We recently connected with William Bishop and have shared our conversation below.
William , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Keeping creativity alive is one of the hardest things about being a full-time filmmaker. Sometimes the spark is just not there and you sit and wonder if it will ever come back or worse, if you ever even had it in to begin with.
When I find myself in situations like this, which is all too often, the best thing for me to do is try and mix up the process. I am a big fan of using and experimenting with multiple different tools and mediums. For example, when I am writing a script or a short story I will usually use the computer for practical reasons, but when I feel like my writing is getting stale I will switch it up and grab a notebook and my favorite pen and write in there, or I will pull out one of my typewriters. Typing on a typewriter is like therapy, you can really get a lot of aggression out on those keys. For me, changing the tool creates different ways of working or different ways of thinking. With a typewriter for example, you can’t easily go back and edit what you have written so it forces you to just keep moving and to worry about the editing later.
I also find creativity in limitations. That is where the name of my company, Little Room Pictures comes from. Recently I have been filming a lot in black and white and using an old camcorder, a Canon Vixia, as opposed to our cinema cameras. I don’t know what it is about the camcorder but I find it so small and inconsequential that I actually end up trying more interesting and experimental things than I would with the bigger, more expensive cameras. Through experimenting with the camcorder I find that it creates a texture and a specific look that I am really growing to love and has really got me excited about some projects coming up in the future.
There is a time and place for all tools but sometimes stripping things away and working with the bare minimum can actually be very helpful.
When I am really stuck though and I’ve tried all the usual methods sometimes the only thing you can do is step away and spend time with friends and collaborators, often through conversation new and exciting ideas will emerge and then you start the process over again.
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?
Hello, my name is William Bishop and I am a filmmaker from England, currently living in Jacksonville, Florida. I have been making my own films and working on other people’s films for close to 10 years, and 2 years ago I started my own production company with my friend and collaborator, Bobby Hessler called Little Room Pictures.
We have worked on some really fun and exciting projects since starting the company and are looking forward to working on more in the future.
At Little Room, our goal is to bring our love for the history and craft of filmmaking and cinema to the world of commercial videos, to help small businesses tell their story and grow their audience.
We believe that the human touch and the imperfections that go along with that are what make a piece truly special, so with the development of AI and ChatGPT, we have made it a vital part of our company to utilize no AI in any of the creative processes of making a video or film. What that means for our audience and our clients is that everything they see will be handcrafted by humans for humans.
We are excited to announce that our documentary ‘Machine of Tomorrow’ and our short narrative film ‘Conrad Morrison presents: The Messenger’, will be playing at film festivals in 2024.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think that the most important skills for a full-time creative are time management, resilience, and most importantly, communication.
I wish I could offer more advice but I believe I am still learning and developing these skills. It’s important to find whatever works for you.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
The biggest area of growth I have experienced in the last 12 months is in my ability to trust my instincts and go with what my gut is telling me. When you have so many choices to make as a filmmaker you ultimately need to go with the one that feels right and is the most fun for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: littleroom-pictures.com
- Instagram: @WilliamGBishop @LittleRoomPictures
