Producing with Passion. Dorothy Fadiman

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      Although passion kept me going for ten years before that meeting, the actual making of the movie required that I learn a synthesis of passion, intuition, and a keen sense of “inner knowing.” This synthesis has stayed with me ever since.

      Radiance wasn’t the book my husband would have written, or the film that the filmmaker would have made without me. It was mine. And, as we worked together, I realized that I needed help to bring it into being. Like most independent filmmakers who take this journey, the inspiration was mine, but it took a team effort to manifest it.

      Radiance grew from my passion born from my own experience of “light.” While I was making the film, I felt compelled to convey that spirit. Which is, I believe, why Radiance continues to be in demand today, two generations later.

      Last year, I quietly put Radiance up on the Internet Archive (www.archive.com). We have never promoted its presence there, at all. So far, without any advertising, it has had over ten thousand viewings and is approaching three thousand downloads. (I take a glimpse every week or two, and the numbers just keep steadily going up.)

      Through all the teaching I’ve done over the years, I know for a fact that everyone has an innate sense of “knowing when you know.” Filmmaking requires that you learn to trust that sense of knowing, and then recognize what is going to work for you. From that first film onward, the fire of passion has lit the path, with intuition by my side as my guide.

CHOOSING A SUBJECT

      Producer/director Jacques Perrin’s lifelong interest in the natural world is evident in his film, Winged Migration (2001). The movie is a loving portrayal of different species of birds as they complete their yearly migration. The stunning photography and story brings the mystery and beauty of the planet’s birds alive for the viewer. After seeing Winged Migration, people look at birds through new eyes.

      Perrin may have been inspired to make this film about birds when he saw another filmmaker’s documentary about Canadian geese. The film he made became “his” when he committed to his vision to create a work that shows, through his eyes, the freedom and beauty of birds in flight.

CHOOSING A SUBJECT THAT HAS LIFE

      We all have passions. Sometimes they’re hard to identify and even harder to harness, because they may be abstract or unruly or silent or even invisible. Recognizing an idea that will ring true for you means dipping into the passions that run through you like deep rivers. They flow with mysterious, life-giving water. Those driving impulses, the ones that will get you to the finish line, register for different people in different ways. For me, the signal is physical — especially when I am looking toward making a film, I get “trills of truth.” When an idea or an event moves me deeply, I get goose bumps. The hairs on my arms stand up, as if they are listening. When I feel this sensation, I stop whatever I am doing and ask myself, “Okay . . . What just happened?”

      Your own alert to pay attention may or may not be physical. Some people breathe faster, some more deeply. Some feel giddy, some deeply calm; others simply feel energized, as if a force is moving through them. Whatever your signal, when you feel drawn toward a subject, you will have a sense that something is calling you, maybe whispering in your ear, maybe screaming out your name. Some people say literally, “It had my name on it.” The catalyst that triggers the response, beckoning you to create something new, can be ignited by a person, a headline, a poem, a dream, a fragrance — there is no one way.

      What these “callings” have in common is that you feel compelled to make something happen.

IMAGINING POSSIBILITIES

      If nothing comes to mind to ignite a spark for you, use your imagination. Imagine possibilities. As you fall asleep, fantasize movies you could make. When you are standing in line in the supermarket or stalled in traffic, brainstorm scenes. Reading the newspaper or a magazine, watching someone else’s documentary or a TV show or the news or even a soap opera can generate ideas. Does something “click”?

      As you explore possibilities, several subjects may vie for attention. Some people stop there, because they can’t decide! If you want to make a film, but the “right idea” is not obvious, or you are having difficulty choosing one to develop, take time out. You might gather with some friends and brainstorm. You could set aside an hour or two to walk in nature or sit in meditation and see what bubbles up.

      Just “opening the floor” and asking for ideas, will start a process. Fresh ideas will come to mind, until you recognize one that is yours to pursue.

QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU CHOOSE A SUBJECT

      When I give workshops, these are some of the questions I throw out to help people find ideas for their films.

       What are some of the most dramatic moments you have you lived through?

       Who are some of the most memorable people you have known?

       Where do you find the greatest beauty?

       What subjects fascinate you?

       What frightens you?

       What angers you?

       What worries you?

       What do you love to do?

      Films that will be of genuine interest to someone else are almost always based on ideas that come from your own knowledge, experiences, concerns, and yearnings. The word “authenticity” may be overused. However, there are times when authenticity best describes why someone tunes in to a film. When a filmmaker conveys an authentic experience, people pick that up. There’s a tendency to diminish the importance of your own experience, through modesty or shyness or lack of confidence. Making a film calls for you to believe in yourself.

      Don’t get caught looking only for big ideas. Intimate ideas are often the most universal. Some of the most engaging films are simply an up-close look at a single subject.

      For years I had been taking broken household appliances to a tiny store near my home. I loved the way the patient repairmen kept toasters and blenders out of the landfill by bringing them back to life with their tools and attention. That dedication inspired Fix-It Shops: An Endangered Species, a five-minute film documenting this ecological microcosm just around the corner from where I live.

      As you scan the horizon, don’t forget to look close to home.

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