Why it's so hard to get your dream project started and how to get it into action. #71

Does starters anxiety have a grip on you? What are the biggest blocks filmmaker have in getting their film made?  You're not alone in the struggle to get a new project underway.  But you might not lack motivation.

A couple of things might be holding you back from getting your butt into gear and making your movie a reality.  I'm sharing three big reasons in this episode and some ways to get past the starting block.   So listen in, but be careful, this could get you moving towards a finished film. You're welcome!

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Hello, fellow filmmaker. This week I am talking about that really difficult problem of getting started. You know what I'm talking about. You are sitting laid back on the couch, you've got this amazing idea for a project, and you know it's going to be amazing. You can already feel that thrill of strutting down the red carpet and the standing ovation when the curtain comes down and you humbly stand and take in the applause, hand on heart, sincerely flattered by the response. Flash forwards, you're at the Oscars, giving your speech, there's more applause. Oh, uh hang on, wait, hang on, that's all still in your head. You haven't actually made a film yet. And you're not even quite sure what the film that your fantasy audience were applauding for is. So hang on, is the idea of being a filmmaker more exciting than just doing the work? Or are there some other factors at play that are preventing you from getting your button gear and making your movie? It's more than just fantasy or procrastination. Starter's anxiety is a real thing, and today I am going to walk you through some of the common reasons that starter's anxiety can strike, and I'm going to follow it up with some strategies to help you overcome it. So, welcome to the Moonshine Moonshop Podcast. I'm your host, Sue Collins, and if you've landed here, it means you're wanting to find out how to make filmmaking a sustainable career. And you're probably curious about how to make meaningful work that fills your cup. So you're ready to learn how to make movies that matter, build a sustainable career, and have a positive social impact on your audiences. You are in the right place. Filmmaking has so many parts to it, and I'm sharing what I have learned over the past 15 years about producing impact films that reach their intended audience and support real-world change. So let's get into today's episode. Alright, so what are some of the biggest blocks filmmakers have in getting their film made? Well, firstly, if you're in a creative field like filmmaking, then I want to stop for a moment and just tell you, you know, stop being so hard on yourself for not getting it all going on right now all at once. It's just not that easy to create work and put it out into the world. It's a lot of emotional work to just get started. And if you've chosen this as your career, then my hat is off to you. Because it is a really rewarding career, but it is not an easy one to get started in. Takes tenacity, courage, and relentless persistence to get a film made. And if you're on this journey, then it's probably led you to problem number one. Can't get started, also known as starter's anxiety. And here's some reasons why this can strike. Rejection. You have already been turned down over and over again. Not you. You've got to remember that. It's not you getting turned down, it's your film idea. And it's super important to remember that. It's your film idea, not you as a person. You've got to separate out your work from yourself when it comes to rejection. And some of the common reasons for your film pitch being rejected are, you know, the classic one. Your film doesn't fit the box that they're looking to fill. Or perhaps it just doesn't tick enough of the right boxes for film festivals or screen agencies or film funds. Or perhaps there's broadcast TV that you're pitching to, and their remits are often vague and consist of almost impenetrable explanations of what they are looking for. Now, how's this for a very useless piece of information that I recently received after pitching a project? We're hoping to find very bold, innovative, broad appeal, long-running series that we couldn't film ourselves in-house. Honestly, after hearing that kind of blah blah at countless conferences and meetings and via email rejections, honestly, I take this kind of feedback to mean that they don't even know themselves what they're looking for, but they'll know it when they see it. And all I can say to you about this is please do not try and create a project to suit a broadcaster. Ever. Come up with your idea and pitch it. Sure, tailor it to make it as suitable as makes sense, but don't compromise your concept and do not set out to create something for a specific broadcaster based on a remit shared with you at a conference or on their website. You can do so much development work and then they'll change their direction, they'll move the goalposts and load you up with a whole other load of reasons why your now tailor-made for them project won't suit them at all. Other feedback that your project doesn't fit can be things like doesn't suit the demographic, the topic is too hard, and yes, we have had that one a lot. It's too broad, it's not edgy enough. If channel X would take it, then it's not for us. Honestly, you never know what's going to work with a broadcaster. You just have to put your hat in the ring and see what they say. And once in a while, they are interested. The head of one channel once told me that for every hundred pitches he receives, he might say yes to one. That is not good odds. So other ways that you know you can be rejected. It's not really that nice talking about rejection, but other ways that they can reject your film project. And this is more common with more of the festivals and film funders, and things like you don't have a track record for them to be confident you'll be able to deliver, or worse, you have a track record, but it's in a different genre. For example, maybe your background's documentary and you're trying to pitch in a fiction project, or you're credited as the director and not the producer, blah blah blah. So if rejection is one of the biggest stopping forces for a filmmaker to launch into creating their work, then a lack of funding is close behind. This one is a big one and it will be a stopping force if you let it. In my early career, I used to dream of a day where I'd have all my finance lined up, ready to go, and then roll camera. Look, this is a fantasy, and it has never happened on any of the seven impact