Keeping inspiration to go on with my movie?

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iFilm7

Active member
1.
my inspiration starts really high when i start having the idea for my movies, but then die down when i get lazy or something... laziness in filmmaking for me is lack of inspiration ): how do i fix it?!
how do i keep the inspiration going until the release or the final result of the finished movie/video?
like in this one video, i had many great ideas using visual effects, i shot all of the footage, and made visual effects for 2 scenes, and then i had enough of it, its time consuming and hard you can say [but i can still do it, just lazy]... how do i get rid of my laziness?? ): i take VERY long breaks [maybe even for a month] when i make my movies/videos. -sigh-

so yeahh again, how do i get rid of my laziness and start WANTING to do it, [inspiration]??

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2.
also, i have some type of OCD situation that makes life much more difficult, my heart and soul are telling me that framing a scene with a cause and purpose is essential, but my OCD is telling me that it is all bullcrap and that i should just point and shoot even though how crappy it will look and that filmaking is just storytelling and that its the story that counts, not the picture and to just get it over with without spending a lot of time making the scene to have it have purpose.

so yeah how can i fix this ): its ruining my passion for filmmaking ):

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im still amateur you can say, even though ive been "studying" cinematography and making some stuff of my own for a looong time now.
youtube is: iFilm7
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PS sorry for my bad grammar.
 
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You just have to force yourself to do it. There's no secret to keeping the passion for a project alive throughout. You either see it through or you let it die. Just remember the satisfaction of having a completed film that you poured your heart and soul in to.

Or maybe filmmaking just isn't for you.
 
trust me, i LOVE filmmaking, i love the pleasure after finishing a project... but how do i remove my STUPID OCD?? its pissing me off so much that i cant even take control of my own mind without paranoia coming into my face ): reasoning sucks to a point of negativity.
 
I have a similar problem. I will be all pumped about a film get it 85% done with passion (I always finish them to my fullest) but my interests will move to a different project.
 
yeah, i guess i gotta force myself to do it.
btw, does anyone have good advice for the OCD problem?
 
iFilm7 said:
btw, does anyone have good advice for the OCD problem?
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Drugs.



Haha!

You mean you have ADD, right? ADD would be a comical way to explain how you lose interest and move on.... OCD is what I have, and that is the opposite of your problem.

I always, always focus on one project and beat it into the ground, and then some. My problem, and this is for everything I do, is that I get to focused and my technical perfectionist side takes over. I work on projects long after my job could have been done. I see it through CC, and even distribution if necessary. On set, I don't get hungry, cold/hot (if in harsh weather), uninterested, bored, or even content! I'll finish a 14 hour day and realize that I never stopped to eat! I'll be running around a set in shorts and a t-shirt in cold weather, and people in sweatshirts will say 'boy, aren't you cold?' I don't even feel it. I am just in 'the zone' from beginning to end. It's very OCD. The only time I have ever felt uninspired on a project has been a direct result of the director losing his ambition. If the director has passion, it fuels mine. If the director gives up, I find it hard to push on.

I don't mean to say that if you don't feel this way, you cannot be a filmmaker... but perhaps if you don't feel this way on all your projects you should seek a selective type or few that really attract your attention. Perhaps just finding projects you believe in more can fuel that passion.


Or take some drugs. Ritalin, adderall, something. :p
 
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about my OCD... its not because im lazy... truuuuust me on that lol, i really do want to have the scene look perfect... but theres always my OCD-reasoning where something negative like "making it look crappy and its just the storyline that matters" is backed up by "factual" things and that makes me discomfort... its a feeling that its not right... you get me?
hopefully that sounds better in explanation..
 
Boy oh boy, that is a pretty big nut to crack. I have been around a lot of low end filmmaking for a long time and, in many instances, no, I would say, most instances, the guiding force for the completion of the projects have been either passion for the project, by most of us involved, or a commitment to some one (usually the director) who has great passion for the project. Filmmaking, especially low end, guerrilla filmmaking is hard and those who stick through it do so more for intangible rewards, than for more tangible reasons like pay or status. Because filmmaking is a collaborative enterprise, being able to build passion for projects, and being able to sustain it and share it with others is, in my opinion, a crucial prerequisite for anyone who wants to make their ideas into films.

I would suggest that you recognize the need to flame your passion for projects as something that you need to developed and work on it like you would any of the other skills needed in filmmaking. Maybe set down and put together a very personal pep talk or internal dialogue that works for you and every time you recognize that your passion is waning, you give yourself the talk. May be it is a collection of songs that fire you up, or movie clips. Put together an inspirational play list on you music player or on video and play them to yourself when you think that you need it. Or something like that, you know, get creative with solving this issue.

Of course, the advice of a behavioral health professional might also be wise. Good luck.
 
How about write your ideas when your excited about them and give them to someone else who will see the project done. That way you can hash out all your ideas and not have to sit on them for months and months waiting for a finished project.
 
There are a few things you can do to if in fact the passion for the material is still there. Most people are great in the short term but not the long term stuff. Filmmaking is a long term deal. It takes a long time to write a great script. It takes a great deal of time to really think out the shooting plan. Editing can take a long time. The actual shooting is usually the short piece of the film. You have to block time out each day to write or storyboard or shoot. Every day...not tomorrow or the next day...right now! Every single day. Set aside that time and when you are writing don't answer the phone, don't text, no email...nothing but writing. You have to have discipline on a daily basis. Take a piece of paper and write down everything you do for a week and I guarantee you waste 2-3 hours per day. Most people spend their life watching TV, playing video games, emailing, internetting, texting...so make the choice to get focused, block out your time and work it. It also sounds like you have a bit of fear of failure going on...lack of confidence...so you sabotage yourself. The way to build up your confidence is by focusing, learning, etc. in order to make sure you are prepared for what you are doing.
 
I just read a great piece of advice (I think it was in Robert McKee's Story) that is when you are first starting a project, write down everything that you're thinking about. Specifically, your thoughts and feelings about the project, and what it means to you. That way when you're feeling your motivation wane you can read this note and remember why you wanted to do this in the first place.
 
No magic formula. People get into filmmaking because they love it. People stay in filmmaking because they love it. Guys like Scorsese, Coppola, Howard, etc. are all extremely hard working people. They're not there because they're lucky. Sure they're ridiculously talented, but there are lots of people who are ridiculously talented. That extra bit that gets Coppola to the top is what's so hard to get.

Not that I know anything.
 
Jester2138 said:
No magic formula. People get into filmmaking because they love it. People stay in filmmaking because they love it. Guys like Scorsese, Coppola, Howard, etc. are all extremely hard working people. They're not there because they're lucky. Sure they're ridiculously talented, but there are lots of people who are ridiculously talented. That extra bit that gets Coppola to the top is what's so hard to get.

Not that I know anything.
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No, I think your spot on. Talent is great but persistence and perseverance are just as important. No, there more important. We could do something over and over and over again until it's perfect, that doesn't take talent but having the gusto to see something through despite the lack of perfection and through the hardships is tough. We learn as we go, therefore the talent will come eventually. Lol Thomas Edison was by no means an expert lightbulb builder but he got it done in the end.
 
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