Lets start out with a little discussion about ideas. Good ideas are hard to come by. Usually the really awesome ones are obvious and have been already taken. Let’s face it, by now almost every idea has been done. Finding an interesting perversion of previous ideas is what we do now.
My way of coming up with ideas is to read a lot. Read the paper, read magazines, books, search the internet regularly for new topics. Don’t close yourself off– that is a good way to stagnate. Find that one thing you are pretty passionate about. If you can’t be 100% passionate about it then don’t bother, a truly good idea will cause passion in you anyway. When you feel this you know deep down that you can ride the idea you have into a film.
Remember, a good idea is the most important thing you can have. Make sure your subject is interesting, timely and has an emotional hook. Also don’t forget to use discretion– protect it, don’t discuss it with other filmmakers or journalists until you are fully secure and partway done with the project.
Now relax, have fun and get started.
-sd