Hi S32'ers,
I hope this season is giving you the chance to recharge and tap into whatever fuels your creativity.
As the year comes to a close, I’m dropping in with a nudge to reflect on the incredible journey you’ve had in 2024 and think about what 2025 could mean for your filmmaking career. I know, I know—reflecting might sound like something from a corporate team-building exercise:
"Yay, Kevin from accounting just did a trust-fall!"
But for creators like us, it’s how we turn raw experience into actionable insights for our craft and career.
8 Powerful Prompts to Uncover the Lessons and Wins You Didn’t Know You Had!
Recently, I sat down with my team, and we journaled through a series of "prompts" (not the AI kind) that helped us gain clarity about our direction. It’s a simple but powerful exercise I’d love to share with you. Here are the prompts:
1. Your proudest personal moment from 2024.
2. Your proudest professional moment from 2024.
3. One thing you want to bring into 2025 (and why).
4. One thing you want to leave behind in 2024.
5. A surprise from this year that changed your perspective.
6. One key marker of success for you in 2025.
7. A message you’d like your collaborators or team to understand about you.
8. One way they can support you in achieving your vision.
Here’s the thing: the difference between a good filmmaker and a great one isn’t just talent—it’s the ability to turn lessons into leverage.
Use these as a solo exercise, or bring them to your creative circle, collaborators, or even your producing partners. Whether you journal it out, workshop it, or let it simmer in your mind, I hope it adds value to your creative process. If you’re inspired to share any insights, I’d love to hear them.
Here’s to storytelling, breaking barriers, and making 2025 the year we all get a little closer to our cinematic dreams.
Leave a comment and let me know how you're planning for a successful 2025!
3 people like this
Happy New Year, Alex LeMay! Thanks for sharing the prompts. I'll have to let them simmer. I've been creating new scripts and pitch material, polishing old scripts and pitch material, networking, and learning more about the industry so I can have a successful year in 2025.
3 people like this
Hi Alex, thank you for sharing these insightful prompts—perfect for rounding out the year with clarity and intention. Reflecting on 2024, my proudest professional moment has been expanding my animated series Soturi while engaging a global audience through allblackanime. For 2025, I’m focused on building partnerships that bring diverse stories to life and breaking new ground in the animation space. Here's to a year of growth and storytelling!
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This is fantastic, @alexlemay ! Reflection is often overlooked in the whirlwind of production, but it's incredibly valuable. As a composer, I find that these prompts can be easily adapted to my own journey:
Proudest Personal Moment: Completing the score for We Move], a project that pushed me creatively and allowed me to experiment with new sounds.
Proudest Professional Moment: Building a strong working relationship with a particular director, leading to multiple successful collaborations.
Bring into 2025: A renewed focus on mindfulness and work-life balance to prevent burnout.
Leave Behind in 2024: The fear of failure. I want to embrace experimentation and explore new sonic territories without the pressure of perfection.
Surprise: Discovering the power of collaboration with other artists, like visual artists and sound designers, to create truly unique and immersive soundscapes.
Key Marker of Success: Scoring a feature film that resonates deeply with audiences and receives critical acclaim.
Message for Collaborators: I value open communication and trust. I believe the best scores are born from a true partnership between composer and filmmaker.
Support: I'd appreciate open and honest feedback on my work, even if it's challenging.
Thank you for sharing these insightful prompts. They've given me a lot to reflect on as I embark on a new year of creative endeavors.