again. Then opens a window, smokes a cigarette.

INT. GUY'S ROOM - evening

The guy is sleeping at his desk. Cell phone rings, he wakes up and picks it up.

phone

Open it.

Puts down the phone and slowly opens the suitcase. It is empty with a piece of paper in it which says: PATIENCE. Take it. Use it. There is another piece of paper under the first one which has a "troll face" picture on it. The guy is a bit shocked ( :O ) and just slowly closes the lid.

THE END!

 

[wheatgrinder]

sure, make that. Do a couple versions. Try over the top spy thriller, then shoot it romantic comedy.

Cant wait to see it.

 

[Alcove Audio]

@rayw - Nice ideas, but again, they don't look appealing nor interesting. Should I still do it?

No more or less boring than your own. It's all about how creative you are.

Personally, I would combine the terrorist and hot chick ideas - three terrorists are in the US for the first time to carry out an attack, but keep getting distracted by the all the hot chicks walking by.

 

[rayw]

No more or less boring than your own. It's all about how creative you are.

Personally, I would combine the terrorist and hot chick ideas - three terrorists are in the US for the first time to carry out an attack, but keep getting distracted by the all the hot chicks walking by.

Oh, man. I LIKE where this is going!
Lettuce introduce hot lesbian vampire chicks into this, too!

Three hot lesbian vampire chicks are in Lithuania for the first time to recruit more hot lesbian vampire chicks, but keep getting distracted by pirated DVD copies of "Zombie Strippers"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekh3hsLpuSI

"Say oh my my, oh h3ll yes.
Honey take off that party dress."




All.

Day.

Long.

 

[wheatgrinder]

No more or less boring than your own. It's all about how creative you are.

Personally, I would combine the terrorist and hot chick ideas - three terrorists are in the US for the first time to carry out an attack, but keep getting distracted by the all the hot chicks walking by.

Boring is as boring does

 

[Zensteve]

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=storygen

... or not.

 

[David.rhsc]

Does anyone here felt or feel this way?

Yes. All the time. Constantly. For years. I couldn't accomplish the things I envisioned so I chose to accomplish very little. Effing waste. Anyway, yes.

Didn't hear this interview when it first aired, and when I read it almost a year later the resultant thunder of my face hitting my desk could be heard for miles.

I think it's relevant to your situation as well.

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.

It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

(emphasis mine)

Really wish someone told me that years ago.

Hope it helps.

http://writerunderground.com/2011/0...ty-or-the-gap-between-our-taste-and-our-work/

(it's possibly a repost, but likely lost in the depths)