Laab Notes Vol. 7

Welcome to the latest edition of Laab Notes. This month, I (Mitch) wanted to share about my much-needed creative reset, talk about how the creative industry is changing, and share advice on how to get more opportunities as a creative.

Creative Reset in Norway 🏔️

You know those times where there is just too much noise in your head and you need to get away from it all? That’s how I was feeling.

Building a business, creating content for myself, FilmLaab, and clients, juggling my health, and managing my personal life ultimately showed me that I have too much on my plate.

So what did I need to do? I needed to take some time away from it all.

I booked a flight with my brother and two best friends and went to Norway. I had no real plans other than to take the time to still my mind.

And guess what? I did just that.

I took time to go on runs, write in my journal, and just sit alone with my thoughts.

The not-so-crazy result? I felt better. My head was clear. I had creativity flowing on demand.

I started thinking, how can I have this same creativity and clear mind when I’m at home? Because it’s easy to do when you're 5,000+ miles away from all the things that take your time and attention, but how do you do that when you’re in the thick of it all?

Really, I just think creativity needs space. Time to do nothing. But while you’re doing nothing, still have a goal in mind. What story do I want to tell? What problem do I want to solve? Then let your mind have some space. You’ll be amazed at what can come.

I actually sat down and shared 3 tactics/practices that I believe can help creativity flow. If you’re interested, check out the video below.

The Creative Industry is Changing 🎬

I think basically anyone who picks up a camera, takes time to draw/design, practices music, etc. can see that the creative industry is changing. Distribution for all art has significantly moved over to an online and social platform.

Music artists are making catchy/danceable tracks to entice TikTokers to make trending videos. Goodbye traditional record labels and distribution.

Graphic designers are competing with A.I. tools, cheap labor in India from Fivver, and Canva.

Filmmakers and photographers are becoming a dime a dozen. And with the rise of stock footage, A.I., iPhone content, the competition is even more steep.

So, how do we, as creatives, stay at the top of relevancy?

Put simply, you need to have a brand.

This could be a personal brand, a company you’re building, or a combination of the two.

The truth is there are many other Directors, DP’s, Writers, Editors, Podcast Producers, who are more talented than me and my team. No shade to our crew. That’s just the fact.

But what helps us stay ahead of the curve and cut through the noise? People know who we are, they feel connected to our story and therefore they want to work with US, even if there could be a better option somewhere.

People connect with people. So if you have a personality, showcase your work so they understand your capabilities, and then have a smooth process for them to work with you: they’ll be pounding down your door.

Now, as stated, you need to be good at creating the product. No amount of good PR and exposure will offset you not being able to do the work.

Get good at what you do. Tell your story. Share with people what you love. They will come.

FilmLaab’s Latest and Greatest 🧪

Before saying goodbye, here are a couple of updates from our team at FilmLaab:

• We bought a $50,000 RED camera and did a little unboxing video… enjoy.

• We’ve now got a website up for renting out our studios here in Draper, Utah! Want to roll through or just browse the web? Check the site here.

• We dropped a new podcast interviewing the 4 award winning directors from our film festival. You can watch that here.

Until next time,

Mitch