By Mark Chan
https://youtu.be/sN7w24xr4cM?si=dzf3GAmelG8DvR-2
What is One Wild Idea?
- “One Wild Idea" is an 8-minute docu-fiction short film that chronicles my first attempt at making a film with zero experience or industry connections. Told in a playful metanarrative style, it captures the ups, downs, and unexpected lessons of turning a dream into reality—a process that took two years to bring to life. The film went on to win a Bronze Student Telly Award.
- This deeply personal project was my first time directing (and acting in) a film project with a real budget and crew. It took two years to get this project off the ground.
- It won a Bronze Student Telly Award!
What I Learned
- Never Give Up!!! With no real connections in the film world and little experience with film work at the scale I wanted the project to be at, there were times when all these factors made it feel like this project would never happen. There were many times the project was put on the back burner, but that flame never went out!
- Nobody cares about your project more than you do. It’s difficult to see a project’s potential in it’s early stages. It’s helpful to create prototypes, rough drafts, and outlines to help people see your vision. Your project lives and dies with you. Nobody is begging you to make your project come to life.
- Directing is communicating. Directing is about finding language and references that help people see what you see in your head. Then, it’s about helping them help you.
- Getting buy-in is hard. One of the first filmmakers I spoke to about the project told me that the hardest thing I’ll encounter in this project would be getting other people excited enough about it to help me out. I didn’t believe it at the time, but this turned out to be so, so, so true. In a highly collaborative medium like film, the ability to get buy-in, to get people excited to help you is critical. Talented people will turn down paid projects to work for free on projects they are excited about and believe in.
Timeline
- March 2022 - I wrote the first draft of the script.
- April 2022 - I reached out to filmmakers I knew about the project. They declined to be a part of the project but gave me helpful advice.
- September 2023 - I met a producer who agreed to help create the project. She would coordinate location, budget, and crew.