Creating Original Content

When you’re surrounded by all the different filming locations in San Antonio, the possibilities feel endless. I’m constantly looking at everyday situations in terms of production.

A while back, I was getting my oil changed when the salesperson launched into this long explanation about why I desperately needed new windshield wipers. I didn’t go there for windshield wipers.

I went for an oil change. But suddenly this guy had made it his personal mission to convince me that my life would somehow fall apart if I left without buying new wipers. There’s a scene there.

Another time, I went into Whataburger and ordered a bottle of water because I needed to use the restroom.

“Just a bottle of water, please.”

“Would you like to try one of our What-a-Deal meals today?”

“No, thank you. Just the water.”

“How about the Big Ranch Wrap?”

“I’m not hungry. I’m literally just trying to buy a bottle of water so I can use the restroom.”

“If you’re not that hungry, we have a Cobb salad.”

There’s a scene there too.

Start Looking at Life Like a Writer

Life basically becomes a Seinfeld episode once you start thinking in terms of production. Some of the best ideas for short films, comedy scenes, demo reel material, sketches, and character work come from completely normal situations. You don’t always need to sit down and force yourself to invent some massive original concept.

Start with something that actually happened.

Then change it. Heighten it. Make the salesperson more aggressive. Make the customer more frustrated. Give the scene a stronger beginning. Create an ending that never happened. Combine two different people you’ve met into one character. That’s where writing starts getting fun.

Pay Attention to the Characters Around You

If you’re an actor, start paying attention to the kinds of characters you would actually like to play.

Who do you notice when you’re out in public? The overly confident salesperson? The exhausted restaurant employee? The guy who tells his entire life story to a stranger at the grocery store? The contractor who promises something will take twenty minutes and is still there three hours later? Real people give you character ideas constantly. You just have to start noticing them.

And once you start doing that, you’ll realize you probably have far more material around you than you thought.

Actors Don’t Have to Wait for Someone Else to Cast Them

One of the things we focus on at Dope Creative Studios in San Antonio is helping actors stop waiting around for opportunities.

You can create your own scenes. You can write material specifically for the types of roles you want to play. You can shoot comedy, drama, short films, sketches, demo reel scenes, or even develop an ongoing series.

And you don’t have to already consider yourself a writer. That’s part of the process. Take an idea. Turn it into a scene. Put it on camera. Watch it back. Figure out what works. Then make the next one better.

When you’re creating your own content, there really aren’t many rules. In fact, some of the ideas that feel a little strange, ridiculous, or outside the box are usually the ones worth exploring.

If you're an actor in San Antonio and you want to create original scenes, build your demo reel, develop characters, practice writing, or shoot your own content, that's exactly what we're doing at Dope Creative Studios.

Stop waiting for somebody to give you a role. Make one.