Anyone ever get burnt out on Making Movies?

Richard J. Johnson

Richard J. Johnson

Joystick Member
I'm finishing up a feature length film now and want to start on another next month. Casting is done. Locations are worked out, Props are good, And now I just don't feel like doing it. My mind is totally not into to making movies right now. and I don't know why.

I'm not one to make excuses but I just feel spent on it right now. I already moved production back 1 month and I want to move it again. Something just does not feel right.

Anyone ever just take a few months off and not even think about films? I love making movies but I'm thinking about going back to school to get my masters and jumping into the medical field.

I'm in a strange place.:2vrolijk_08:
 
Go with your gut...put it on hold until it feels right. Same thing happened to me after 6 years on the road as a musician, a break was a good thing.
 
filthrich said:
I'm finishing up a feature length film now and want to start on another next month. Casting is done. Locations are worked out, Props are good, And now I just don't feel like doing it. My mind is totally not into to making movies right now. and I don't know why.

I'm not one to make excuses but I just feel spent on it right now. I already moved production back 1 month and I want to move it again. Something just does not feel right.

Anyone ever just take a few months off and not even think about films? I love making movies but I'm thinking about going back to school to get my masters and jumping into the medical field.

I'm in a strange place.:2vrolijk_08:
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Dude, I have been working on the SAME feature film for like a year. And I see at least another half a year ahead. That's just making the thing, NOT marketing and selling it. How do you bust out two in a year????? I would be burnt out too!

Please tell me your secrets...

M
 
Creativity can't be forced.
At the same time, if it feels like work, maybe you should think about what you really wanna be doing and chase that.
Nothing about this business has ever felt like work to me.
 
George Orwell once described completing a work as 'a horrible, draining process not unlike a protracted illness.'

Gotta give yourself time to recover, after that.
 
Oh, there was stuff about which Orwell was cheery and optimistic.

Scholars just haven't found any of it, yet.
 
well how old are you? Generally 40'ish people often question things and start a second career. That's pretty normal.

Generally 4 weeks off should be way plenty, not 3 months though.

I don't know your situation but after-gig burnouts are normal. And in your 40's to 50's career changes are normal.
 
Every writer has to step away from writing, so that would be no different for a filmmaker. Unlike other folks we lean on the side of creativity where the mind has to be imaginative. We're not logical thinkers, therefore, we do need to rest to restore mind's energy.

Anhar should now step in and say something really cool about life and creation.
 
I did sound & lighting production for 15 years, 9 of which were full time. I was always changing gear, looking for new types of events to do, anything to keep it interesting. I had about $500k in gear that I had accumulated. About half way through, I decided I would give video a go. Worked out fairly well, got some nice gear built up, but then once I reached a certain level, I wanted to do something else. One thing that was constant is that I always doing gigs or in the field, got really tired of it. Majorly burnt out.

So after my 9 month stint as a car salesman of all things (Chevrolets, GEEEZ), doing some video on the side, I moved on to manufacturing, which is much more entertaining because I actually get to design something from the ground up and see it come to fruition. I've tried a lot of things in my life, including opening a custom interiors shop (hey, it was an idea), digital printing, almost became a police officer at one point.

Bottom line is, I don't think everybody was meant to do one thing their entire lives. I always have had this saying "You are a result of your experiences", and I think the more things you try (good things) the better. I think that's how many people have become successful. Hang in there, do what makes you happy, stay positive and you'll be ok.
 
I'm in the middle of a career switch right now. I'm moving into making features my newest full time career. So as of the moment, No, I've so far not become burnt out on making movies. Ask me again in twenty five years!
 
I have been a recording engineer since the 90's and opened my own studio about 10 years ago and I just won't do that anymore. I hate sitting in front of a computer listening to bad singers and worse rappers talk about the same thing. The money is pretty good, but my attitude is so bad it's not worth it.

So I jumped to video's then filmmaking. I'm not thinking about quitting something that I have not even gotten good at yet. I know I need more time in between projects. The thing is when I'm not doing anything I feel I'm wasting time and being a mop. But sometimes you just gotta do that.
 
Mark Harris said:
Dude, I have been working on the SAME feature film for like a year. And I see at least another half a year ahead. That's just making the thing, NOT marketing and selling it. How do you bust out two in a year????? I would be burnt out too!

Please tell me your secrets...

M
Click to expand...

I'm not even close to your level yet Mark, so basically we are just practicing and trying new things on each film to get to a level where we feel confident in selling a good product. Either out of the trunk or to a distributor.:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

we shoot 3-5 days a week for about a month and a half. and we are a NO budget three man team. Not really a good way to do things but films are 3rd in my life.

I have a 9-5 that pays the bills so that is where most of my time and energy is spent. My kids are always eating and my daughter's shoe size has just jumped in price. I paid $55 for a pair of nike's for her. She's 4! and that was a sale.

I can't justify spending money on a hobby (for now) in my current financial situation.

But I absolutely love making movies, I just need time between projects and a totally new approach to the entire process.
 
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