Since you’ve last heard from me, a lot has happened; a three week journey into Patagonia for one. Since returning from that, I have been deep in the script writing phase of the projects on my list. So you can imagine that writing a blog has been a lower priority on my list. After 5-8 hours of writing and reading; writing is the last thing I want to do. Sorry Folks.
After finishing the editing of La Última Noche’s teaser; we put together a screening celebration for the cast and crew and everyone else who was involved in the filming process. It was a success! Everyone was very pleased with their work. So on that front, I couldn’t be happier. Now we just have to wait and pray for funding. But isn’t that always the way it is?
There are a million other filmmakers out there that feel the same way too, “OK, I finished my teaser. I am more than pleased. I am excited! Now will someone else get excited too?!”
Our next step in the process though is to finish up the script for “La Última Noche”, (the feature film portion), and present that along with the teaser and budget request to the National Arts Council of Argentina, (INCAA).
In the meantime, I am working towards completing my other pet project. This project being a new script. The working title is currently “Children of Wrath”. I have been writing this script for a year, under the title, “No Working Title.” I glad to finally rest upon something fitting.
This project has actually been a blessing to me. The idea for the script came one night in June a year ago. One of those ideas that is so clear that you can almost see and feel it. It was one of those moments that could be called “divine inspiration”.
The next step is to make sure that inspiration, idea or feeling is fully realized. That is where I think a lot of people get stuck. I am one of them. I have a folder full of half-hatched ideas or “inspirations”. I believe a lot of people have a folder like this. After time that folder becomes a curse. It is something that is constantly taunting you; telling you that you are not good enough, that you will never complete anything and that you should probably just give and walk away. This isn’t something that pertains just to scripts; life in general does this to us too.
So here it is over a year later… There have been times when I thought “Children of Wrath” was a complete waste of time. That was usually when I was not feeling inspired or had not been putting in any work to get inspired. Because, inspiration comes to us divinely at times but, more often than not, we have to work that muscle to continue to feel inspired.
There are a tons of books out there on how to be a writer, how to be a successful writer, how to write scripts, how to get inspired, how to be more successful… Let’s just say there are a lot of good ideas but there is not one way for everyone.
It is funny because, if you have been following this “production/travel blog” you have been reading about the production process; but it has definitely not been in a normal order or fashion. It has been adapted to fit our needs and schedule.
I will be the first to say, it’s not always a good idea to shoot a teaser without having the full script finished first. But: If you are inspired to do that first and if it will fuel your fire to finish your script then do it! In the case of “Children of Wrath” I don’t feel like shooting a teaser first is necessary. I am approaching this project completely different than with “La Última Noche”. With Noche we already have a book, the teaser was basically chapter 1; and in that case it was easier to start shooting first and looking for answers later. It also gave us something for the troops to rally around! That doesn’t hurt either.
One thing I know: The best way to fail is to not do anything or to be complacent. I think those go hand in hand. We have to find things that will motivate us. Waiting to life or waiting for motivation to fall out of the sky will only lead to more frustration. Don’t wait to start living. Maybe it is as simple as getting out of the house and taking a walk alone, without an objective, without a phone in hand, without thinking about where you are going. Maybe it is making a phone call that you have been waiting to make till “the time was right”, or possibly, (if your circumstances allow it), quitting that job you hate but are afraid to leave because of “financial security”, (I wouldn’t tell anyone to do that until they were fully prepared for the next step. But hey worse things have happened).
How do you get inspired? I would love to hear what you think. Message me here or on Facebook and let’s talk about it.
Next I will be updating a little of the travel side of things. I am sure a lot of you have seen the pics from Patagonia. I even got hate mail from some people because I looked like I was enjoying life too much. Well, I can’t apologize for that. Love you guys!