Four Lessons in Filmmaking

I’m currently wrapping up editing on a new short film. Here are four lessons I’ve learned over the years from making movies. Crew Work with the best people you can afford. And if you can’t afford a great Director of Photography, call in favors and plan to trade services in return. You’ll have to work around others' schedules but nothing can ever replace working with talented people. Advice Feedback is critical. And there’s never a shortage of opinions. As the saying goes, everyone’s got one. It may be tempting to seek out as many opinions as you can. But doing so often leaves me at least feeling like I’m drowning in conflicting ideas. I’ve had more success seeking out the advice of two or three trusted friends who understand what I’m trying to do. In the end though, I think we have to learn to trust our own vision, even if others…

Continue ReadingFour Lessons in Filmmaking

I Hate ‘Multimedia’

Nothing in this profession irks me so much as the word “multimedia.” Not only is it linguistically confusing–“media” is itself already plural–in terms of describing our work, the label does us all a disservice. Multimedia is the combining of several forms of media. OK, so the combining of photography and video is multimedia. But what about the combination of text and photography in a book? Or a website for that matter? The point is, “multimedia” can mean anything. It just depends on whom you ask. With all due respect, I believe “multimedia” is the word we’ve come to use when describing photographers who make documentaries. It’s a word that belongs to journalists, not the audience we want to reach. This is not a new conversation at MediaStorm. It’s an issue we’ve wrestled with in innumerable conversations and one Brian Storm and I have had almost from day one of my tenure. But…

Continue ReadingI Hate ‘Multimedia’