I chose Box this semester after seeing the clip that accompanied the presentation. An entire film inspired by a piece of junk found in the middle of the street. I love to pick up things i find on the ground but I’d never think to make a movie about it. The whole course screamed ‘creativity’ – Something drilled into me that you ‘need in this industry’ and by looking at my folio of work, I was beginning to think it was a trait I didn’t have. It’s not that I don’t have good ideas, it’s just that I struggle to bring an idea to fruition. Obstacles for me vary from a lack of technical knowledge, to an inability to approach others to collaborate, or the fear of ‘inconveniencing’ people (which i’ve found next to journalism or law, filmmaking is the next most inconveniencing profession).
When we started our first week, Paul told us; “Creativity is a bit of a hoax; people who think they’re not creative generally make exceptional content”. Being told this was liberating. I’ve been stuck in a two year creative crisis and filming these simple, mundane tasks puts me in a weird mindset where because they’re boring, I can shoot them and they don’t have to be wonderful, or exciting. Feeding the cat and making the bed is boring, yet it’s rewarding making content regardless.
I suppose what I want out of this studio is a bit of faith in myself that I can make a basic sequence, address a prompt, and be competent at post production. When I eventually approach the ideas I’m excited about, they’ll be done right, through pre-production planning, efficient shooting and concise post-production. And if I find myself in another creative crisis, I’ll be able to be prompted by what I once considered boring.