Filmmakers Should Blog

In film school we were told to keep journals as a way to motivate our creativity.  At the time it felt like a chore, because frankly, nothing ever feels that creative when you're being forced to do it.  Pretty much as soon as I wasn't required to write out my random thoughts anymore I actually felt compelled to.  Go figure.

I now see what everyone was on about though.  Filmmakers should blog.  Creative people should blog.  If for no other reason than to indulge your own sense of achievement, blogging has provided me a way to work out my thoughts and frustrations.  Sometimes it's simply a distraction, but often it gives me a forum to really think about the things I want to say and in turn, what I want those things to mean.

This is kind of huge if you allow yourself to get past your own self-consciousness and want to learn more about yourself.  As a video editor I've always been keen to challenge my perception of the technical side of editing with the emotional side.  If I were to try and learn this through my contract editing I might only scratch the surface or maybe never have the opportunity to work out that obscure idea in the back of my mind.  Instead, random creations are fueled by my need to blog about something and it's those random creations that then give me something to analyze.

Blogging can then be more than just an exercise in futility, you can actually improve the way you think about things.  Knowing that I'm posting things publicly actually helps in some sense, because even if no one reads what I post I feel that I'm being held to a standard outside of my own.  When I'm writing an entry it's also one of the few times that I actually slow down to reflect on something that I've learned or something that inspired me.

Filmmaking is a form of communication and there are multiple facets within that framework that build the conversation.  You might not see the value in writing out your ideas at the moment, but if there's anything that Editing Luke has given me it's the ability to articulate an idea and explore my own aspirations.  This skill is invaluable.  Everyone can create, but not everyone can explain their thought process or perspective.  Don't kid yourself, creativity takes work and writing is a tried and true approach to overcoming those mental blocks.

But yes, I still hated being forced to write those film journals.

I Am Your Grandma by Jillian Mayer

In the future our children's children will be able to experience their ancestors history through an overwhelming amount of images, video, and social media history.  This fact isn't lost on Jillian Mayer who proves that it's not all going to be as sentimental as it might sound.  Undoubtedly there will be a few gems . . .   

Listen Up, Jeeves!

In less than a months time my new site, Jeeves and the Jaguar is set to debut! I've already began post dating a bunch of entries to prepare.  In case you missed my initial announcement, this new site will focus on my enthusiasm for my Jaguar XJ8 and Jaguar pop culture in general.  

June 10 also isn't just a random date, it marks the one year anniversary since buying my British saloon - "the finest motor car in the world" as Will Ferrell said in the Do You Like Luxury SNL sketch.  Just like Editing Luke, Jeeves and the Jaguar is set to have an eclectic mix of content bridging the gap between practical advice that I've picked up and entertaining stories surrounding my mixed experiences.  It's looking good so far, so stay tuned for the exciting introduction in a few weeks time!