Filmmaker’s Diaries - Just wish I could get a break

Hello and welcome to another Filmmaker’s diary! - 17/08/2020

Here we are another day today.

It's Monday, but I'm going to talk about what happened yesterday, Sunday. Well, it didn't happen that much. I spent basically the whole day helping my girlfriend out in the video that she's doing for her course and her online presence and everything.

So, uh, that was basically it.

I helped her filmed. And also slept in to be honest. I do that on Sundays sometime. I just stay in bed thinking about life and the week itself before I get up.

So that was basically, then I also wrote on the script, um, I got like an hour or two there for off, uh, focused writing, which was pretty cool.

And it's very cool to see how the script is evolving. Cause again, it was supposed to be like a 15 page script kind of thing. I'm at 15 pages now and I'm still at the beginning. So it really looks like It's a feature, but it should be a short, because again, it's connected to a four chapters of a story that are for shorts. We'll take a look at that.

Uh, yeah. And that's a, that's basically it's yesterday. That was it. See you the next time.

here. We are Monday, the beginning of a new, exciting, cozy, productive week. One would hope. And today, well, the first thing I did was writing, so I woke up the breakfast and then immediately I went to write for like an hour. And, uh, you know, throughout the years I've been experimenting with what's the best way, the best methods to, to write sort of speak and, uh, uh, a very productive way to do it.

It's to just to get up. And do it. First thing in the morning, a lot of writers agree with this one is just the best thing. And you do it first thing in the morning, you do the first things first kind of thing. What's more important for you and yeah, and you're right. A lot of writers get up at like five.

It's tough too, to be able to do this. And I've done this in the past some times, but lately, lately I have really, I, I, lately I was more in the mindset of, you know, once I've done, I'm done with the things of the day. To do the business and this and that. Yeah. Then I'll, uh, I'll take time to write. Cause I'll be more focused.

Let's say, you know, I have less things on my mind and stuff on David Lynch's book, he says, you know, you can't find the creative flow. If you know, you have to stop in an hour and you have to go do this . So I've been lately. I've been more in that. That's the department, but here's the thing lately. I haven't been writing as much.

I've have failed a few days and I'm not doing writing as much as I wanted. So today, Uh, and this week I'm gonna go back to try at least one hour in the morning. First thing, uh, first thing, right after breakfast sometimes before. And, uh, well personally I found that my best method so far, uh, to write it's actually, you know, combined the two kind of things.

So. Right. Two hours. That's the, my favorite two hours in the morning, every day to right. Have that blocked and just, just do it and you know, and that's really good. Cause immediately you write it down. Not only you're expressing yourself, but I'm also working on like a super foundational thing and you know what I mean?
You know, filmmaking narrative telling stories. It's my main occupation. It's where I want to spend more time with. And it's also kind of the most competitive as well. So it should be the one that I'm spending the most time in most time at. And like this it's ensures that you're always working on it. So it, it has a lot of advantages to wake up and do those two hours.

And you know, like there's this famous book, the war of art. And the author Pressfield, he talks a lot about that, you know, show up, do the work. That's what the pro does. And so that's this approach. And for me, the best way was to combine the two hour in the morning, every day. Uh, really as much as possible, like almost every day, really try to be everyday with later on in the evening, after I'm done with stuff after I'm done eating with the, to do list and marketing and after that, uh, also right.

You know, and if I, then if I have hours to ride, I can spend those hours writing or less until I lose the flow. But that for me is the best. And it's a combination of, um, of the show up, do the work, you know, the, the art of arts mentality with the other one, uh, the David Lynch mentality, let's say another great book, just called catching the big fish, whereas where, you know, you just have time and you have nothing else to do that day until you go to bed.

And, you know, you can also go watch a movie and study a movie. Things like that. They'll listen to a cool audio commentary of Stargate. You guys remember that movie from the nineties? Uh, I remember quite well. I saw it recently cause I got the DVD, the specialist. Yeah. Not that long ago. And I saw it and this week I saw the, I listened to the audio commentary, which was pretty cool.

