How I learned to be more creative.

I've never written anything like this before - and a lot of it will likely come across as either egotistical narcissism, or as random ramblings of some internet individual you've never met. But on the off-chance it provides a different perspective, I hope you enjoy!

I've always loved movies. My grandfather, who is now 86 years old, taught me from a young age to appreciate and enjoy all types of films. Any genre, any age - there was always something to be taken away or some joy to be had. He recorded movies onto VHS tapes - 3 per tape - and catalogued them alphabetically and then numerically onto a huge shelf in their living room. In a large blue binder, he kept a legend to help you find the movie you were looking for. I remember sitting on his knee and pointing at these mysterious titles asking what they were, and he would answer: "Oh, Rambo was a soldier who no one understood when he came home." or "Oh, this one a lady named Ripley has to fight a scary alien!" or "This time, James Bond has to fight Christopher Walken!". He'd then check the column, and tell me: "Ok, it's row C, tape number 8! And it's the third movie on the tape!".

Nearly 30 years later, that passion for film has translated into a passion for filmmaking. Working in the film industry however, is broad and varied - and if you're anything like myself, you've probably found amongst the endless talking head videos and intercut B-Roll, it's hard to see those monsters and sequences that sparked such inspiration at a young age.

And then it happened. Don't ask me what - because truthfully, I don't recall. I realized that there was a world where passion and creativity could intersect with branded products and corporate messaging. And it turns out, that the work I did at that crux is some of the best of my life.

Maybe you loved that video, maybe you thought it was a bit redundant, or maybe you saw those AE templates and rolled your eyes. What that video is for me however, is speed ramps that I first saw in Zack Snider's 300, cool drone shots I'd gladly see it any Bond or Bourne movie, and glitch transitions that remind me of some of my favourite Sci-Fi flicks.

Now, please don't get me wrong. I don't mean to imply that what I achieved in a 2:30 video for an ATV association can be compared to classic, high budget flicks directed by the likes of Greengrass or Mendes - but I do think I got some cool shots, and those movies were the inspiration for them.

That leads me to opportunity. Anyone who works in film has those visuals that excite them - and anyone who owns a camera strives to capture great content. We do however, need the opportunity to utilize and exercise those skills - and it has to be in an atmosphere that forces you to compromise, adapt and create. We can shoot stuff by ourselves all day - but it's not until a client (or friend) asks you to produce something within certain parameters, that we're forced to make that leap into actual creativity - forced to bring those ideas into a realm we hadn't considered.

For me - that client was Chronicle Brewing Company.

I'm not going to feign impartiality - Chronicle is owned by some of my closest friends. I am in no way unbiased. What they have created however is pretty amazing. I mean yes - they make beer, which in itself is awesome. But they've also created a company that celebrates geek culture, movies, and all of the things I grew up loving. I did say they were some of my best friends.

What Chronicle provided for me was a place to flex my creative muscles, and play with ideas and characters I've loved my entire life - within the boundaries of their own branding and their own product (beer). I got to design a can and shoot a short promo inspired by Ridley Scott's Alien this last month. And maybe it's not the same as Fox (now Disney) offering me a directing gig on the newest Alien flick, and maybe we can't actually say 'Alien', but I got to play in that sandbox, and use some of those toys creatively, and that's the point of all of this.

Chronicle is a super cool company. They produce incredible beer that pays homage to so many of the stories I grew up loving. I've had a blast shooting product photos and promo videos for their beers, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity - because they didn't just give a struggling filmmaker something to do during the 2020 Covid pandemic - they reminded me why wanted to make movies to begin with. And now that I've had the opportunity to expand my ideas and preconceptions on how we can shoot content - I've been applying it to projects across the board from local business to huge live streaming events. And it makes me enjoy my work so much more.

In conclusion: I got lucky having the opportunity to work with a client like Chronicle. They were already 99% of the way there and were just waiting for me to catch up with them, and not everyone will have an awesome client like that. But you can take that same creativity and apply it to those same old videos.

Corporate messaging? Have you thought about making it a narrative story that illustrates the message? Product shots? How would they look in the middle of an action movie? It's up to us to find ways to squeak those beautiful shots and cool ideas into the work we do every day. It's not always easy - and it's often impossible, but in my experience there are few things more satisfying or fulfilling than seeing a sequence realized exactly how you would have shot it in a real movie - even on a smaller scale.

So, happy 2021 everyone. Happy creating! Stay safe, stay sane, and if you feel like some delicious beer - check out Chronicle Brewing Company here in Ontario, Canada. You just might see some of my work!