Ep.38 How to stay creatively motivated as a filmmaker

This questions is a big one! How to stay creatively motivated as a filmmaker?  You’re no doubt hoping for a magic answer, a simple technique that would pull you thought and keep you feeling on top of it all.  Because when filmmaking gets tough, when you feel like it’s a grind and you’re getting nowhere.  It’s had to stay motivated and you need a way to get through. 

There are definitely times in filmmaking, or any pursuit really, where it feels impossible, thankless or just crushing. 

 There have have been occasions where  I find myself daydreaming about abandoning the camera, ripping up my storyboards and going to work on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. 
 
 And why don’t I? Well, I also have this unrelenting urge to produce movies that make a difference. So deep down, I know I will stick with the filmmaking thing.  But that passion alone is not enough to keep me motivated.

So what is motivation.  Is it something you ‘have’ or is it something you ‘find’? If you think motivation is something you should just have then you might find the info I’m going to share with you helpful because some small shifts in your expectations could really make a difference when you're trying to stay on track.
 
 In filmmaking there are certainly a a bunch of roadblocks that can regularly bring me down – securing the right funder, having time to get everything done, battling the challenging distribution process … On and on it goes.
 
 It can be incredibly frustrating and the amount of work involved in filmmaking that’s not about creative outputs can be tedious. And that’s where  motivation can wane (hence the daydreaming).
 
 Which is why I wanted to use part 4 of the How to develop your documentary or narrative film series to dissect how filmmakers find the motivation to do what they do when the going gets tough.
 
 Because no doubt you’ll get struck down by a lack of motivation at some point in your filmmaking career. Maybe your camera guy bails on you. Or a key talent pulls out at the last minute. Perhaps you just received more feedback than expected on your latest script.
 
 While it can be crushing, I promise, it’s just part of journey – and you will get through it. You just need to have a few techniques to turn to when things are getting you down.
 
 If you’re suddenly thinking to yourself, Part 4! What? I’ve wandered in halfway through a series and I have no clue what’s going on’ – don’t fret. You can catch up on parts 1,2 and 3 via the below links. 

How to develop your documentary series part 1 - Ideation 

How to develop your documentary series part 2 - Planning 

How to develop your documentary series part 3 - Conquering Imposter Syndrome 

Up to date? Terrific. Here’s what to do when your motivation levels drop.

