This past month, I started a new project to work on my video production skills. Its called “Film of the Week (FOTW)”, and the premise is to create one short creative film a week, where I am the client. There are some guidelines I’ve established for myself on this project, and they are:
- each piece must be shot in 2 hours
- each piece must be edited in 2 hours
- each piece must use only one specific lens
- each piece must use only one specific piece of video stabilization gear (tripod, monopod, steadycam, ect)
- I must embrace criticism of the piece and encourage it, this is a learning process.
I read a great deal of filmmaker blogs, such as Philipbloom.net, cheesycam.com, blog.vincentlaforet.com, and many others, but the way I have learned everything I know about anything is by actually doing it. The bulk of my paid client work is a result of them seeing a creative personal piece that I did. Plus, its just fun to do video production when you are your own client. It revitalizes your creative energy, it enables you to take chances, and it allows you to test out ideas that normally you couldn’t when the client is looking over your shoulder.
So it is my hope to continue these FOTW projects straight through the summer, and try new and different creative ideas for films. I’ve always wanted to shoot a character piece with actual actors and dialog, but finding actors in New Hampshire is well, a bit of a challenge I have found.
For next weeks FOTW I am hoping to contact a local coffee shop to do a macro short film on the making of a perfect cup of cappuccino, it should make for a beautiful film I think. So I hope you enjoy these little Film of the Week video production projects, and if you have a suggestion for a Film of the Week, please be sure to share it!
