Just like writers, video editors get blocked too. So where do you find the inspiration to get back on track? That’s a question I’ve asked myself plenty of times, and these are some of the things I’ve found so far work for me.
The first thing is to STEP AWAY FROM THE PROJECT. It sounds like anti-progressive but this actually works for me. I turn everything off and go for a walk, or go outside and get some fresh air, make a phone call, do something completely unrelated to the project. Don’t take a long time doing this. It is only to break whatever routine you may have gotten into that is not allowing your inspiration to flow. I think like ten to twenty minutes is enough time to let your mind rest.
The next step I take is to LISTEN TO MUSIC. Whether your project requires music or not, just turn on your radio, or pandora or itunes and listen to music YOU like. Don’t listen to music for your project. You’re doing this for you. I usually open up a beer and a cigar too, but that’s the routine that inspires me. The point is to do something that puts you in a “fun” mood. If you’re having fun it will show in your quality of work.
After that I usually find myself a bit more inclined to get back to work, but I continue working on my mood so that I don’t encounter blocks in the future. So I throw away what I thought I wanted to do with the project, and re-think the entire concept. I OPEN A NEW SEQUENCE AND DO ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND. This sequence doesn’t matter because no one will see this particular version This is YOUR version. So play with filters and transitions and music just for fun. But you’d be surprised how many times that “play” project becomes “thee” project.
Lastly, I keep in mind that what makes me feel good is actually FINISHING THE PROJECT. There’s nothing better than doing that final render or final output and uploading or emailing it or dropping it off. It’s quite a relief and a call for celebration, and another beer. So keep that feeling close to you so that you can get the hard work out of the way, then you are free to really play.
If none of these things work for you, then log into Facebook and look through your friend’s status’ updates for hours until you get depressed enough for being such a procrastinator. That always works too.