Ben Nesvig's Blog, page 11
December 20, 2012
Cinema 2012
Toward the end of every year I look forward to the slew of videos that blend together the films of the year. I’ve taken a slightly stronger interest this year since I’ve been reading so many books about storytelling. Though I read two or three screenwriting books a few years ago, it finally clicked this year that the elements that make a good story also make a good life and a good business. More on that in a separate post.
Random side note about the video – there are few things that can connec...
December 19, 2012
Paralysis In Creating Something Original
“The only art I’ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from.” —David Bowie
One thing I always look forward to at the end of the year is the year in review mashups. A common criticism of people who dismiss mashups in general is that they aren’t original. That the artist isn’t playing an instrument, they’re just pressing buttons on a computer. And anyone could do that…
The problem with this belief is that everyone steals ideas. Whether you realize it or not, your “original” ideas are likely just...
December 18, 2012
Three Different Ways Of Seeing The World
1. Through a personal lens, which is distorted due to emotion or incorrect information.
2. As it actually is.
3. As it could be.
Seeing the world through your own personal lens is the most common way of looking at things. It’s why two people watching a political debate can have completely different reactions. They already have a view of the world and what is being said filters through that world view.
Seeing with world with intense realism is harder, but necessary to do great work. Just because y...
December 17, 2012
People Have Different Goals
On Sunday, shortly after I paid a whole $1 for parking, I spotted this sign:
Maybe I’m blind, but I don’t think the goal of the person who put that sign there was to stop people from paying for parking on Sundays. Their job and goal was to put a sign up with the parking hours. If anyone called to complain that they just paid for parking when they didn’t have to, they could say, “We put up a sign.”
If the goal was to stop people from paying, why not put the sign where people pay? There wasn’t a...
December 16, 2012
How To Make a Stop Motion Video in Final Cut Pro X
Have the crazy idea that you want to make a stop motion video? I’ve now made 5 stop motion videos, all in Final Cut Pro X. Is it the ideal program for stop motion? Unlikely. If you have a bigger budget and more time, look into Dragonframe. For the rest of you, below is the process I went through to create a stop motion video with nothing more than a DSLR camera, Final Cut, Tripod, and cheap 47″ slider.
Steps to Making a Stop Motion Video:
The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken b...
December 2, 2012
How To Instantly Draw Better
You don’t need any new skills or art classes. All you need is a new perspective.
I’m no Picasso (bad pun intended), but I learned how to instantly improve my drawing skills.
How to instantly become better at drawing:
1. Get a notepad and pencil ready.
2.Find a printed picture you’re not familiar with. Don’t pick a celebrity you know well. A magazine or newspaper will provide plenty of options.
3. Immediately after finding the picture turn it upside down.
4. Start from the outside in.
5. Don’t focus...
November 28, 2012
You Already Won The Lottery
Congratulations. You’ve already won the lottery.
No, there isn’t an extra $500+ million in your bank account.
But you’re living through revolution…
You have access to an internet connection.
You have the ability to reach an audience at a scale and speed that would have been impossible for your parents to do at the same age.
You have the power to write a book, make a video that reaches millions of people, start a video blog that launches an empire,promote a cause, raise enough money to launch your...
November 26, 2012
Documentary To Watch: Still Bill
Since hearing Lovely Dayironicallyused in the film 127 Hours, I’ve been on a Bill Withers kick, going as far as setting Lovely Day as my alarm clock (until I started to unfairly resent it).
Still Bill is one of the best documentaries that I’ve seen recently. You get to see Bill’s journey, which narrowly avoided working on toilets, to hearing some of his deeper insights into the creative process. The trailer is below and you can currently watch it on Netflix Instant.
November 20, 2012
How Creativity Works
Anyone can be creative, just like anyone can learn to ride a bike. People who say, “I’m not creative” use that as an alibi so they aren’t expected to produce creative work. To great creative ideas, it’s helpful to discover where ideas, both good and bad, originate from. They aren’t “new” or “original” and often don’t appear out of nowhere. Most creative acts and works are a result of stealing an idea and molding it into your own production.
How to Get Creative Ideas:
1. Find an old idea.
2. Find...
November 14, 2012
Don’t Think
This is a fascinating video. I learned the main trick in the video several years ago without even realizing it. When I used to work as a valet, I’d find myself humming or whistling as I quickly driving through the small openings of parking garages. For some I reason didn’t comprehend at the time, I discovered it was easier to park cars while whistling or mumbling a song.What I didn’t realize I was doing at the time is that I was shutting off the chattering part of the brain. I stopped thinkin...
