You hate the planet!! You're awful! HOW COULD YOU?!

It's quite simple really [tearing sound], see? lol.

There is a classic saying that says if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! While I do not agree with this 100%, I have seen the MASSIVE difference that comes from planning - not just in quality at the end, but also the time savings!

I've been playing around with probability in number sequences for the passed few weeks and I have to say, it is so so so important to plan, because if you don't, you will cost yourself in time and money and probably moreso than you realize. It has simply confirmed what the LORD said: 

If that doesn't give a punch to the gut for all the projects started and not finished, I don't know what will, LOL. And it's not a mean statement either. Of course, you will always find people who will say it's not their fault and and and, but seriously though, if we failed, we failed and that failure, if public, is a testament to that failure, so why not make sure you CAN and PROBABLY WILL finish something, before we start it. Planning is only the start of something - nothing has been built, so you can still say: "Great idea! Not feasible yet" and it not count as failure! ISN'T THAT AWESOME!!!! Due diligence is always a victory!

So if you wanna make a film, you obviously have a bunch of roles to fill and let's be honest, if someone like me, or you starts on a movie project, odds for finishing it are slim to none. It just is - too many variables that can make the project go belly up, least of which is success at the end. Passion projects do come with MASSIVE risk... Let's minimize it, shall we?

Consider a few things before you start:

 - Stability (financial and circumstantial - no one accounted for Covid, lol, but always good to keep disasters in mind)

 - Length of the project

 - Assistance you can depend on

 - Size of the project (can one person feasibly finish it)

 - Will people want to see it?

 - Can I deliver the standard needed for it to be great?

Different standards will apply in different situations, but if you can follow these (and other that you will think of) soberly and do research what is available to you, you will quickly find whether this is something you should or should not be putting your extra time into.

Let's say you got all that down. START ON PAPER!

When I took Art in school as well as university, the one thing they drilled into us more than anything else was the idea of workbook. While I hate the idea of a physical workbook, I do agree with the concept. It's a book, because it keeps all your stuff together (so I use a file, because I can add or take away), and it contains the work you did in order to form the ideas you have about the concepts and themes you have in your story, as well as your storyboards, script, screenplay, etc. It all goes in there.

"Thought you didn't like the idea of a physical workbook?"

I hate buying a book with blank pages as a workbook, I use a file or files (binders and flip files).

"Back then I felt like I already know what I wanted to do, just leave me be so I can do it!"

Yeah, that's pride talking and yes, it preceded a fall, LOL.

Since said fall, aka massive failure to deliver a high quality finish, I learned that you cannot skip this step and do great work. So, I have come full circle to where I default to paper for everything. I redesigned my websites - paper. I made two short films - paper. I wrote short stories - paper. I entered illustration competitions - paper! It delivered a faster and higher quality result every single time - and I finished, every single time. Exodus is the exception, cause still in production, but I have finished Chapter 7 so far and the quality is beyond anything else I've made up to that point, so yeah! lol.

The lesson is, don't skip the planning and checking phase. You will take useless avenues, waste time, money and effort and it WILL NOT be as good as it could've been - that is a promise, lol.

GOD bless you! (^^,)