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:03

Hello, fellow creatives. This is a big question today. How to stay creatively motivated as a filmmaker. You no doubt are hoping for a magic answer, a simple technique that will pull you through and keep you feeling on top of it all. Because when filmmaking gets tough, when you feel like it's a grind and you're getting nowhere, it is hard to stay motivated and you need to find a way to get through. There are definitely times in filmmaking or really any pursuit where it feels impossible, thankless, or just crushing. There have been occasions where I find myself daydreaming about abandoning the camera, ripping up my storyboards, and going to work on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. So why don't I? Well, apart from reality, I also have this unrelenting urge to produce movies and make a difference. So deep down I know that I will stick with the filmmaking. But that passion alone is simply not enough to keep me motivated. Now for anyone new to this podcast, welcome. It is great to have you join me here. The Moonshine Moonshot podcast is all about making movies that matter. I'm your host, Sue Collins, and I have been producing documentaries, films and videos of all shapes and sizes for almost two decades. So I have definitely learned a thing or two on motivation. So what is motivation? Is it something you have or is it something you find? If you think motivation is something you should just have, then you might find the info I'm going to share with you helpful because some small shifts in your expectations could really make a difference when you're trying to stay on track. In filmmaking, there are certainly a bunch of roadblocks that can regularly get the better of me. Things like finding the right funder. Oh my gosh, you would not believe how much of my time actually goes into securing finance. And having time to get everything done, that feeling of overwhelm can be really demotivating. And I particularly find battling the challenging distribution process very hard to take on. And on and on it goes. It can be really frustrating, and the amount of work that's not about creative outputs when it comes to filmmaking, it is tedious. And that's where my motivation can really wane, and hence the daydreaming of the caravan. Now, if you've just discovered this podcast, then you might be interested in the past few episodes as well, as I'm doing a deep dive into how to develop your documentary or narrative film, and this is part four. And if you're suddenly thinking to yourself, part four, I've wandered in halfway through a series and I have no clue what's going on, don't fret. You can easily catch up on parts one, two, and three after you've listened to this episode. Just go back to episodes 35, 36, and 37 on whatever platform you're listening on to learn all about ideation, planning, and conquering imposter syndrome. Now look, I have no doubt you'll get struck down by a lack of motivation at some point in your filmmaking career or just generally in life. And that's why I think this episode's really important in part of the documentary process. Because heck, it happens to me almost every evening. I lose motivation, I lose my will to cook dinner again. But in a filmmaking sense, things like your camera guy bailing on you, key talent pulling out at the last minute, or perhaps you've just received more feedback than expected on your last script. And yes, I've had that one happen to me quite recently. I spent a lot of time creating a first draft, and you know, in that naive way you do, you just think it's brilliant because you finally finished it. You get it reviewed and you find out there's actually a lot of work to do, and you've got to go back to the drawing board. As difficult as that was, the second draft is actually so much better. So really glad that happened. And but if I'd let the motivation wane and just put it on the shelf, I would never have got that second draft. So don't let motivation get the better of you. It can be crushing, but it's just part of the journey, and you will get through it. You just need to have a few techniques to turn to when things are getting you down. Remember, motivation is a gift. You don't just get it, it doesn't just happen to you. You generate motivation. It comes from taking action, building momentum, and the steps I'm about to share with you may be really helpful. So the first thing that I think we should start on is your why. Focus on your why. Filmmaking comes with a roller coaster of highs and lows, so reminding yourself why you're making a film at all can really push you forward and keep your spirits elevated. You can start by asking yourself a few key questions like what impact would my film have? Who's going to see this film and how might it influence their thoughts or feelings or behaviors? Why is my story important to me, to my audience, to the wider world more broadly? I find audience to be a really motivating factor when my inspiration or energy is dwindling because as filmmakers we're creating content specifically for an audience. Whether it's to entertain, to fundraise, to change policy, or to rewrite history. The point is that you are using your film to enrich your audiences' lives in some way, no matter how big or how small, and that can really keep you going. Don't dedicate all your time and resources into your passion project. One of my favorite industry quotes is from Walt Disney, and I am sure that you would have heard of him. He's a prolific filmmaker and animator, and Disney once said, We don't make movies to make money, we make money so we can make more movies. And the truth is sometimes the project you're truly passionate about won't be financially lucrative. But that does not mean you have to abandon it entirely. It just means you might need to work concurrently on a few other projects that will sustain your career and keep you financially ahead. The tormented, starving artist filmmaker might sound romantic in theory, but it is a whole different ball game in practice. If you give up everything simply to devote all your time to your passion project and you believe in it so completely, you just might end up not getting it done, and that's going to be really demotivating. So find ways to work in filmmaking that are both financially and creatively rewarding and chip away at your passion project on the side. And eventually you will get it made, but just don't put all your eggs in one basket, I guess is what I'm saying, because if you know the one big passion dream you have doesn't get going, you could lose motivation. Whereas if you've got another project going that has got legs and is getting momentum, that's going to actually build your motivation. It will also build your credibility and a whole lot of other skills, and that will help you get your passion project made. So while I'm talking about spending time on other projects that creatively satisfy you, sometimes the workload in front of you can feel very overwhelming. Storyboarding, producing, shooting, editing, distribution, it's no small feat, and it's easy to get weighed down by the enormity of a big documentary or film project. And that's why I find shifting my focus to smaller projects that I can knock over in a few days to be really stimulating and help my creative juices flow. So don't abandon your film or other project that will take you three plus years to get ahead on. Instead, try shooting a short film for a day, editing it together throughout the rest of the week and publishing it online. You might find working on just a little microfilm, just a small companion or teaser piece to the feature that you're working on, just helps get your creativity going again, helps you, you know, refocus yourself and get you motivated. The point is that you're creating and finishing something. That sense of accomplishment can really build your momentum and return your focus to the bigger goal. I also find having more than one project on the go to be really motivating as well, because we usually have several films happening at once here at Moonshine Agency. One in release, one in production, one in pre-production, and a handful of other smaller films moving through the studio at the same time. And I know that when, you know, if you're just starting out, that's probably not something you can sustain having that much work going on at once. But it's something that you need to keep in mind. If you've got a film going into production, you probably already want to be ideating your next project in the background so that as that film goes into post-production, you've got something else to be pitching for finance so that when your other film finally gets into release, you're already building your new project. So you've got sort of a cycle going on, keeping yourself going. Financially, as a filmmaker, it's absolutely critical because otherwise you just end up with these huge big chunks of time where you haven't got finance and you probably have to do some other work to fill in that time. So keep yourself going, have a few different projects at various stages, and that will definitely keep you busy and keep you motivated. Celebrate the wins along the way. Look, acknowledging and celebrating small successes is really important. A film is a long commitment and there are many, many steps along the way. Motivation often stems from momentum. And once you see yourself succeed in one small thing, maybe you secured a new project funder or you had a really productive day out on location, your motivation will build. Remember, we talked before about motivations is not necessarily something you just have, it's something that you build. And success breeds fulfillment, determination, and yes, motivation. So every time you reach a milestone, whether it's you know getting X amount of subscribers on YouTube or whether it's attaching a new person to your crew or if it's just achieving something that you've been working towards every time you reach that milestone or achieve that goal, pat yourself on the back. You did it. Reward yourself. Spend time with other filmmakers or like-minded people that want you to succeed. I can't stress this point enough. Slogging it out with only your internal thoughts as company can be agonizing, particularly when the chips are down. So I always recommend surrounding yourself with fellow filmmakers or like-minded individuals who want to see you succeed and they won't let you give up. This might be your closest friend, colleagues, family members, or maybe it's a network of filmmakers you studied with. It could even be just folks you've connected with on Facebook or a LinkedIn group that you're regularly in activity with. No matter who your cheer squad is, just be sure they have your back and will encourage you to keep going when all you want to do is quit. You've got to have those cheerleaders around you. So finally, my final point on motivation is this. Remind yourself why you love making films. It can be so easy to get bogged down in the paperwork, the admin, the financing, all the tedious jobs that pull you away from the bigger picture. Maybe the logistical side of filmmaking is your jam and you know, more power to you. But most of us choose this career because we simply love movies. We love coming up with story ideas and turning them into larger than life feature films that make a positive difference in the world. And there is nothing more motivating than that. So surround yourself with positive things, positive ideas, and try these tips that I've suggested. And I would love to know if any of them have worked for you. So don't hesitate to reach out at support at moonshinecommunicationsacademy.com, or you can DM me at Moonshine Communications Academy on Instagram. And I'd love to know how you're going and what you types of things you do to keep yourself motivated on track. So hit subscribe on whatever platform you are listening on so you don't miss next week's episode, and I will speak to you soon.