By Tim Ljunggren
Why are you a filmmaker? Why is it so important for you to pick up a camera and make The Next Great American Film Classic? What do you want to accomplish with your filmmaking?
Sometimes, these aren't easy questions to answer, but they're vitally important to you and your work. To help answer them, here's a creative exercise that allows you to not only make clear and concise goals for yourself, but also allows you to take the necessary steps to actually reach those clear and concise goals!
STEP ONE: THE CREATIVE ESSAY
The Creative Essay is where you answer six questions about yourself and your filmmaking ambitions; it's an overview of why you do what you do (or want to do). You can answer these questions with one word, a sentence, a paragraph, or two or three single-spaced pages (HINT: The more carefully you consider these questions - and honestly answer them - the better this process will work for you). Here's an example of a Creative Essay:
1. What does it mean to be a “filmmaker”?
To be a filmmaker means to be aware and open to all of the possibilities that surround me. It means to look for new ideas, new projects, and new ways of being that reflect my True Voice. It meas taking creative risks and to be present in the current moment as much as possible.
2. Why do you need to be a filmmaker?
Why do I need to breathe? To me, being a filmmaker means living - and observing - in the best possible way; it means that I am constantly re-creating myself and my work at every possible moment.
3. What do you find most appealing about being a filmmaker?
The world is my playground. I am able to draw on my creativity at any given moment to shape (or reshape) myself and my surroundings.
4. What is the most important thing that you can gain from participating in the filmmaking process?
Life. Connecting with others. Connecting with my work.
5. Is there one thing that you would like to accomplish in your filmmaking work?
I would like to accomplish a sense of balance and centeredess.
6. Is there anything else you would like to accomplish?
The opportunity to do my creative work full-time and make a (good) living at it, and the opportunity to help others do the same. An Academy Award would be nice, too.
STEP TWO: DEFINE ATTITUDE/OUTLOOK GOALS
Attitude/Outlook Goals are goals that help you to shape and form your emotional/mental state in regards to your filmmaking and creativity. Some examples of these goals are: “Change my point of view, my outlook. Set up my life as a filmmaker by surrounding myself with people who will be my advocates,” “View life as a gift, not a series of tasks that need to be completed. Allow myself to be first in my life by nourishing myself with creative relationships,” “Taking better care of myself through regular exercise, eating well, and finding new and exciting creative outlets.” Choose at least four Attitude/Outlook Goals for the upcoming year and write them down.
STEP THREE: DEFINE LIFE PERFORMANCE GOALS
Life Performance Goals are goals that you would like to achieve if you felt that you could achieve anything you wanted to—they are goals without stipulations, emotional walls, and/or anything else that would keep you from listing them. Some examples of these goals are: “Win an Academy Award for Best Short Film,” “Travel extensively to appreciate and film the beauty of this world,” “Earn an MFA degree and teach filmmaking at the university level,” “Become a world-famous documentary filmmaker, where my films are recognized as both socially viable and commercially entertaining.” Choose at least four Life Performance Goals for the upcoming year and write them down. Let yourself dream big!
STEP FOUR: DEFINE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE GOALS
Annual Performance Goals are goals that help you start achieving your Life Performance Goals; they are steps that you’ll take during the upcoming year that correspond to your willingness to take your Life Performance Goals seriously. For example, if one of your Life Performance Goals is to “Become a world-famous documentary filmmaker, where my films are recognized as both socially viable and commercially entertaining,” your Annual Performance Goals for that particular goal could be: Goal #1: Take an introductory filmmaking class, Goal #2: Find other filmmakers in the state to network with, Goal #3: Volunteer at the local theater to learn about directing and acting, Goal #4: Learn about documentary filmmaking through watching other people’s work. Choose at least four Annual Performance Goals for each of your Life Performance Goals - write them down, of course.
STEP FIVE: DEFINE SHORT-TERM (DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, QUARTERLY) PERFORMANCE GOALS
Short-Term Performance Goals are goals designed to help you meet your Annual Performance Goals; they should be as concrete as possible. For example, if one of your Annual Performance Goals is to “Complete a film essay of my black & white work that deals with the concept of ‘sensuality,’” your Short-Term Performance Goals could be: Goal #1: (Quarterly—no later than March 31) Categorize and define the areas of “sensuality” that correspond to work that I’ve already done and work that I need to do, Goal #2 (Monthly) Set up shooting schedules for work that needs to be accomplished, Goal #3 (Weekly) Shoot at least 20 photographs a week for the next six weeks, Goal #4 (Daily) Familiarize myself with the new computer/photographic printer that I just bought so that I can start printing my own photographic drafts. Choose as many Short-Term Performance Goals as apply to each of your Annual Performance Goals.
Below is a diagram of the above:
CREATIVE ESSAY + ATTITUDE/OUTLOOK GOALS = LIFE PERFORMANCE GOALS.
1. LIFE PERFORMANCE GOAL #1.
Annual Performance Goal #1.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #2.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #3.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #4.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
2. LIFE PERFORMANCE GOAL #2.
Annual Performance Goal #1.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #2.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #3.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Annual Performance Goal #4.
1. Short-Term Performance Goal #1.
2. Short-Term Performance Goal #2.
3. Short-Term Performance Goal #3.
4. Short-Term Performance Goal #4.
Etc., etc. etc. (You get the picture!)
Take the time to sit down and go through this exercise - you'll be surprised by the results! Honest!
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