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HOW
TO BE EFFICIENT OUTSIDE OF FILM:
BOOKS THAT SHIFT PERSONAL PARADIGM
by Anup Sugunan
I
thought I'd give this blog thing a try. Well, it's not going
to be much
different than my post-filmic debriefing which I do from time
to time. I'll just call it a blog to jump on the bandwagon.
I'm
down in San Diego now clearing out the last of my stuff before
making the permanent move back up to LA – I was there
for a long while. So anyway, I just wanted to share some insight
I gain from a couple of books I recently read. I'd say that
majority of our obstacles in filmmaking do not come from filmmaking,
but rather outside forces such as paying rent, having a day-job,
moving which takes time away from writing and shoots –
I've been having to postpone a shoot because of this move
and have lost some key personnel.
So
the first book that I read that deals with issue is call CLUTTER'S
LAST
STAND: IT'S TIME TO DE-JUNK YOUR LIFE! by Don Aslett.
When I first saw the cartoon cover, I thought yeah, yeah, another
decluttering book. However, I started reading it and it was
so gripping and eye opening about how clutter just gets in the
way of creativity because you spend you time dusting or whatever
to take care of junk you have instead of writing or editing
a film - the two most time consuming aspects of
filmmaking and where most people (read: me) lag. So based on
that my goal was to move up to LA with owning only what I can
fit in my car. Also, I was determined that if some item (read:
clutter) is not helping me with my dreams, then it's outta here
(save for stuff like photo albums and important documents).
I did this via eBay and craigslist. I can't begin to tell you
how much eBay has helped me. don't buy a book regarding eBay
to learn how to do it. just sell something on there and you'll
learn by
doing not reading. And you'll get rid of clutter and move onto
creating.
The
second book is RICH DAD POOR DAD.
Yeah, this one is really popular and everyone talks about to
it so it's easy to shy away from it like shying away from Britney
Spears or Ricky Martin even though you like the music, but just
don't want to be associated with all the people who listen to
it. The one of the main concepts of this book that is to ‘pay
yourself first’. I was doing this more with time than
with money. I would turn off my phones and write while my mind
is at its peak – right when I wake up.
This
book also talks about setting up passive income. I've been on
this quest for a long time. Basically, passive income is money
that's coming in when you're NOT working for it. It seems like
it's only there for people with money, but if you look around
carefully you'll find it too. For example: background work.
I swore after working on the Oliver Stone movie that I would
never do background again. I hated being there and it was the
total opposite of what I wanted to feel like on a film set.
However,
the other day, I worked background on some b-grade TV show down
in SD. But my goal going into it was to read a book in one day.
So I went in and didn't say hi to anyone or chit chat - most
people thought I was a jerk initially because I kept to myself.
I just sat in the back and didn't raise my hand to go be in
the scene. Then about 10 hours into the shoot, I was about 80%
done with the book. Then I talked to a few people as a break
nearing wrap-time. I finished a book. How is this passive income
you ask? Well, I would've spent the same amount of time sitting
around my home reading the same book which took the same amount
of time. However, I got paid to read on the set.
The
book was DARE TO SUCCEED by Mark
Burnett (exec. Prod `Survivor', `Rock Star: Supernova). The
one of the lessons I got out of this book is that intentions
don't count, only results matter. So, it doesn't matter how
long you've been writing or editing your movie, if you don't
have a movie, you don't have a movie. Period.
Check
out these books next time you're at a bookstore with an open
mind. Or do what I do now to save money on books (no I don't
go to the library because I always get hit with a late charge).
Buy it on eBay, amazon, or half.com for about $6 with shipping.
Read it, take notes, and sell it back for about the same price
or a little more for a profit and you're allocating that money
towards headshots or film.
Which
books have you read that shifted your personal paradigm?
Happy
Filmmaking,
Anup
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