Written by Robert Kirkpatrick. President, Lava Studio.

Originally published in DNA Magazine.

So… you have amazing talent and a huge budget.  What else do you need to get incredible images to the screen? Here are some ingredients to keep in mind:

1. Inspiration

Inspiration is the fuel of the creative person. Seek it everywhere. Use your camera. Go for a walk. Listen to music. Brainstorm. Drink good coffee. Try to be influenced by everything.

2. Understanding

Get to know your audience, your product, and your specific goals clearly. Research. Make notes. Refer to your notes so you don’t lose sight of the big picture. Once you are focused, you can relax and trust your instincts.

3. Enthusiasm

Have fun and pour yourself into your work. Keep yourself interested. Pursue the kind of work you enjoy, and then don’t forget to enjoy it. Look for variety. Don’t become more specialized than you want to be.

4. Perspective

Stay cool. Trust yourself. Ignore the panic around you. Don’t take it too seriously. People will seek the one who hasn’t lost his mind. Do an ego check. Remember why you’re doing this. Make the current project- the bird in the hand- your first priority.

5. Flexibility

Be open to new ideas, and don’t be limited by specific instructions. Explore the limits of each project. Go too far (you can always come back). Adapt. Expand. Contract. Resist pressure to conform. Bring your clients gently along as you make their project as good as it can be.

6. Experience

There are no shortcuts here. Pay attention. Ask questions. Make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. Make every experience an asset for the future. Never stop learning.

7. Relationships

People. People who need people… well, you know how it goes. Build solid enjoyable relationships with clients, collaborators, and employees that you respect.

robert@lavastudio.tv