In continuing with our series on how to get stuff done, we looked into the field of filmmaking. For Joss Whedon, a filmmaker who has produced notable work like, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Much Ado About Nothing, etc…, getting work done is just part of his philosophy. In an article by Ari Karpel (http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683167/how-to-be-prolific-guidelines-for-getting-it-done-from-joss-whedon), Whedon breaks down the way he gets stuff done:
- Get Specific: “You know, it’s so easy to just get nothing done, but you’ve got to rock a little David Allen out to be able to get things done and break your list down into next actions. And this is true of producing and directing but even of writing. It’s like, Okay, today I am going to figure out this action sequence. Today, I am going to watch a shit ton of other action sequences, whatever it is, but that would be the other side of it after the specificity of knowing. Don’t just say, ‘Oh, I need to work on that.’ Say, ‘I need to work on this element of that.’ Absolutely eat dessert first. The thing that you want to do the most, do that.”
- Reward Yourself: “I have a reward system. I am the monkey with the pellet and it’s so bad that I write almost everything in restaurants or cafes [so] that when I have an idea, I go and get chocolate.” He doesn’t wait to flesh out the idea and then reward himself, he rewards himself simply for having the idea. “I’ll write it down and then get some chocolate. I have the idea, I get my pellet . . . I mean I’m terrible.”
- Fill the Tanks: It’s all about inspiration. “The last piece of advice on that level is fill the tanks, fill the tanks, fill the tanks. Constantly watch things and things you don’t [normally watch]. Step outside your viewing zone, your reading zone. It’s all fodder but if you only take from one thing then it’ll show.”
If you’d like to read the full article on Joss Whedon, follow this link: http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683167/how-to-be-prolific-guidelines-for-getting-it-done-from-joss-whedon.
© by MARTINA DALTON, Designer, Allovus Design
Stay tuned for part three, where we will cover a prolific individual in the area of art.