The Next Big Thing
When I returned from India in 2008 I was a rocket boosted panther on roller skates. I was feeling great about my skills and I had proven to myself yet again that I could both do and enjoy the work for which I had been birthed: sleeping in old buildings with broken windows, no heat, and little water, repairing gear on the fly, solving computer problems, shooting while running across muddy fields, and interacting passionately with people who didn’t even speak my language.
When I returned I immediately had a shot at another job custom made for my skills: traveling cross country in a small RV to capture and retell people’s stories about healthcare. I was ready to rock and roll… but I didn’t get the job. The documentary I was shopping at the time got a few nibbles, but nothing came through. Suddenly I went from the top of the world to twitching and muttering and swinging my arms wildly in the dark, looking desperately for something big and worthwhile to chase. My claws and teeth were long and sharp and, like a cat, they needed to be cut down regularly with work or they’d grow out of control.
But it’s dangerous to simply chase whatever comes by. Wandering through a film festival and talking about my latest projects I learned an important trick. I went on about an introverted guy living at the center of a huge crowd in a plexiglas box. I talked passionately about an inspirational traveling musician who was shot defending an elderly man. But the moment I said the words, “and I just got back from India shooting a…” the yawning listener would leap at me like I was their long lost mother. “What? India?! What did you see? What did you do? Can I see it?” They were ready to buy and watch the film without knowing what it was about. There are a lot of great films to be made, but some topics lead to uphill battles either to make them visually interesting or to sell them. Others sell themselves. As most take at least two years to make, I realized that I needed to take it easy and put some real thought into my next project.
I decided to take a year, 2009, to figure out my next direction. I wouldn’t allow myself to leap into anything without some real thought, and I wouldn’t begin implementing anything huge until Jan 1, 2010. Almost immediately I realized that this went beyond film projects, and I worked actively to make sure everything was on the table. If my next big move was to become an amazing boatswain or french maid, c’est magnifique. This opened me up in a variety of ways, including the realization that it might be possible to find what I was looking for in a position working for someone else. I hadn’t even realized that I’d never considered that before. I also started playing and writing music again, something I’d tried hard to restrict as it wasn’t making me a better filmmaker. The whole concept even lead to a re-evaluation of my dating life, and I decided to take the same approach there, stay single, and refuse to let myself dive wildly into any committed, long term relationships.
Now it’s November. I’ve researched a number of documentary projects, but my standards are high enough that nothing has clicked. I’ve explored the idea of using my scribbling skills to pursue some of the topics that I found unsuitable for film as books. Sure, no one reads, but books are a lot cheaper to make than films. In the end, I have a couple of projects in the works, but nothing huge has leapt out at me yet. Here is what I have learned.
Through interviewing people over the years, both for films and in general, everyone is full of great stories and great ideas. You just have to find the right way to trigger them. I’ve told a lot of people that I’m looking for the next big mountain to climb, the next big challenge that brings all of my skills to bear, but received nothing but nods. There’s no trigger there. On the other hand, lately I have pointed out to a few people that if I don’t find anything by my deadline, I may just start traveling and put myself out into the world. I mentioned Vietnam as a possible starting point. Behold: a trigger.
Instantly I met a girl who just returned from three years in Vietnam and was excited to offer me contacts and stories. A few days later, walking down the streets of Austin, I met another woman who was about to move to Hanoi in January and who offered me a swank place to stay, for as long as I wanted, near the embassy. Then an old friend appeared and asked me if I wanted to be his business partner in setting up a hostel in another smaller city.
If conquering Vietnam was the mountain, the end goal, I’d be set. As soon as you can proclaim your mission people will rally to your aid. But without a mission flag, the ships full of opportunity will drift by, they themselves unaware of what they contain.
Got an idea for the mountain? Big problem you think needs addressing by someone with film, writing, computer, mechanical, building and music skills? Drop me a line. I’m wide open.
As always, click on images to see photographer’s site
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