My Work Goals For 2010

Maybe it’s a few days late to be making these sorts of lists but I was still processing this, so now’s the right time.

Last year about this time, my goals were really straightforward — we were living in California and right around Christmas time, Lauren and I started talking about how it was time that I had to leave my job at Access Hollywood. It had gotten past the point of maybe into into the realm of ‘Okay, do it now or shut up about it.’

So my goal for 2009 became : Quit my job, move to New Mexico, make films and teach. I did all of those things and it worked out great, both professionally and personally. As a filmmaker, Imade lots of YouTube videos, started work on a documentary about unschooling, and did work for MoveOn.org. I taught improv classes, visual effects seminars and marketing and promotion courses. The work has been satisfying and I’ve had more time to spend with my family.

I could just keep the goal for my work in 2010 as make films and teach because that still sums it up but after thinking about it, I think I can be more specific. Here’s the four things I’ve come up with I want to this year.

1) Create unique, cool events.
I was able to do this with things like the Visual Effects Supervisor’s Boot Camp and I want to do a lot more of it. I like creating live events that have a different structure or feel than your average seminar or conference. I’ve thought a lot about how events like SIGGRAPH or NAB that I’ve attended for close to 20 years now have gotten too big, too loud and not that interesting. Smaller conferences are usually beige and formulaic.

I remember the old days of the Amiga Expo or MacWorld when conferences were interesting. I don’t see many training events that inspire me, so I’m looking at creating a lot more of my own. I’m trying to create one of a kind experiences. In the next week or so, I’ll be announcing a bunch of new events here and at my Film School Boot Camp site. Art festivals, horror movie boot camps, boutique live visual effects seminars - about one or so every month starting in March.

2) Interview interesting people.
Last year, I was able to talk to people like director Kevin Smith and author Robert Greene. In the past few days I’ve interviewed comedian Marc Maron and graphic designer Rachael Acklin. These are all people who are doing work that I admire. I have upcoming interviews scheduled with people like Seth Godin, Arianna Huffington and Chris Guillebeau. Expect a lot more.

3) Make products that help people
Last year, I launched my first online ‘product’ - The Dream Career Workshop, my marketing and promotion intensive for visual effects artists and filmmakers. From talking to the students in that program, for most of them it’s helped them start to achieve their dreams. That program is ongoing (we’re about to open enrollment again, too) and it’s really made me want to create more online classes.

Yesterday, I launched two new online products. One that I’ve mentioned there before is a short course aimed at creative freelancers called How Much Should I Charge? The other one is an very short, focused class that answers the question Should I Go To Film (Or Animation) School? I have another couple of products I’m planning to get out in the next week or so and many more to come throughout the year - solution oriented

4) Tell stories
I’ve done a lot of non-fiction filmmaking this year. A lot of it has been propoganda, more or less. Persuasive pieces. I’m not apologizing, it’s work I love to do.

But even in my political pieces, I’m thinking more and more that I should be making my points with fiction not straight argument. One thing, I’m tired of political argument. (I’ll talk more about that in my next post on personal goals for 2010.) But really, I just want to get back to fiction. I have screenplays I’m working on now and sorme ideas for web series and short fiction that I want to get out there this year.

So that’s it - four slightly expanded, more specific ways of saying I want to make films and teach in 2010.