“You gotta Satisfy your Soul, people!” – Akil Dupont
l-r: actors Mykel Shannon Jenkins and Tamara Goodwin during production of "SILHOUETTES" directed by Akil DuPont.Some people make movies for the sheer joy of creating something from nothing. I am not one of those people. I don't want to make movies in my basement that I show to myself in my basement while I get ready for my next shift at the nearby poultry plant (as described in the book "WHAT THEY DON'T TEACH YOU AT FILM SCHOOL").
Some filmmakers also believe that one has to start here – as in, you have to make the movies that you want to make and tell the kind of stories that matter to you. Otherwise, you sabotage your ability to obtain success in film -- whatever that looks like to you. This is the kind of standpoint I can get behind. It doesn't just apply to being satisfied with creating a work; it can be useful in most, if not all, areas that make us reach for the final frame.
As the song "RYDER MUSIC" by 50 Cent goes, you’re better off chasing what's going to open up more doors for you, than going after the byproduct of a larger gain.
I don't make movies for the sake of making movies. I did, however, make “ABYSS: THE GREATEST PROPOSAL EVER” because something needed to be done. So in a sense, I had to start from aiming for the satisfaction of doing something, which led me to finishing a project, which then created an opportunity for me to get some of the things that I actually want out of this movie making madness.
It all clicks.
The short film "35 Year Old Man" directed by Amir Motlagh is available to watch online.I asked film director Amir Motlagh what makes him satisfied with his films enough that there isn’t an urge to continue tweaking them. He points out how an endless search for satisfaction in one’s work leaves you with nothing to show. “As Steve Jobs once said, ‘real artists ship.’ In 2014, it's telling that the quote that makes most sense is coming from a tech genius, and not a figure like Goethe,” says Motlagh.
The next time you feel unsatisfied, consider taking a closer look at what you want and figuring out if pulling back a bit -- to start from you’re current position -- will help you get there, or at least, assist you in getting closer to the vicinity of what your aiming for.
When the New Year arrived in 2014, I looked on my wall and was surprised (and happy) to realize that I reached all most of my goals for making this movie, that were written down in 2012 and 2013. How many of us have made New Year's Resolutions that we let fall by the wayside?
How many broken promises of change or growth have YOU made to yourself?
Make sure to read yesterday's post about The Rush that People Get When Making Movies.