We were lucky to catch up with Dalton Burdette recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dalton, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
How do you keep creativity alive? It’s simple…keep creating. Many artists often get bogged down by “the right time” and something I have come to realize is; there is no better time than now. If there is any fear of failure, it will kill your creative instincts. You are going to fail. You are going to embarrass yourself. You are going to wish you did something differently. What separates you from everyone else is that you are actually doing something. You will learn a little more each time you try, but you have to try first. The more you create, the harder it is to ignore you.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Storytelling is such an incredible thing because it can be done in so many forms. I personally have always loved the storytelling in movies. Movies are the closest thing to real magic that I think people can experience. People from different backgrounds, who had different days, different families, different everything; can sit down and enjoy the same movie. Nothing else matters for those two hours that you look at that screen. That experience is unlike any other, and I’ve tried for a long time to recreate it. From playing with early 2000s video cameras to downloading video editing apps onto an iPod touch; I knew that making movies was something that I had to do. I’ve been fortunate enough to write and direct 4 short films, with many on the way, and it brings me joy every day. Something I am proud of is that my rag-tag team and I do everything ourselves, and then bring it to the world to see. My small production company, Movie Knights Producions, LLC has never let me down when it comes to micro-budget filmmaking. Do I wish I was making big movies with the major studios? Of course I do…but there is something so refreshing about rounding up the crew and going out to do it yourself.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that will help any aspiring filmmaker:
Networking – Go to that local film festival. Go be a PA on that set. Go take that meeting with a composer looking for collaborators. Movies can’t be made alone, and there are so many people looking to be a part of a crew. If you are where they are, they can be part of yours.
Patience – Your first draft of the screenplay can be abd. The first take your actor does can be bad. The first cut of your film can be bad. Guess what…that’s all okay. Right now you have the advantage of not being tied to a release date; use that advantage. Write that extra draft, shoot that extra shot, extend that extra clip. Make your film as good as it can be.
Finishing – If you try to fix it as you go, whether it be the script, post-production, etc…You are doomed. Always finish what you are working on first, then go back and make edits. Even if it is the worst thing you have ever seen, finish it. If you try to fix it as you go, you’ll be doing that forever, and your project will never see the light of day.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I’d say the most impactful thing my parents did for me, in regard to my film aspirations, was not taking me off the path. Every parent wants their child to be successful, and they knew that pursuing this career would lead to years of struggle, but they never discouraged me from pursuing it. They kept me informed that they would be there if I needed them, and then they let me run into this filmmaking world while keeping a watchful eye. Knowing that they were there for me allowed me to feel more comfortable taking risks.
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