Breaking it down

In an effort to get my shiznit together for work, I've been reading through David Allen's "Getting Things Done". As someone who has more ideas than completed projects - in both my personal life and working life - I figure, what the heck. This book might actually do me some good.

Allen has several tips on brainstorming, including one that he refers to as mind-mapping. Recently, my mind has been spinning with all the possibilities related to my crazy idea. I thought that maybe mind-mapping might help get my thoughts organized.

So, I sat down, wrote "The movie" in the center of a sheet of paper and just started mapping whatever came to mind.

I'm very happy with the results, and I now realize that there are eight areas that must be addressed. They are:

1. Philosophy - what is the overall philosophy of the project?
2. Media - what look do I want aesthetically?
3. Crew - how many people will I need?
4. Equipment - what do I need and how do I get it?
5. Locations - what places are available to me?
6. Music - how much and what kind of music will I want for the film, if any?
7. Story - what is the structure and feel of the narrative?
8. Acting - who (actors or non-actors) would I like on camera?

Sure, some of these areas are connected, but these were the things that kept spinning around my brain, all disorganized. But now, I know what I'm up against. And that's a good feeling.

-Eric