Microcinema Flashback - Momentum, Movies and Fearful Moments (2003)

From April 2003... this is about taking advantage of the momentum you gain on a project once its started.

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Momentum, Movies and Fearful Moments
By Pete Bauer

Today, after working 3 a.m. to around noon, I had lunch with my brother Charles near his work. Afterwards he and I shot some exterior Lab shots of his building for the opening of our nearly completed dv feature called THE BOX. It wasn't as if I had accomplished a lot, but it was nice to get something done. Anything done. One of the things I've learned through this project is how momentum impacts your life. After we got done with the principle shooting, I needed a break and took a few days off. Then work became increasingly busy and evaporated any forward movement I had made on the project. And now, it's like starting a lawn mower for the first time after a long Winter. It takes an awful lot of pulls to get the thing cranked up again and it isn't too happy about being bothered. That's the way I felt today. My work schedule has me fighting exhaustion on a daily basis, but I knew if I didn't get the motor on this project cranked up and running again, that it would only be harder to start later.

But once the engine starting purring again, it seemed as if all was right with the world. Plopping that Sony PD-150 on the tripod and shooting some basic shots felt oh so good, comfortable. Made me realize just how much I enjoy this stuff.

So, I've learned that momentum is a critical component of artistic endeavors. I remember reading once that one of the ways to make sure you make a movie is to tell everyone you're going to do it. This forces you into action, which creates momentum and, eventually, you have no choice but to follow through on your word... or fail and lose all credibility with everyone you've told. And with THE BOX, this has certainly been the case. When I decided to shoot a feature, and picked THE BOX as the one to attempt, I was determined to finish it, no matter how it all turned out. I'll admit that, at the beginning, I was very apprehensive as to whether or not I could pull it off... I mean, there are a mountain of things to overcome, challenges to face and adjustments to be made, all of which have to be handled in order to shoot a feature. But, after I made that decision and started telling people about my goals, I found myself surrounded by co-workers, friends, even friends of friends, all of whom, to my surprise, had similar aspirations and who wanted to participate in the project.

One of the potential momentum stoppers in things like making movies is when you are forced to face things for which you are uncomfortable. An old boss of mine once said to me "there are parts of your job you like and parts of your job you don't, but they are all your responsibility, so figure out a way to do all of them well." And that is very true, especially when trying to scrape together the time and resources for a micro-budget feature. Who wants to ask friends and family to help out? Who wants to approach total strangers and convince them that giving you what you want is in their best interest? Not a lot of people. But, if you want to get it done, you find a way to get it done. At some point, when there is enough momentum behind the project, you find that it is more painful NOT asking for something for which you are uncomfortable. That NOT getting what the project needs means you've wasted all of your time up until that one awkward moment.

I read a psychological study on successful people and one of the critical personality traits of "winners" is that their initial reaction is to take on what they're afraid of. Most people are debilitated by fear and never start initiatives, which means they never succeed. However, since a "winners" first instinct is to face their fears head on, they are, statistically, more apt to succeed then the rest. And I was lucky enough to have a real life example... one of my brother-in-laws was once vastly overweight and smoked. When his father died of cancer he decided to change his life. He lost over 150 lbs and quit smoking AT THE SAME TIME. I asked him one day how he had the strength to do that, to take on two seemingly insurmountable tasks at the same time. His response was quick. He said "It simply became more important than anything else."

And, in the end, it's that simple. So, whatever obstacles he feared when facing those two challenges weakened dramatically with the death of his father. Suddenly, the pain of NOT changing far out-weighed the challenge of facing his fears, of changing his life, of facing failure.

And though my brother-in-law's struggle is on a much more noble scale, the same basic principle holds true when making a movie. You will be faced with situations you don't want to face, with fears you don't want to challenge. But, if you have enough momentum, enough riding on NOT doing what is uncomfortable, than "it simply becomes more important than anything else." And you do it.

And the funny thing is, when you look back, you realize that the fear was much greater than the reality.