I recently saw a blog post from Aviv Vana on his site bigleaguefilmschool.com and he it talked about ideas, where they come from and how to enrich your creative muscle through establishing an idea library. I recently wrote about a similar issue based one where to get our inspirations - which you can find here - and this post might be a continuation of a similar topic.

As an artist especially in this competitive world of ours, the ideas towards what we want to do or are hired to do must must be quickly accessible but should also be good. But to do this you have to train your mind to be able to think of different concepts and connect them to the work at hand. The way the brain functions is similar to a muscle, it expands the more you work out and if left unattended it weakens. So, what do we have to do to train our minds to be able to create different ideas, well the major answer is: explore. Learn how to see and hear things, learn how to interpret different scenarios quickly, learn how to see things in a different perspective. But to do so you need to establish an idea library, a reference portfolio of sorts.

In his blog post Aviv Vana shares 5 sites to get big ideas from. The sites he shares truly play a role in establishing an idea library but they aren't the only way to do so. One other good way especially if it's in the film realm , is to compile reference snapshots from other films and/or photos that inspire you. Similar to what I did for my sophomore year final semester project.

For the film I was about to shoot I compiled a number of snapshots from different films I found suit with the look and vibe I was going for.

The method I shared doesn't only apply when you want to make a film, having a similar type of reference portfolio/file is useful as it can help you tap into a certain idea quicker than thinking it from scratch. You can even try organizing your folder into other sub-folders based on specific characteristics. Example: based one lighting techniques (low-key or high-key) or shot types etc. Another way to do this if you don't want to create a folder for this is to keep a list of websites that you'd visit for different ideas. For increased diversity the sites shouldn't only be related to what you do, but rather sites that cover different aspects and fields similar to what Aviv shared in his blog.

Apart from a folder of images that I use as general references, I also keep a notepad separate for the names of films that directly inspire a certain aspect in my film. This helps me to quickly access the films whenever I want to.

But in order to be able to gather all these visual references and/or films that inspire one's films in one aspect or another, one has to create a habit of watching and seeing these visual contents. By 'seeing' I imply seeking for the certain visual inspirations. Everyone watches films but all the ones who seek creative/technical inspiration from them can see what to learn.

To show how this system has helped me in my work, I will show some of the screenshots from my 2015 Reel and see how they compare with the reference shots. Each example is separated by a line to help better navigation.

Inspiration: Concept, Tone & Framing. Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dir. Joss Whedon. Property of Marvel Studios

Inspiration: Concept, Location & Framing. Fight Club, Dir. David Fincher. Property of 20th Century Fox.

Inspiration: Color & Tone. The Matrix, Dir. The Wachowskis. Property of Warner Bros.

Inspiration: Concept & Tone. Pater Noster by Salomon Ligthelm @Vimeo

Inspiration: Concept & Framing. Pater Noster by Salomon Ligthelm @Vimeo

Inspiration: Concept. Petri 7s The Traveler by Alden Miranda @Vimeo

Inspiration: Concept & Camera Positioning. Making Room by Music Bed @Vimeo

Inspiration: Concept, Tone & Location. Behind the Move by Kendy Ty @Vimeo

Inspiration: Concept & Framing. Primum Movens by Neumann Films @Youtube

As showcased above, not everything will be 100% as the references, nor should it be. The reference is a tool for inspiration to help you establish the foundation of what image you want to create. The reference might be an inspiration for the tone, framing, lighting, concept, color, wardrobe etc. And it doesn't have to be a frame from a film; it can be a photograph, a painting, digital art and the like. So, go crazy and view the arts with a keen eye. You might never know what might stick and help create a world of ideas and opportunities for your next project. Until next time, Adios.

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IDEAS. WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?