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Creativity: What It Takes to Be Like Mozart

April 27, 2016 / Claire

If you’re looking for ways to expand your creativity then you must check out these two books about the creative process. inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity by Stanford professor Tina Seelig and The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp. These books are the backbone of the class I’m teaching this spring about the subject. And they are great! Both offer valuable insights into developing your creativity. I’ll give you a hint: reframing how you see the world inspires you to form new ideas. Oh, and that other thing. Hard work!

Tharp offers ways to build habitual routines into your life; reflective exercises to explore your passions and help you come to grips with pesky, inhibiting fears; and tools to organize your creative juices so they’re available as needed. She also posits that there are no creative geniuses. She uses Mozart as an example. While he was naturally inclined toward music at a young age, his father nurtured his abilities with a comprehensive education that included philosophy as well as music. By the time Mozart was in his twenties, he already had dozens of symphonies under his frock coat. According to Tharp, his musical gifts weren’t divine, which is how creative geniuses are often perceived. They have extreme concentration, focus and determination to get things right, however they define that for themselves.

You can say the same about Prince, a modern-day Mozart. He’s been on my mind because of his recent death. His musical precociousness was evident, and arguably, his obsessive focus, enabled him to create masterful music. Maybe that all consuming passion to relentlessly create is where the divide between the Mozarts and Princes of the world and us mere mortals really lies.

As a professional writer, who has to be creative on demand, I can attest that creativity involves so much more than waiting for the muse to strike. It requires opening up my mental faucet so that all ideas—the good, the bad and the meh—can be explored. I know that putting in the effort to refine, rewrite and give shape to a project will result in something I can be proud of. I believe this effort, discipline, work, or whatever you wish to call it, allows one’s creativity to bloom into its fullest expression.

Check out Tina Seelig’s fascinating model for building your creativity and see if it resonates with you.

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Foreign Film Catch Up: THE WAVE & THE MERMAID

March 31, 2016 / Claire / 0 Comments

Recently, I went to the movies twice in one week. As in bought a ticket and went into a theater for the cinematic experience. I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but as of late I’ve been hunkered down on my couch in a Netflix binge-coma, so it was a change of pace. These two foreign films couldn’t have been more different, yet they were satisfying in their own ways. If you get the chance, leap off the couch and go see them. Regardless of how outstanding your home entertainment system is, watching movies in the theater is far more captivating. (As long as you can find a theater without aggravating cell phone users.)

The Wave

A Norwegian disaster movie in the best possible sense. A tsunami strikes the gorgeous Geiranger strait. That’s right. A tsunami. In Norway. I had no idea this was possible! It’s gripping and intense as you identify with the plight of the main characters who are about to be swallowed up by an apocalyptic wave. Several times I clutched the arm of my moviegoing seatmate. Fortunately, we’re good friends and he’s been on the receiving end of my filmic freakouts before.

The Mermaid

Written and directed by Stephen Chow, the Mermaid is a goofy, funny and imaginative fantasy-romantic comedy. It’s grossed over $500 million and counting in China, making it the highest-grossing movie in the country of all time. If you loved the exuberant Kung Fu Hustle, you’ll get a kick out of the Mermaid’s comedic shtick tinged with dark sensibility.

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Want To Make A Movie? Shoot With Your Phone

March 8, 2016 / Claire / 0 Comments

Inspired by the feature film, Tangerine, which was shot on an iPhone 5S, students of FIDM’s Essentials of Film Production class opted to do the same for their project. They shot their short film, recording with one to three cameras (iPhone 6S) at a time.

Using multiple cameras is a common occurrence for complicated sequences like an explosion or car chase. These can be expensive to orchestrate and many times, a director and his or her crew may only have one crack at getting the necessary footage. Setting cameras up in different positions—for a wide angles, medium shots, close-ups—will help ensure the editor has lots of shots to choose from.

Mad Max: Fury Road Cinematographer John Seale said his “crew was outfitted with six ARRI Alexas and a number of Canon 5Ds, with the latter used in part as crash cams in action sequences. The Alexas were supported by 11 Codex Onboard recorders. The relatively large number of cameras and recorders helped the camera crew to remain nimble.”

While the students’ production was nowhere near as extensive as shooting an action movie in the Namibian desert, their shot list was ambitious and lengthy. As their professor, I required that shooting be completed in six to seven hours, so they could get a sense of the pressure cooker nature of film production. With nimbleness in mind, i.e., flexibility and speed, shooting with the iPhone 6S was a good solution. They got lots of great footage and a variety of angles to choose from.

Now whip out your camera phone, and go make a movie!