Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.

Our conversation covers creative practices and routines, as well as the often-nebulous world of film & video, including how to collaborate on a script and using crowdfunding to launch projects at scale.

Catch up with David on his website, DavidPower.com, or through his show, SureFirePodcast.com

Get The Episode

• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (MP3, 44:01, 21.3 MB)
• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (OGG, 44:01, 24.9 MB)

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Show Notes & Links

• David’s office is a multi-purpose room (writing, video editing, audio recording, podcast production)
• Acoustic paneling
• GIK Acoustics
• Reverb
• Anechoic Chamber
• David started making films based on his own whims and desires
• The Lonely Island
• Saturday Night Life
• D*ck in a Box
• David is currently podcasting the production of a feature film
• Michael Goldburg & Dave Chan, filmmakers
• Iron Mule Comedy Film Festival, NYC
• Seed & Spark, film-based crowdfunding platform
• Transcontinental Railroad
• Contractions (in dialogue)
• David’s podcast episode on crowdfunding
• Crowdfunding article on The Busy Creator blog
• Kickstarter and pitch videos which now are their own project and format
• Cathryn Lavery on The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 65
• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Does Google Docs have an offline version?
• Centered, Courier text for screenplays. Why?
• David has assembled a 3-monitor desk setup over the years
• Island of Misfit Toys
• Crysis
• Ivy Bridge, Intel’s best chip from Spring 2012
• David worked in a corporate environment for many years; no longer uses an alarm clock
• Prescott watches one event on broadcast TV each year: The Oscars
• Presidential debates in 2016 were streamed on Twitter
• DavidPower.com
• Sure-Fire Podcast
• David Power on Facebook
• David Power on LinkedIn

Tools

• Trello
• Slack
• Google Docs
• FinalDraft
• BitBucket (on the web)
• SourceTree (on the desktop)
• Dropbox Paper
• Dell PC Tower from 2009
• VEGAS Pro by Sony Magix
• Cakewalk by Sonar
• Hackintosh
• Mac Pro

Techniques

• Soften the corners of a room to dampen reverb/echo
• Develop characters first, give them a voice and backstory, and then place them into a three-act structure. (Or not).
• Collect all notes and ideas; save them for later and vetting each one before writing
• Build a project management software workflow that actually reflects the way you work
• Don’t store files in Slack; that’s not the place for permanent items
• Use Plain Text formatting as a universal standard
• Build a Hackintosh if you can’t afford a Mac Pro (which you probably can’t)

Habits

• Cross-promote, tag, and share your social links with your collaboration partners
• Exercise first thing in the morning
• Meditate, eat, drink coffee before starting work
• Use a floating lunch hour
• Wake up without an alarm
• Don’t actively seek out news (minus industry happenings)

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