This week we worked on location for two days filming a television commercial—an effort that revealed itself to be a paradigm for creativity in action. Working with a great film crew and a number of people from our client’s organization became a living laboratory in which to observe many aspects of the creative process. Here are just a few observations:
1. Start with a plan, but be ready to change. Of course we began the process with a storyboard; but we were filming the entire commercial outdoors, which meant we had wind, shifting clouds and sun to deal with, along with a small herd of unfenced, meandering cattle. As the two days of shooting progressed, I saw our carefully constructed plan dissolve and evolve as the realities of our location forced a welcome shift in perspective.
2. Leverage reality on the fly. Shooting on location, even one you’ve scouted in advance, presents both disappointments and opportunities. The visuals we’d developed in the safety of our office became more fluid and flexible. We could either be upset that reality didn’t quite fit our preconceptions, or grab the new realities and wrestle with them for new solutions.
3. Creativity is a group activity. As two days of shooting progressed, with ten people consisting of film crew, the client’s team and folks from The Creative Alliance, we continually brainstormed as we worked through the shot list. Nearly everyone contributed something valuable. Like all good creative endeavors, by the end of the filming, we’d had a better product that we originally imagined. What’s really cool is that I doubt anyone can remember who made which suggestion.
4. Humility rules. When faced with a difficult shot, we’d find ourselves spontaneously brainstorming, with ideas being offered from many different perspectives: ours as the creative team; the film crew as the experts in videography; and the clients who know their product and audience better than any of us. With everyone pitching ideas on how to nuance each shot, the best ideas had a chance to prevail and eventually made it onto film. Ideas always have to prevail over egos.
5. Be grateful for limitations. Our budget limited us to two days of shooting to capture enough footage for three different commercials. I hear many artists lament the limits of a client’s budget, or deadlines that force a demanding schedule on a project. I’ve made those same complaints myself. But in reality, deadlines and budgets are an essential ingredient to the creative process. They force a rigorous discipline that requires making decisions rather than wallowing in creative indecision.
The broader application: One of the great misconceptions in the world is that creativity is only for people who do graphic design, write music or paint pictures. The reality is that creativity is even more important in solving everyday issues. Everything from finding a solution to global warming to how a single parent can create balance in her life; from how a sergeant in a war zone can protect his soldiers to how a CFO can fund her company’s next round of growth—these are endeavors that require immense creativity. And the stakes are usually much higher than in the relative safety of the artist’s studio.