My head is spinning. There's so much stuff I want to do. So many things on my plate. So crowded are my thoughts that I'm overwhelmed. I know the best way to deal with all this is by selecting one project, one goal, one idea and putting the majority of my energy into it. But I'm concerned the other ideas will fall by the wayside, never to be resurrected which, of course, risks all the ideas never coming to fruition.
All these ideas are, as you might have already guessed, photography related. They're not so much about shooting photos (that is, me doing the photo shooting) but exploiting what I know about doing that. That's not to say I consider myself Mister Know-it-All when it comes to all things photographic. I'm not. Far from it. I'll leave that label for the many helpful know-it-alls on photo.net. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.
But there are a few things I might be better versed in, photographically-versed, than the average bear. Since there seems to be so many people out there who hope to expand their skills and knowledge, especially in those areas where my skills and knowledge are focused, I believe I can produce a win/win scenario where I exploit and market what I know and others benefit from that marketing and exploitation.
Here's some of what's overwhelming me, excluding some personal stuff that remains, in itself, overwhelming:
1. Producing the Pretty Girl Shooter instructional DVD and making it a reality, i.e., completed and available for distribution.
2. Producing my first, Pretty Girl Shooter, workshop.
3. Making the pretty-girl-shooting reality TV show a reality.
4. Learning the new editing system I recently purchased. (Which is a key component to achieving more than one item in this list.)
5. Figuring out how I can manufacture and sell some cool light-modifying gear I've invented. (Can you say you've invented something before that something actually exists? i.e., while it's still an idea rather than a reality?)
6. Making a living in a declining economy and in an industry that is in the toilet. (Which, technically, is what all that's listed above is designed to make moot.)
Again, I understand that conventional wisdom suggests breaking all these ideas and projects down into realistically do-able, achievable, components and focusing my efforts towards accomplishing these things one at a time, then going on to the next. But my head automatically rebels against conventional wisdom. It always has. Often, not to my benefit. I can't help it. They wrote me this way.
Anyway, I'm impatient to see results with more than one of these projects, i.e., real and tangible results. To make matters worse, impatience is also overwhelming me. It sometimes seems paralyzing. Angst is ruling my life and it's counter-productive to achieving my goals. I'm trying my best not to sound like I'm whining. I'm trying to sound like I'm just saying. But I'm afraid it's coming off more like a whine than a mention.
The eye-candy at the top is Devin from this past week's shoot in Vegas. MUA was Miss Brandy Beavers. (Yes, that's her honest-to-God real name!) Brandy is a multi-functional, multi-tasking, multi-skilled person. She is into so many things! They include, but certainly aren't limited to, make-up and hair and styling and all that sort of stuff. It almost makes one dizzy listening to her recount her resume. (Although, admittedly, she's awfully easy on the eyes while you're listening.)
I captured the beautiful Devin with my Canon 5D w/28-135 IS USM, ISO 100, f/8 @ 125th against a paper seamless. Main light modified with my Larson Reflectasol with two kickers working behind her and modified with small, shoot-thru umbrellas.
9 comments:
Seems to me you have these items in the correct order. If you get a DVD made, you'll be all set to do the workshop. In fact you could shoot the DVD to go with the workshop. Once you have the workshop, you could shoot some behind-the-scenes for that and use it to pitch your reality TV show. The rest of the ideas are parallel projects, but those first three seem sequential to me. Good luck!
I agree, the DVD could start a revenue stream and encourage sign ups to additional workshops.
You can refine the DVD with additional footage from subsequent workshops.
In my opinion, you need to drop some cash on a SWEET location and a few SWEET models to get the maximum 'bang for the frame' for your DVD. You need to get 'pop' without showing too much skin if you're thinking network TV, otherwise bring on the skin for the 'Skin-a-max' channels on cable.
An invitation-only class of students would make interaction far easier for you. You need to translate your easy going willingness to share what you know onto video to show the network that you're bankable.
And a kick-ass assistant from a small central California town wouldn't hurt either :)~
OK, so I stopped making sense there for a second but you get the idea...
@BlankPhotog-- Ya know, you're right. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
@Bob-- Just so ya know, the TV show I'm pitching doesn't include me, leastwise, in terms of me being a cast member in it.
I would change the order a bit, if it were me. Though it depends on how fast you need to get out the instructional video.
Get lighting modifier prototypes made that you can use while shooting the instructional DVD.
Learn the editing tool while editing the instructional DVD - no better way to learn than jumping in and trying it out in the "real world" vs. reading the instructions.
After the DVDs start selling (I'll buy one!), you can start the manufacturing of the light modifiers. That way when you start the actual workshops, they will be available for purchase by your students!
I know nothing about getting a TV show off the ground, so I'm no help there. And I really can't make any career recommendations with the economy the way it is - though I suspect bankruptcy lawyers are going to be swimming in cash soon, if they aren't already.
Best of luck!
Anything that allows for the same look as higher priced outfits for the budget minded glamour/ portrait photographer these days should be good revenue.
As far as the instructional video, only thing I can say is "know your audience"
@Gibeon-- Yeah. Your variation on BlankPhotog's order also makes sense. Thanks!
@Willie-- I agree about knowing one's audience. In this case, I think I do. Leastwise, I hope I do. I'm gonna look into possible affiliate programs with glam wardrobe sellers. Thanks!
Way too many items on that list. (Didn't I already say that a while back?) You've already identified the problem: The list is overwhelming.
Putting aside all but one project does not in any way mean the others will "fall by the wayside." You've written them down. You won't forget them. They'll just fall into the prioritization line. Besides, it's the only way you're going to get any of them completed.
Here's my advice on what to do next. Take the DVD project and break it down into tasks and then into sub-tasks (things you can do in one to three days). When that's completed, you're ready to start. Done incrementally, it won't be overwhelming.
And no, you don't need to learn the editing system before you start the DVD. Instead, learn it as part of the DVD project--OJT is one of the best ways to learn any new software system.
Finally, four words about humans and multi-tasking: It is a fallacy. Unlike a multi-core computer using a properly threaded software application, we're not wired to do two or more tasks simultaneously. Sure, we can jump back and forth--called context switching--but the price paid for that is wasted time.
So... Save the original list. Create an expanded one for the DVD. Expand that list into sub-tasks that can be done in three days or less. Start. Focus. Make some progress every day. You'll feel great. And we will too, 'cause we'll get to buy your DVD.
More:
Is Multitasking More Efficient?
Human multitasking
@WillT-- Thanks for spelling it out for me one more time. You'd think I'd "get it" by now.
Heck, I am going to say something completly different.
Take a lunch eating person and teach them what you know. Make the light modifiers as part of that.
Teach a workshop(s) to refine the message you want to send and the manner of sending it on the DVD.
Make the DVD in the part process mentioned above. Start selling it online and to your future workshop audiences.
Pay the lunch guy for being so lucid and organized.
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