What Editfest taught me about writing for Vocal challenges
Filmsupply's Editfest, while a fun creative exercise outside of writing, ended up teaching me a lot about writing.
I love writing, but as a videographer, my job is creative in a different way. I'm grateful to make a living as a storyteller across mediums, and while I have used one to promote the other, I hadn't consciously considered how those two realms could influence or inform the other in terms of the hardest part of the creative process: Solidifying a story idea, the mental battlefield as a Vocal writer. With Vocal challenges especially, I have been guilty of spending a lot of time in the starting blocks, obsessing over the minute details. And then Editfest came along.
Run annually by Filmsupply, a cinematic stock footage site, Editfest invites video editors to construct a fictional movie trailer, opening title sequence or product advertisement from their footage and other materials provided by sponsors.
Much like the Vocal challenges, I looked at Editfest as a opportunity to express myself with the chance at a reward. Unlike the Vocal challenges, however, there were no prompts, genres or guidelines, only open road. I became utterly overwhelmed.
Being given the opportunity to use any of the thousands of shots made it seem impossible to create something tangible. I wandered aimlessly, scrolling through random scenes and collections. How was I supposed to put together a 60 second story with a multitude of possibilities? Several ideas clambered over each other for my attention, only for me to reach a dead end or abandon them for one reason or another. It was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box, and the pieces could fit together thousands of different ways.
Then, I saw it. Almost inconspicious, sitting amongst sweeping cinematic shots: a computer screen with two letters on it. AI. The questions piled up on themselves before I could begin to answer. Cliche? How many other people would tackle this? Is there a better idea? An easier one? And on and on.
To shut them up, I said, That's it. No second guessing, no pacing back and forth, or pounding my head against the proverbial wall. Just, what's the story? How can I tell it in a different way?
For the majority of my entries to Vocal challenges, I played chess, pitting one idea against another to see who won. It was an exhausting game of attrition. Creating a story for Editfest was just a visual representation of my monkey mind.
Simply by silencing the overwhelm, I trusted my choice and didn’t second guess, which I tend to do with the Vocal challenges. I overthink and most likely strangle my creativity rather than let it breathe. That's not to say I didnt go through the same creative rollercoaster with this project as with writing (this is awesome/I'm awesome/This is awful/I'm awful), but it was easier to weather because I was committed regardless. It was a good lesson in jumping and not looking back. I’ll be taking what I learned through Editfest and applying it here.
Sometimes, as you well know, lightning strikes and you see no other story. This lesson in trust will benefit me for those other times, when I want to enter a Vocal challenge without a story in mind and think, What the heck am I going to do?
Shameless plug: here is the link to my Editfest entry. It's a 70's sci-fi approach. I would love your vote for the People’s Choice Award)!
I'm curious about your process. Do you trust your first idea and follow it into battle, or entertain several ideas and evaluate them? What must an idea do for you to trust it? Is it technical or emotional?
About the Creator
Ryan Smith
I'm a good dad, a decent writer, and a terrible singer.
Keep reading
More stories from Ryan Smith and writers in Writers and other communities.
The South End
I hoped whoever dared him to jump faced the consequences. Maybe there was more than one. A gaggle. A coven. A murder. They all stood on deck in various degrees of drunkenness. One of them even filmed it on their phone and gave it to the news: Kevin Newland, alone in the black ocean, its secrets circling beneath, ever closer, the frigid water sobering him to the reality of his situation; the cruise ship drifting away, its light growing fainter with every frantic minute. His hope would have exhausted along with his body. A lonely, cruel death. The Bedford police released a statement that the Bahamian authorities were putting every resource into finding the Canadian star athlete teen lost at sea. Boats, helicopters, drones. Until they called it off. Until.
By Ryan Smith8 months ago in Fiction
Lifting the Curtain to a Successful Month
April has been a fantastic month for me in terms of writing endeavors. I’d like to share what’s been so great about it just as many other writers would do. Share successes. I’ve noticed other writers or artists have shared successes and when you just see the snippet of their success, it appears everything has been going right for them all along. But we haven’t seen behind the curtain, we haven’t seen their hard work and their failures and those months that were fraught with disappointment. In everyone’s case, it’s far from the truth. But for the outside observer it isn’t always apparent.
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile6 days ago in Writers
Comments (15)
Great article and insights. My process: 1. Lightning Idea written in moleskin where it lives or dies over time, many are still caged hoping to survive. 2. I research and compile notes and play it out in my head visualizing it. 3. I sketch the story writing freestyle. Does it work? Is it credible? Do I still like my characters enough to invest further into the real wor
Great article and insights. My process: 1. Lightning Idea written in moleskin where it lives or dies over time, many are still caged hoping to survive. 2. I research and compile notes and play it out in my head visualizing it. 3. I sketch the story writing freestyle. Does it work? Is it credible? Do I still like my characters enough to invest further into the real work. Editing. 4. Rewrite - edit.
I shall vote for you. Ideas come like lumps of clay and I often feel like a potter. Sometimes I wrestle with the lump and sometimes it spirals into something. I never quite know when I chuck myself at something how it will turn out. I have to work with it before it fully reveals itself. Congratulations on the top story. Really interesting and thought provoking. ❤
Congrats on top story! Great work!
Nice Article and Congratulations on your Top Story♥️💯📝👍
Congratulations on reaching Top story status. Well deserved.
You explained a great deal in few words - great job! Hope you win! Love Dad
Congrats on top story! 🎉 As for my process, I tend to very quickly get attached to an initial idea, whether it was inspired by a prompt or not. Sometimes it's to my detriment as I will fall far, far down the rabbit hole of the idea trying to develop it before discovering if it actually works or not. Sometimes it's a yes, other times it's a no haha
Congratulations on Top Story!!!💕♥️♥️
Congratulations on achieving top story status!
Thanks for the introduction to Editfest. You entry is striking and well worth the vote I will continue to submit for it. Regarding your question about my process: Ideas come, sometimes from prompts, but just as often from nowhere. I build on them in my head until one sounds worth writing. Occasionally I'll have an ending in mind when I start to write, but more often than not, the story takes on a life of its own after the first few lines.
Wonderful article. I voted for your entry, which was great, and a little scary. As for my writing process, when it comes to fiction, I typically get several ideas for stories, but as the days roll on most don't get past the original idea. I go with those that build themselves in my mind, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the story. wonderful to drea your work again. LOVED the trailer and voted and will do so once every day.... I pretty much trust my instincts; ideas come - sometimes quickly, sometimes not, but when they do, I run with them as i am able. I always trust the muse. sometimes, within a piece I might have a stoppage or at the ending think, how in God's name do I finish this? almost all of the time an answer appears. I rarely force my will upon it.
Wasn't aware off Edifest!!! Love your story!!!💕❤️❤️ Sometimes an idea like a seed grows. Then there are times it doesn't germinate. Would live to see your trailer that you created!!!
That's exciting! I voted for you! I've never heard of Editfest but now I'm intrigued and will be going back shortly to check out more trailers. I myself don't always trust my first instincts when deciding to tackle an idea. It's not until I fall in love with it that I give it my undivided attention. This is when I know I'll work it through to completion. Not every idea will be a winner but the ones that speak to us are begging to be written. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and introducing us to Editfest! Best of luck in the competition.