Remember Vine?
Restrictions Make You Better
Remember Vine? I sure do. “Look at all those chickens.” “Road work ahead? I sure hope it does.” Absolute classics.
The thing I remember most was the simplicity of the app and how creative people were with what was given. Originally, you were given 6 seconds to record your masterpiece, and the only tools you had were the record button and your imagination… or whatever spontaneous moment you were capturing like Aunt Beatrice falling down the stairs at Thanksgiving. No uploading previously recorded content, no editing, and certainly no adding the Vine boom sound effect (you know the one). But, there was another feature that I think gets overlooked when reminiscing about Vine, the restrictions.
Vine was brilliant when it launched. I loved how minimalistic it was in its nature. Everyone knew the rules, and the restrictions cultivated a community of creativity. Nowadays, everyone has every editing tool, YouTube tutorial, and sound-to-lip sync. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but the former just had this magic to it that I can’t explain.
It’s real life man.
Ever been on set and everything falls apart at the last minute? Yeah, we've all been there. But guess what? That's where the magic happens.
Just like Vine's six-second limit forced creators to think outside the box, my time with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) taught me that the most exciting moments in filmmaking often come from overcoming unexpected challenges.
A piece of our gear wasn’t working. Well, ya gotta think on your feet.
The location sucked, so we had to find new backdrops. Can’t let that limit your creativity when it comes to live tv.
A wrestler or producer wanted to change something last second. Gotta reset your brain now and move on from the idea you had in your head.
A promo had to go on live television in the next 30 minutes, so we had to scramble to get it shot and edited.
So many things can go wrong on these types of sets.
You gotta be willing to pivot or you’ll be left in the dust. Or lose the gig. Filmmakers that roll with the punches are always the strongest in the end.
Steven Spielberg has had INSANE punches thrown at him on his sets. We all know the Jaws story and how the mechanical shark was a disaster. Or that he filmed Jurassic Park AND Schindler’s List in the same year. All 3 of these films changed movies forever.
But it wasn’t because Spielberg knows the answers to every situation. It’s his instincts and taste. He spent his entire childhood watching and making movies. He spent most of his life refining his instincts and learning how to react to every situation thrown at him. That’s how you become the best filmmaker you can be.
Spielberg didn’t create movie magic by having all the answers—he did it by trusting his instincts and rolling with the punches, just like the Kick the Ladder community does with their creative restrictions.
My friend, Isaac Deitz, created a film community centered around a game that creates restrictions for filmmakers called Kick the Ladder. They roll three dice that indicate the restrictions, then filmmakers are encouraged to create a 1-minute film that premieres the week after. After all the films premiere, they repeat the process. Over the span of 5 years, the KTL community has created thousands of films.
This was a game-changer for me in my early filmmaking days… who am I kidding? I’m STILL in my early filmmaking days. Anyway, Kick the Ladder (or KTL) ignited a spark of creativity I didn’t know I could ever have. Every week was a challenge, and every film was a new opportunity to explore what I was capable of. I love going back and seeing my old films and remembering where I was mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I remember one week I attended and overheard a gentleman complaining about the rules and how stupid they were.
“Ugh, one week to film and only tripod shots? There’s no way I could ever come up with anything good.”
If I could go back in time and talk to that dude I would have said, “My brother in Christ, you know you don’t HAVE to make a film right?” And if you’re thinking the same thing as that guy, I would like to let you know that is the same attitude that won’t get your films or your art made. It’s the same attitude that’s going to keep you complacent and miserable in your creative journey. If challenges didn’t exist then we would all be wildly successful, but actually not, because that would be boring as hell.
If it’s not a KTL challenge, it’s going to be something else. You’re on set and you have everything prepared. Then BOOM your favorite piece of gear just broke. Now what do you do? You can’t say, “Aw man, I can only be creative with this one thing.” You gotta think on your feet or else you could sacrifice a lot of trust.
Disclaimer: Yeah, if your battery, SD card, camera, or other essentials break you might be SOL. But hey there’s usually always a way out.
Next time you find yourself getting frustrated because something isn’t working, remember it’s only going to make you more prepared for the next project. The challenge gives you an opportunity to exercise those creative muscles to find a solution to the problem. Remember that it’s only going to make you more prepared for the next project. Keep your chin up and keep pushing the boundaries of what you’re capable of achieving. Rock on my dudes.
Next time you're faced with a roadblock, embrace it. Use it as a stepping stone to push your creativity even further. Do you have a story about how you turned a challenge into an opportunity? I'd love to hear it
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