“If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand to begin with.”

I think there are only two things I could say this about:

The Grateful Dead
Harley-Davidson

Both are serious power houses in their own right. Both have seen the bottom of the ditch and have pulled out of it, more than once. Both have a rabid and loyal following that can make even blood family pale in comparison.

This is no mistake either. Currently each organization has a devoted and aggressive marketing juggernaut that pushes their image and lifestyle into the forefronts of people’s minds. True push notifications. Both have been studied in academia for their ground breaking marketing and customer service models.

The Grateful Dead is celebrating 50 years in 2015, and oh “what a long strange trip it’s been”! It’s been announced that they will play Chicago’s Soldier Field, nearly 20 years to the day of the last-ever Grateful Dead concert. Jerry Garcia’s departure from this world’s plane of existence will have happened 20 years ago by the time they (hopefully) play Lockn’ Festival. His presence will be felt and heard during the Dead’s performances. Ultimately the music is what drives the bus, so to speak. “The bus came by and I got on, that’s when it all began”. The music transcends time and space. The music will play the bands, who play the music of the Grateful Dead as it finishes out its second half of its first century,

Although Willy G. and the founders of Harley-Davidson are no longer at the helm, the Motor Company continues to rumble into the hearts, minds, and souls of the devoted, the faithful, and those who “get it”. With new technology and product lines that appeal to the great, great grandchildren of the founders, they’ve also managed to cling to the old technology no longer used by motorcycle manufacturers, and make it sell more than ever!

I now own my second Harley and it’s not even broken in yet. However, the 1,000 miles I’ve put on it this winter reaffirm the reason I ride, the reason I love the rumble, the speed, the feelings I can’t explain in words to those who don’t get it. In the end it’s all about the machine itself. The machine is what has created this inexplicable “something”.

What does this have to do with film making?

There are many things that can’t be explained in mere words. One has to live it to understand it. Those around you may not get it for a long time, if ever. The communication of oneself through ones lifestyle and path in life is a frustrating means of communication. It’s not immediate in most cases. It takes time and patience. It takes acceptance and humility from both the messenger and the recipient. I can’t talk to you if my eye is looking through a camera’s view finder. I see nothing and nothing matters outside of it. I’m single minded and focused. Multitasking is a big distraction and slows me down. I’m not the only one either. Those of us who are afflicted with this creative single mindedness can come off as rude or disconnected to the casual observer or new acquaintances. That’s not how we are. We are passionate, connected and hypersensitive to the world around us.

I read a script for a short film last night that, after it’s third draft, finally got me. It made me anticipate what was coming next…it made me feel…it made a tear come to my eye at the reading of the last line delivered by a three year old little girl.

Bingo! Yahtzee! We have a winner!

The collaborative process is hard to explain to someone. It’s the evolution and love of a project, that makes us want to work on a it, not the ROI! The love of the project is directly connected to the love of the people involved because the project is made by people. It’s the essence of humanity, creative endeavor, collaboration, connectedness…

It’s attitude! Harley-Davidson has it, The Grateful Dead have it, I have it…and, if you have to ask…