Oh man, this isn't going to work at all!

Would've, should've, could've

I’m currently living in the valley… the creative valley. Maybe you’ve been there too. It’s that place creatives (writers, filmmakers, artists, musicians, etc.) sometimes find themselves in after a period of intense and fulfilling creative high’s. For me, it’s my new short film That’s My House, which I’m currently editing.

We had a fantastic shoot. The shooting days were long (and sometimes very hot), and we had one unexpected make-up day because I jinxed the whole shoot (Read below).

Despite that, I felt incredibly happy with what I was seeing on set. The performances were fantastic, the crew was stellar, and everyone always went above and beyond to elevate the production value of the film. And that’s how it usually goes when I embark on one of these creative side projects.

It’s when I get into the edit and start watching all the footage that I begin to second guess myself.

• Will this film be as good as I thought?

• I should’ve shot this differently.

• Well this will never cut together right.

Maybe you’ve been there too.

I know Francis Ford Coppola has.

I’m not sure why I (nor any other creative) experience these feelings.

• Imposter syndrome

• Fear of failure

• Fear of embarrassment

• Weight of responsibility (“I’m going to let all these people down.”)

For me, these feelings usually come from my own anxieties projecting unrealized scenarios; moments that have not yet come to pass (and probably never will). My mind starts to make assumptions about how a final film will ultimately perform before I barely have two scenes strung together.

If you’ve found yourself in the creative valley I’d love to hear about it. Comment on this post and tell me about your experiences and how you pulled yourself back up. Sharing those experiences can be an encouragement to others; letting them know that they aren’t alone.

So, if you’re in the valley, what can you do? What lessons can you apply?

I usually dig myself out by keeping my head down and continuing the work of editing. I work on one moment at a time, then one scene, and then I finally start putting the whole thing on a timeline.

But even then you can’t accurately judge if the whole thing is working. Just because it’s on the timeline a certain way doesn’t mean is now locked. You can move things around. Try different takes, new angles, new pacing. Find what works right. And even then, there’s so much work left to be done.

• ADR

• Foley

• Sound bed

• Music cues

• Color correction and grading

So don’t let you mind make assumptions for you. Focus on one small detail at a time. Control what you can control. It will work, despite what you think when you first see the footage.

Enjoy some additional behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot.