Impulse (Cinematic) & Thoughts (Jaw and Fox)

I got a request for more of this shoot from a week or two ago. So I made some new edits.

This project got me thinking a lot about cropping and dimensions, trends, and changes to the filmmaking industry. Social media and our phones always favor photos and videos in a vertical orientation. Instagram's algorithm pushes content that is 4x5 ratio for photos and a 1080x1920 for video (9:16) 

Tiktok is pushing creative to make short films in a vertical format, ditching the traditional cinematicly accepted 16:9 ratio. 

This is an example of how creatives have to adapt and change with what is becoming more and more accepted. Of course you do not have to change, but I think sometimes change is good.

I sat down with Steph last night and talked a project. I have friends and colleagues who have tried to push out short films and make a profit. But we see the movie industry these days, even big name studios are having trouble, theater attendance has dropped, people now stream new release from the comfort of home. People want to be entertained but fast. Traditional filmmaking techniques are being replaced with AI, CGI, green screen and animation, meanwhile the story is carefully tailored in a way that wont offend anyone, crushing any actual plot. 

I think the only good traditional movie I have seen in theaters lately that reminded of what a good movie should be is Tom Cruise's "Top Gun 2" Maybe not so much for the story but just how the story is presented, and the live action that blows you away. A recent bad example, would be Black Adam, in my humble opinion, Great actors and a would be great story that is just riddled with over the top CGI that takes away from what could be a really cool adventure. 

One studio doing it right in a non traditional sense, as silly as it may sound is Disney paired with Jon Favreau the Director of Iron Man 1, that guy can direct a story... they have gone have gone above and beyond in the series "Mandolorian" combining an immersive LED projector wall with traditional filmmaking techniques, which delivers an incredible cinematic experience.

If you get a chance check out the Master Class by Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron. He breaks down his creative technique in a way that can inform or inspire you.

My all time favorite Filmmaker... Quentin Tarantino, just for the fact that when I see a scene or a clip of one of his movies on TV or on Youtube, I instantly know it's his movie because he somehow finds a way to put his style of storytelling in every frame of his films. I don't remember people's quotes very often, but it was him that said something that stuck with me... "If you are meant to do something, you can't help but to do it"

A lot of the times when I create, I don't have a solid plan, I just know what I feel and what I want to see. On the creative side of things that a great trait to have I think. Not so much on  the professional side of things when I am filming for a client who has a specific task, deadline, and deliverable.

I am in this weird transition now as a small production business company, and a creative. I am learning more about me, my style, and how I want to create. I've had to kindly part ways with some clients of mine because I don't want to go down that path of relying on making a commercials my whole life, or doing corporate headshots, or clients youtube into videos. I want to make something that inspires,  if anyone, at least me. 

If I had it my way...

This year, I want to film a short film, 3-5 minutes. A simple narrative, with focus on set and wardrobe design. I have the script completed already. Steph and I will be the actors, with a few others I hire. 

I want to try and bring some of Steph's true self into a variety of characters, and live vicariously through each. 

Im not there yet, but as we sat and talked this plan last night, we made a point to at least make moves in that direction starting next month with a goal to have that short film produced this year. We also are going to continue with the goal of photo shooting once a week, podcasting once a month, and to continue exploring more of ourselves, our relationship, and presenting our life as if it was some script in a real life movie here on Patreon.

In summary, 10 years ago, I was deployed overseas with the Army. I never would have thought just a few years later I would be calling myself an artist or a small business owner. I had plans for a career in the military or in government service. But, I was unaware that even then, I was taking photos on my phone trying to compose a nice image, I was writing down thoughts that I thought would be a cool movie scene, I was asking questions of how particular photos or movies were made. I was imagining a life where I could create my own reality. "If you are meant to do something, you can't help but to do it." A couple years later, trying to make different jobs work. I turned down a decent paying photography job because I was scheduled to work. Steph was the one who said, "Why don't you focus on what you love? You are on a hypothetical island, burn the boats that take you back to the mainland and create your empire"  That was in 2017, I quit my job and since then have been working for myself. 

Everyone has a different path and purpose, but everyone also needs to ensure they are finding that true path and purpose. Don't ignore the little things you find yourself doing.