Downtime...what to do when nothing is happening

Downtime(aka unemployment) is a really good time too________. It's a really good time to WRITE!

Many times when I am on a set or out with other film makers there is a lot of (Set Downtime) in which your basically killing time until your needed to do some specific task(this is usually in between takes). The thing that happens the most is people begin to talk about projects that they would like to do or idea's that they have been thinking of. This is always entertaining and exciting unfortunately even the best idea's usually need a script. So if no one has written anything down(which is usually the case) then your stuck with a good idea and no way to do anything with it. I try to take notes, little one lines that help me remember idea's that people had. I add to the note the persons name, location,ect so I have reference for the conversation.

Now after the job is done, or in my case when it's winter and most of the work has gone to warmer climates . It's when I go back through my notes and get a chance to take a better look at some of the idea's that came up on the show.

As a producer it's important to have a constant bank of concepts and where you got them. Having the reference of where you got an idea/person who helped inspire it can lead to a creative relationship down the road that is beneficial to both parties.

Now to the actually writing, first issue "But J I am a producer not a writer!" Great, you and I both know that if your reading this you have concepts in your head that you want to see come to life. Make script notes, if you think of a really good piece of dialogue put that in there. Then, your task is to make your notes presentable. In other words you idea's for a project should be organized enough so that another human can read them and turn them into 90 pages of gold.

Obviously you need to find somebody who can write.

If you want to learn to write I recommend read "Save the Cat" by the late great Blake Snyder.

Of course the best advice one writer can give another is "just keep writing".

The other thing that is good to do with downtime besides writing is the different parts of "Pre-visualization"

Check out "Film Directing:Shot by Shot" by Steven D. Katz

This is the thing, many and I mean by many almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of any indie project I have ever been apart of that dies does so because of Development/Pre-production.

The bottom line is, if you don't have a script you can't even start. You don't have a good idea that has substance too it you don't have anything to build into a script.

Also DT(downtime) is a great time to expand your film knowledge by reading and taking classes. Of course your watching film, this is also a good time to catch up if your behind on your "gotta see it" list.

So to recap:

• Organize and review notes


• WRITE!!


• Pre-visualization/Pre-production practice(haha PPP)


• Expanding your film IQ (reading, movie list, classes, ect)