I feel many of these so much! I’ve actually been working on many of my own #OpImps and started using a calendar app (Calendly) to allow people to schedule meetings / calls with me directly based on my actually availability and it’s not only taken all of the back and forth out, but even more importantly it’s allowed me to set clear boundaries of when I want to make myself available for certain types of meetings (e.g. general zoom calls only Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4pm). It’s been a game changer for me 😊
Before scheduling a meeting, always ask yourself if the meeting could simply be an email. If not, then be clear about why. Not only does this eliminate unnecessary meetings, it also brings clarity to the meetings you end up having.
I would also apply this to diet and exercise, which help the artistic process. I'm always looking to lower cholesterol, sugar and sodium but maintain good tasting food. Cheat days make us human.
And I would also apply this organizational methodology to what I call artistic preparation. Everyone seems to assume that their art-prep is their own business. But how can we have discussions about morality and theme, politics and self-interest, etc. if we don't have a preparation in common. Women reading only women, blacks only blacks doesn't cut it and adding organizational efficiency to mentally lazy and complacent people is not a way to an engaging cinema. The greatest problem afflicting our culture is that we've made mediocre people comfortable.
It used to be said that reading a daily, a weekly, a monthly and a quarterly (from both sides of the aisle) was a must to be an informed democratic citizen. That requirement disappeared with the television antennae. But it's necessary nevertheless. Read one or two essays from The New Yorker and The National Review; two essays from Harpers and two from the New Criterion, and so on. One might actually learn to question one's assumptions on key issues. What about reading three positive and three negative reviews of a film or series on Metacritic?
I realize that people don't have time, but how good can one's film be if one doesn't have a lay of the land. Hopefully, your audience won't be a bunch of yes-people? Wouldn't that limit sales and make your publicity tour dull?
I am madly in love with this list, especially short, one-topic emails with appropriate subject lines. I confess, however, that I find that labels on jars are essential so that I don't put cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon in my oatmeal.
Coming to this conclusion for number 5 was one of the biggest operational improvements I’ve made in terms of making my workflow more efficient. Head of production wants to know if an artist has been contracted? Do an email search for PROJECT NAME - CONTRACT and all the emails about contracts for that project come up because that’s what’s used for the starting title on all of them... which give me ANOTHER OpImp... being able to get back to team members with answers within 15 minutes. Efficiency is a great thing.
Hmm - so efficient and mostly effective, but killing spontaneity - and phone call exchanges are so much more efficient than a ten time exchange if texts.
Number 8 bothers me the most. I can’t shop at Costco for this very reason. Or any big box store for that matter. Malls? What the...? Anyway, I agree with all of this. I think I failed one of them recently and it didn’t end well. My fault, I guess. Anyway, walk safe everybody.
I have to admit, and am not afraid to admit, that this breakdown of ideas to change one's life, for the better, left me bored and uninspired. Of course, we must live our lives within a framework to accomplish anything, but this seems like a bunch of gobbledygook to me. Maybe I am more of an artist than I thought, but this is the work structure that drives me crazy. I realize why I cannot and will not ever work a job ever again. I remember Maynard G. Krebs famous line "WORK!!!"
I feel many of these so much! I’ve actually been working on many of my own #OpImps and started using a calendar app (Calendly) to allow people to schedule meetings / calls with me directly based on my actually availability and it’s not only taken all of the back and forth out, but even more importantly it’s allowed me to set clear boundaries of when I want to make myself available for certain types of meetings (e.g. general zoom calls only Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4pm). It’s been a game changer for me 😊
Before scheduling a meeting, always ask yourself if the meeting could simply be an email. If not, then be clear about why. Not only does this eliminate unnecessary meetings, it also brings clarity to the meetings you end up having.
100% on all of these, and #1 in particular.
I would also apply this to diet and exercise, which help the artistic process. I'm always looking to lower cholesterol, sugar and sodium but maintain good tasting food. Cheat days make us human.
And I would also apply this organizational methodology to what I call artistic preparation. Everyone seems to assume that their art-prep is their own business. But how can we have discussions about morality and theme, politics and self-interest, etc. if we don't have a preparation in common. Women reading only women, blacks only blacks doesn't cut it and adding organizational efficiency to mentally lazy and complacent people is not a way to an engaging cinema. The greatest problem afflicting our culture is that we've made mediocre people comfortable.
It used to be said that reading a daily, a weekly, a monthly and a quarterly (from both sides of the aisle) was a must to be an informed democratic citizen. That requirement disappeared with the television antennae. But it's necessary nevertheless. Read one or two essays from The New Yorker and The National Review; two essays from Harpers and two from the New Criterion, and so on. One might actually learn to question one's assumptions on key issues. What about reading three positive and three negative reviews of a film or series on Metacritic?
I realize that people don't have time, but how good can one's film be if one doesn't have a lay of the land. Hopefully, your audience won't be a bunch of yes-people? Wouldn't that limit sales and make your publicity tour dull?
I am madly in love with this list, especially short, one-topic emails with appropriate subject lines. I confess, however, that I find that labels on jars are essential so that I don't put cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon in my oatmeal.
Coming to this conclusion for number 5 was one of the biggest operational improvements I’ve made in terms of making my workflow more efficient. Head of production wants to know if an artist has been contracted? Do an email search for PROJECT NAME - CONTRACT and all the emails about contracts for that project come up because that’s what’s used for the starting title on all of them... which give me ANOTHER OpImp... being able to get back to team members with answers within 15 minutes. Efficiency is a great thing.
These are helpful because they're so specific. I will work on #1-9 after I'm done scraping the labels off everything in my perimeter :-)
Some great advice! Thanks!
Great list- special thanks for #8
m
Hmm - so efficient and mostly effective, but killing spontaneity - and phone call exchanges are so much more efficient than a ten time exchange if texts.
Number 8 bothers me the most. I can’t shop at Costco for this very reason. Or any big box store for that matter. Malls? What the...? Anyway, I agree with all of this. I think I failed one of them recently and it didn’t end well. My fault, I guess. Anyway, walk safe everybody.
Ted, let P.O.
I have to admit, and am not afraid to admit, that this breakdown of ideas to change one's life, for the better, left me bored and uninspired. Of course, we must live our lives within a framework to accomplish anything, but this seems like a bunch of gobbledygook to me. Maybe I am more of an artist than I thought, but this is the work structure that drives me crazy. I realize why I cannot and will not ever work a job ever again. I remember Maynard G. Krebs famous line "WORK!!!"