Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power — The Busy Creator Podcast 96

The Busy Creator 96 w/David Power

David Power (@davidpowerNYC) is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.

Our conversation covers creative practices and routines, as well as the often-nebulous world of film & video, including how to collaborate on a script and using crowdfunding to launch projects at scale.

Catch up with David on his website, DavidPower.com, or through his show, SureFirePodcast.com

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Show Notes & Links

  • David’s office is a multi-purpose room (writing, video editing, audio recording, podcast production)
  • Acoustic paneling
  • GIK Acoustics
  • Reverb
  • Anechoic Chamber
  • David started making films based on his own whims and desires
  • The Lonely Island
  • Saturday Night Life
  • D*ck in a Box
  • David is currently podcasting the production of a feature film
  • Michael Goldburg & Dave Chan, filmmakers
  • Iron Mule Comedy Film Festival, NYC
  • Seed & Spark, film-based crowdfunding platform
  • Transcontinental Railroad
  • Contractions (in dialogue)
  • David’s podcast episode on crowdfunding
  • Crowdfunding article on The Busy Creator blog
  • Kickstarter and pitch videos which now are their own project and format
  • Cathryn Lavery on The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 65
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Does Google Docs have an offline version?
  • Centered, Courier text for screenplays. Why?
  • David has assembled a 3-monitor desk setup over the years
  • Island of Misfit Toys
  • Crysis
  • Ivy Bridge, Intel’s best chip from Spring 2012
  • David worked in a corporate environment for many years; no longer uses an alarm clock
  • Prescott watches one event on broadcast TV each year: The Oscars
  • Presidential debates in 2016 were streamed on Twitter
  • DavidPower.com
  • Sure-Fire Podcast
  • David Power on Facebook
  • David Power on LinkedIn
  • David Power on Twitter

Tools

  • Trello
  • Slack
  • Google Docs
  • FinalDraft
  • BitBucket (on the web)
  • SourceTree (on the desktop)
  • Dropbox Paper
  • Dell PC Tower from 2009
  • VEGAS Pro by Sony Magix
  • Cakewalk by Sonar
  • Hackintosh
  • Mac Pro

Techniques

  • Soften the corners of a room to dampen reverb/echo
  • Develop characters first, give them a voice and backstory, and then place them into a three-act structure. (Or not).
  • Collect all notes and ideas; save them for later and vetting each one before writing
  • Build a project management software workflow that actually reflects the way you work
  • Don’t store files in Slack; that’s not the place for permanent items
  • Use Plain Text formatting as a universal standard
  • Build a Hackintosh if you can’t afford a Mac Pro (which you probably can’t)

Habits

  • Cross-promote, tag, and share your social links with your collaboration partners
  • Exercise first thing in the morning
  • Meditate, eat, drink coffee before starting work
  • Use a floating lunch hour
  • Wake up without an alarm
  • Don’t actively seek out news (minus industry happenings)

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About Prescott Perez-Fox

Prescott Perez-Fox is a New York-based graphic designer and brand developer with 15+ years experience in branding, packaging, graphic design, and web design. He runs The Busy Creator.