The Creative Process: Genesis
I recently wrapped production on my last film, The Snitching Heart, but am already jumping into the next project. I was recently asked about my creative process when it comes to these productions. This is my response, musings, and wishes for the subject. This is hopefully the first of several pieces detailing the production process of my new project while remaining generic enough to apply to any piece of work.
I almost never work alone. Even in the earliest stages of production, the very genesis of the original idea, I find that a group is far more capable than an individual. When alone, my ideas stagnate. I’ll come up with a situation and after a few minutes of intense thought, dismiss it. A group, however, offers the opportunity to present an idea and have it be rejected, accepted, or bounced around evolving into a far improved and refined creation. There are the occasional ideas I get, however, that I keep to myself for a while as soak them up, reflecting on what possibilities they offer. These, more developed ideas, are still presented to the group process and benefit greatly from the practice.
When the entire group is stuck for new ideas (a rare occurrence with a decent sized group), we play a “what if” game hypothesizing extraordinary situations from everyday occurrences. While most ideas generated from this method are silly, several have proven to be very promising and are currently in a development stage. Occasionally, when focusing on a character piece, we’ll simply imagine an interesting individual and get to know them by discussing them and the details of their lives. If the discussion doesn’t evolve into a story itself, the character often finds their way into a future project. Finally, if we remain lost for inspiration, the group will imagine existing stories and situations and re-imagine them from a different angle be it a new character’s perspective, a different time period, or similar variables.
Notes are taken during this entire process and by the end of an hour or so, we have several ideas that are ready to be turned into stories. This is the beginning of, what is for me, the most difficult part of the creative process: the fleshing out of an idea into a story. While I love to prepare the background ideas and characters, I struggle in lining everything up and imagining the completed tale. Outlining helps me get through this phase but I still struggle with the act of writing. Finding the will power to sit and cover an empty page with start of my fiction can prove to be a nearly insurmountable task for me. This is where I currently find myself with several pieces of work, including, for several days, this one.
I’m a 19 year-old Telecommunications Arts major at the University of Georgia. I write about film, photography, and technology in addition to sharing ideas, reviews, and materials.
Excellent post. We will discuss this topic in class on Monday. Group brain-storming sessions work well in a commercial environment, and in writing sitcoms. Impassioned work by a creative artist can be another story. Bottom line is that each individual has her or his way of working. Some, like you, find inspiration in group discussions. Others prefer to work alone. And some work best with a single writing partner. But I think everyone shares your dread of the blank page. Other thoughts on this subject?