But anyhow, so this is writing then, uh, I'm also in a, quite a philosophical mode. I dunno thinking quite a bit on how to proceed now with the video business, because. I was going to do just some straight up Facebook ads. Now this week, just to see people get, you know, get interested in this thing, we'll reach out to business owners and all of that.

And I was thinking, just do the Facebook ads, even though I'm flat, flat broke. But, um, I think I only have to pay a month from now, I guess that's my calendar. So maybe I can try that just 20 bucks on it. And, um, So that's a big thing on my mind. And other than that, but the problem with that, I should say it's that we are like in mid August.
And I mean, this is that worst, the worst time in the literally the two worst weeks in the year for businesses and for selling and to clients, because most people are on holiday. Specially where I live, this is late. It's like almost sacred though. The August holidays and people go where the. So there's that.

So I don't know, need to reflect on that a bit more today. Maybe try it for a couple of days, see if something works. But since it's been so long and I haven't actually then Facebook ads in this manner to just reach out to my video production company and have people email me directly, I'm thinking also, you know, I might as well just suede this two weeks and prepare everything and go strong in September.

But I don't know. I need to think about that one. And I shall think about that.

Then I've also been thinking about the so-called dream 100, right? That means a list of the top companies you really want to work with. And I also taught since, you know, it's not the best, not really the best timing to, to do this. Um, I'm thinking, maybe focus on the dream 100 and get like two companies per the main niches that I, I want to go after really strongly this September.

Cause again, I feel the next lockdown is coming and then, you know, it's going to be even harder again and more people are going to lose their jobs again and more businesses are going to close again. So I think it's really important. Not for me, obviously as well, but also to get this business a bit prepared so they can face the new challenges.

So really a win, win, uh, you know, a good, good thing going on. So I taught maybe in this two weeks, really, you know, write down, make the list, reach out to them, offer a video for the best ones, offer like a video for free. Again, the same method is before four for free, but I do three packs and I know that they will need more video if they do it right.

If they go for it and do it right, they'll see the results and they'll, they'll keep on coming back to me, then that's the goal. And I'll also offer that like a marketing plan and what they can do. And. And do better things in the other areas, all related to marketing and image and communication, all of that.

So I'm might as well do that. So need to think a lot about the student who, and figure out what I'm about to do then, uh, in that sense, there's also a V I've been wanting to do for a long time, which is like a travel video. Let's say a tourist again. It's it's not the best here for traveling and tourism.

But, you know, I live in a quite touristic place. It's crazy going out these days. Cause the difference it's like, uh, it's a big difference. Um, but I've been, and that's not the only one that that's a video that I really want to do as well personally. And that then can, I can branch out to all other touristic videos.

So that one is also on top of the list that I might do this. Next two weeks and really work on it and launch it then, and maybe go start strong in that, um, in that tourism niche. So, but again, a very reflective, very philosophical need to think a lot about this. Also. Do you think about another side hustle that I've had and I've been trying to get going and things like that, which is a clothing brand mainly t-shirts also kind of related to tourism and traveling and things like that.

And a couple of weeks ago and stuff, I worked a bit on it. I took a week cause you know, times are so crazy. And then I'm such in a financial stress that I said, okay, let me go back to this one and see if I can just get it out and get it to work. And so I tried it didn't went as smooth as I wanted it again.

Times are a bit crazy. So. Okay, but, uh, the truth is it didn't pan out so well, but I'm considering maybe this week, get, give it a bit more time and a bit more money would be great if I had to invest in the park. Um, But it's so there's also that possibility in the air. If I have a little extra time here and there, I don't know, because another thing it's in my personal life, things are also quite a bit messy mess.

It's not the best word, but they're in, um, evolving phase, they're changing and, um, you know, with everything, with my relationship and everything. And, um, so there's also that, so my personal life, it's also. And I don't want to say take time taking time, but it's, it's definitely something to consider it. Well, well, um, that's it for now?
It's like mid afternoon on Monday and I'm going to go back and I'm gonna edit now the video that I helped my girlfriend filmed tomorrow, I'm going to go and start editing now and I hope it turns out pretty, pretty cool.

That’s it for today, see you next time.