A Seasonal Approach to Filmmaking

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Today, I want to focus on a seasonal approach to filmmaking — and creating in general. Given the nature of this industry and the process of making a movie, I’ve come to the conclusion that I operate best when thinking of it as a season.

Sometimes, I’m in a writing season, completely heads-down on a project. Other times, I’m in a side hustle season, focusing on what will pay my bills so I can prioritize production when production season rolls around. And sometimes, I’m in a recovery season—a season I should probably allow myself to inhabit more often.

A few months ago, I was a guest on The Werking Writer Podcast, hosted by screenwriter Charla Lauriston (NBC, Netflix, TBS, FOX). The podcast breaks down screenwriting, productivity, and navigating the business side of Hollywood as a creative. And Charla is RAD and inspiring and a fantastic teacher. 

We recorded back in May, but it’s as if I was speaking to myself today. Coming out of the Austin Film Festival, which was awesome (I’ll talk more about it in another newsletter), I can feel burnout creeping in.

See, right now, I’m in a reset season, closing the loop on projects and moving a few to the next stage. I’m working on a treatment of a script, finishing the final sound mixes for my micro-budget feature, and gearing up for an extended trip to a family wedding. I’m also reflecting on this entire process with the goal of creating some kind of workshop or mini-course about the micro-budget process (watch this space).

But as Charla mentioned in the podcast, “You can’t give yourself to the craft if you have nothing left.”

This brings me back to a poem I actually read during the podcast. It reminded me of the importance of allowing some seasons to be less than productive:

Maybe I need to let November be November.

Check out my Werking Writer Podcast interview with Charla here, and let me know what season you’re in.

xx
GG