The Suffering Artists

Filmmaking has little to do with lattes and lots to do with discipline.

The Narrative filmmaker has a complicated path to create their art. Each film is like inventing a new widget. From an economic standpoint, you are not simply mass producing a widget. Yes a movie ends up being a physical product, but there's a big difference in making a spatula and motion picture.

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Not many fall in love with Jesus from a practical cooking utensil.  

Creating a film that has meaning, uplifts the soul and leaves the viewer in a better place than they started, is serving a higher purpose than a spatula. The steaks . . . stakes are higher. So we should expect more difficulty in creating and marketing a film for Christ.

‍The Box Office Blues

The American model of movie production is all about financial performance. The European approach seems to be more supportive of artistic films. What's the balance?

There are benefits to both models. When it comes to the TRIFECTA (see EP002) Artists should welcome checks and balances to their creation process. In my opinion a combo of the American & Euro model geared toward helping the Catholic Renaissance Filmmaker should be developed. Of course I've got lots of ruminations on this but we'll put a pin in that conversation for now, but it must be discussed later.  But as you ponder it, you got to get out side the box to come up with a solid plan. It has to be done different. Don't go back and put on Saul's armor to fight Goliath. Okay I'll be quiet. For now.

The Blank Stare

We can find sufferings at every turn of production. But let's focus on a very common one: The Blank Stare.

Do you identify as being creative when you don't need to be, and then when you need to be creative you go blank?  

As you probably know, the right side of your brain is the creative side and the left side is the logic side.

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The Left & Right Brain need to work together.

A good example of this is a drummer. They're able to get each of their arms to do completely different things. You need to practice a similar thing with your story development.  This of course requires practice, which is uncomfortable, which is a suffering.

And let me say filmmaking is not a lazy mans profession. It has little to do with lattes and lots to do with discipline. That's why your Catholic faith will make you a better artists. It too requires discipline. I digress, but you need to constantly recommit yourself to growing in your craft. And to be creative when you are not feeling creative requires help from the left side of your brain.

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Practical Exercises to be a creative mad man

This is a priming the creative pump exercise.

If you were writing a scene about your left and right brain talking it would go like this.

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LEFT

Sit down and write.

Right

I have nothing to say.

LEFT

Write anyway

RIGHT

I'm blank.

LEFT

What are you thankful for?

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Right turns and looks at Left with a big grin. . . (cut to commercial)

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The exercise is to write 25 things you are thankful for.

And give the thanks where it is due. God.

If it's hard to think of something, start with the basics:

I'm thankful for this time to write. I'm thank for this piece of paper to write on. I'm thankful I have a pen to write with. I'm thank for having air to breathe. I'm thankful God loves me. I'm thankful for his mercy. Let yourself go deep and honest.

You may not be thankful right now because life has given you a bad hand. Yes, that happens. But not being grateful is part of your problem. (I know from experience) And when you write your thank you's when life is tough, you will unleash extra grace from God into your life.

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How can you expect to harness your creativity if you can't thank the creator for the creativity he created you with? Think of a creative moment from the past. Thank him for that moment. Do you want to be more creative than you are? Thank him for that desire. Could you have that desire if you were dead? No. Thank him for being alive.

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Continue this process for a minimum of 25 thank yous to Jesus. You should find yourself in a more grateful state of mind. If you're not do another 25.

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Being thankful brings you to joy. And Joy is stronger than being happy. It gives girth to your happiness. It sticks to your ribs more than bacon and biscuits N gravy. When you are thankful and joyful you also have confidence. Not confidence rooted in yourself but rooted in the creator of the universe because you recognize that He has freely given you at least 25-50 gifts. This confidence comes from knowing that God has your back and will continue to provide you with what you need.  . . . Like a story:)

If you are ready to write after that exercise of thanksgiving, ask the Holy Spirit to inspire you and write like the wind bullseye!

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If you still don't have an inspiration, a great place to get inspiration from is the bible. Every life lesson is in the Bible and that's a good starting foundation for any story. So open at random. Let's say you end up on Elijah calling down God to burn up his offering after he douses it with water. I was one against hundreds. And Elijah was mocking the hundreds of pagan priests calling on their god. Talk about a crazy moment! Now pick up a theme from that. There's lots of them. Stepping out in faith. Or doing something ridiculous so God does the miraculous. Calling out a lie so others are not misled. You get the point. Then,

RAISE THE BAR

To raise the bar on your story make your goal crystal clear. You goal should be the same every time and it is this.  

LET'S MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD

Write it on the top of your story notes refer to it often. Make everything about your story beautiful. Make how you treat those who work with you beautiful. Maybe you have limited influence on the project. Well then you job is to make your department beautiful and how you treat everyone with great dignity. You're reaching beyond the stars with that goal, and what follows is bound to be better than any goal more attainable in this solar system.

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There are so many elements we could talk about but one of the keys to beating the Goliath of Hollywood is to

Pick Up Your Art Daily And Follow Christ

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If you are really focused on writing you will find amazing resources from Dr. Stanley Williams. Find him at https://stanwilliams.com/MORALPREMISE/index.php

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To go deeper we need to connect and come together for the glory of God.

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Unite with other Catholic Filmmakers like you.