Running Into New Ideas

About 10 years ago I started my journey of making documentary films. The first documentary I did was called Change and it was about a few individuals making lifestyle changes with regards to fitness and nutrition that really made a difference in their lives. It was pretty inspiring. At the time I was a little bit overweight and it made me start thinking I needed to make changes in my own life but I didn’t really do much about it. A year later I did another documentary about health products and more people making incredible lifestyle changes. I knew I really needed to change things in my own life because I felt like a bit of a hypocrite so I started eating better.

Then in 2015 I started filming a documentary about my ultra distance triathlete friend Scott and the story of him  training and competing  in the Ultraman race in Hawaii.  I knew I would be needing to keep up to him and other athletes as I documented his journey. I started training for and running half marathons. As it came time to film the documentary the changes I made were a game changer. I can look back now and see how much of an impact it really made as I created the film. Physically, I would say it made me a better filmmaker; giving me the ability to move quicker and even be in a better mental state to make better decisions. It makes a huge difference when your main objective is telling a story. Filmmaking is not just pointing a camera. There’s just so much more that goes into it. 

Good mental health applies to all aspects of life and running has become an outlet that has really helped me find a balance. It’s something that has really helped me get through tough times in my life, by just being alone doing something positive for myself. Running can also give me a goal to work towards; often some kind of race with a date and training schedule. It is a fantastic way to increase my self discipline and helps build confidence knowing that if I can run a half marathon then I can certainly do challenging things in my career. I can be disciplined enough to land big client or complete that project when I’m at the stage where I’m hitting a wall and finding it really difficult. When we’re doing a desk job it always helps to have a change of environment. So many times my best ideas come when I’m running because I’m just out there in a different setting. My body is working on its own thing and my mind is turning and processing the ideas and the things that have been going through my head. It’s a great way for me to have that creativity come alive in my work. 

So whether it’s realizing my next story, or who that main character is for my film, or how to land that gig, or trying to make it all come together as a cohesive story in the edit suite, running gives me a way to clear my mind and give it room for new ideas. So when your body is doing something physical and different like running, painting, walking the dog, or working out in the yard, I think it shifts to allow your mind to work and be creative.

I don’t know the science behind it but it definitely works for me. So when I ask, does running make you a better filmmaker? I would say yes. And the same thing could apply to being a better coworker, a better spouse, or a better parent. I think it definitely does for me because there’s so many factors that come into play that help me to succeed in the work that I do.