Open Yourself Up to Other Filmmakers

This past week I kept running into filmmakers at different stages of their work.

I sat down with a young screenwriter working on her first script. We talked through her story and some of the practical parts -- even formatting, which quietly trips up almost everyone in the beginning. We focused on fleshing out scenes and character arcs.

Later in the week a friend showed me test footage he shot anamorphically on his Blackmagic camera during golden hour. He had been experimenting with different color grades in DaVinci Resolve. I was impressed not only by what he captured, but by how carefully he was studying it.

Afterward I showed him our 16mm Bolex tests. We weren’t comparing, just looking at the grain, texture, and small differences between stocks.

I also had a conversation with one of my actors about his character. It’s wonderful to see people I cast take the part seriously and the time they put into the character. We both understood what he needed to hold onto emotionally. Sometimes clarity arrives quickly.

At work I ran into a co-worker preparing a feature -- five weeks of shooting over the summer and we talked about crew and budget. The practical side of filmmaking never really leaves you.

What stayed with me wasn’t any one project.

It was the conversations.

I met people at different stages, beginning, struggling, finishing, starting again. Different ages, different resources, same effort. Everyone is quietly trying to bring something personal into the world.

Filmmaking can feel solitary for long stretches. Then you talk to someone who immediately understands, and you remember you’re not really doing it alone, so many of us trying to complete our story.

If you recognize some part of your own life in it, you’re welcome to follow along.

P.S. If one filmmaker comes to mind who might relate, feel free to send this to them.