documentary features I've produced or any of the short form documentaries either. We are usually kicking off with some seed funding to get a proof of concept, and then that gets people excited about the possibilities followed by raising the bulk of the finance during development and also often well into production. Often the outreach funding doesn't even come until we're really close to launching the film. So you simply cannot wait for funding to get your project going. Oh, I was just looking for a place where I could learn everything I need to know to make an amazing film that changes the world. It's such a shame that that place doesn't exist. Oh what? Hang on, it does. Oh, if you're looking for inspiration, ideas, tools, and ways to learn how to make movies that matter, head to Moonshine Communications Academy over at Instagram and all your problems will be solved. Warning results may vary depending on the questions, and success is not guaranteed. Always read the label. So, what are some of the steps you can take to overcome the issue of rejection and a lack of funding? My first piece of advice is for anyone producing documentary. If you are not a skilled camera person and you don't have one on hand willing to work on spec, go and pick up a camera yourself. Figure out how to frame a shot, pull focus, record audio, and then just get out there and start. Do the first interview, grab some b-roll, whatever you can film, just do it. Film enough to cut a short sizzle reel or cut a powerful interview together. Make enough that you can use it to pitch to a potential funder and get the first important bit of seed funding and then go from there. You've got to remember your very first thing doesn't have to be a finely polished, amazing work of art. It just has to show that you know how to tell this story, that it's a good story, and you are capable of creating it. Honestly, this is how Mike, my partner, and I got things moving for our company. It was really challenging in the early days because we didn't have the budget for crews, and we've been used to working with cinematographers for projects that had big budgets on action sports and in commercials. So when we started doing our own thing, we we just couldn't afford their half-day raids to grab a concept interview. So both Mike and I picked up cameras and learned how to film documentaries ourselves. And it's seen us travel all over the world and make films pretty much every year now. And we also have a team. So it does get easier. It won't be you alone forever, but you have to get started and get to that next step. And that's so much of what filmmaking is: getting one interview, one scene, one sequence, and then the next, and then the next. And this is really true of fiction films as well. So if you can't get a start with the all-elusive funding, you are definitely not alone, but it doesn't mean you don't start. It's the same strategy for fiction films as I just mentioned for documentary. Perhaps you could set yourself some goals like writing the script, then set yourself some targets, maybe it's write five pages every weekend until you have a first draft. Maybe it's write a short film over the next few weekends, and then get your mates together and film a scene, and then another scene, and then another scene, and then you have a short film. That's something you can pitch for funding or enter into film festivals. And I do realize it's a lot more work than what I've just, you know, bullet pointed there. But the point I'm trying to make is you have to start. So let's take that starter's anxiety and put a stop to it. Get started and don't look back. Do not let rejection and funding stop you from even beginning. Look, the final point that I want to make on starter's anxiety is this. You can do what you want. You do not need permission. And I am not just talking about permission from funding agencies or commissioning editors. I'm talking about worrying about what people will think. This is something every creative has to grapple with. We all fret that people won't like our work and that no one will understand our film and that it won't connect and critics won't like it, and yada yada yada yada yada. There are so many reasons for us to feel insecure about putting creative work out into the world to the point where it can stop us from even starting. You know, you might be worried your friends or your family won't understand why you're spending your weekends and spare time on a project with no obvious success in sight. And honestly, if they are your friends, they'll be so impressed that you're doing the work that they will not care what the work is. Or they are going to be so involved with their own stuff, they won't notice what you're up to. At least not enough to worry about judging you for it. You are your worst critic, so just get on with it. Lead and they will follow. And you know what? So what if it isn't a raving success when you finish it? It's a film, it's yours, and you will have learned so much on the way. The success is in completing the work, and then you get to do it all over again. And then you get to do it again. So congratulations, you're a filmmaker. You don't need permission, you don't need approval, you just need to start. I have a little stack of cards on my desk with different affirmations and quotes, and today when I turned over a new one, it said, Let your passion fuel your purpose. It's kind of perfect for today's podcast, don't you think? So anyway, I'm curious, what was the biggest takeaway you had from today's podcast? Leave me a comment and come and visit me over at Instagram, Moonshine Communications Academy, and let me know. So until next week, happy filmmaking. Get started. Do one thing to progress your film this week, and I will speak to you again next week. Thank you for joining me today and every week here on the Moonshine Moonshot Podcast. If you're wanting a deeper dive into the topics being discussed on the show, then I would encourage you to head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and sign up for the weekly drop of moonshine via your email. Being on our newsletter community means we can support your filmmaking journey in a more tailored way as well as keeping you up to date with the resources we share on how to make movies that matter and so much more that we deliver inside your inbox every single week. So head over to Moonshine CommunicationsAcademy.com and at the bottom of the homepage you'll see a little box to add your email address and adds a thank you for signing up. We'll also send you a bonus ebook to support your messaging. So voila, you'll be on the way to receive all the best content weekly.