What does summer vacation mean in the context of an adult with their own artistic business to run? It means I don’t film any clips in the summer. Why is this? An easy answer is that it gets too hot and humid to be under lights and in front of the camera. But there are so many more reasons other than temperature control to take a summer vacation.
It started in 2017 when I had to take time from work and fitness to recover from a knee sprain. It was around my birthday (June 26) and I decided I would take the rest of summer off. I didn’t have many clips in the can, but I needed the time to recover so I could get back to a healthy routine. I saw that my sales and earnings didn’t suffer from releasing less clips, so the following year I made a plan. I filmed a few extra clips in the days leading up to my birthday and I took the summer off again.
It was a very rewarding decision and I had a lot of fun going to concerts and socializing. It was then that I realized I didn’t want to burden myself with filming in the summer anymore. With each summer vacation, I realized there were a lot of benefits to creating a Film Season and an off season.
Benefit 1: Recovery time! It’s important to take care of our bodies, especially with a physically demanding job like entertainment. We get sore spots that can turn into injuries. We wear uncomfortable clothes or take exaggerated poses. We exhaust our whole bodies and sometimes need days to recover. If we are always pushing ourselves, we never really get that time off from moving to give our bodies the rest they need.
Benefit 2: Getting into a healthy routine! Whether it’s taking the time to make dinner or scheduling daily fitness, filming and content creation can definitely get in the way. When we don’t have to worry about “being on” or actively creating, we can focus on our personal lives and do the vital things that keep our bodies healthy. Eating a healthy dinner at the same time every day, having a regular fitness regimen, and getting into a normal sleep habit are fundamentals that we can sometimes neglect when filming.
Benefit 3: Brain rejuvenation! Inspiration can strike at any time, but if you’re always in the hustle and bustle of filming, it can be easy to miss. Having time off and away from the camera allows our brains to reset and discover inspiration from a variety of unique sources. Plus, the excitement and yearning to get back to creating builds over time, which helps our passion burn. When we’re back at it, we’re full of energy and ready to bring to life all of those ideas that have been developing over the weeks and months.
Benefit 4: Processing your creations! When juggling filming and post-production, editing and admin work can take a backseat. It’s easy for jobs to be rushed or details overlooked and we can end up with a backlog of photos and footage to process. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed at the mountain of work or confused by what’s been released. Giving ourselves a few months off allows us to methodically sort files, process them and even work on marketing campaigns and advertising so more eyes get on our creations.
Benefit 5: Fight burnout! When we’re always on the go and doing the same thing, it’s easy to become tired and apathetic. We might feel stuck in a rut, or just too exhausted to be “on”. We take impromptu days off where we just bum around and get nothing done – and then we feel guilty about it! It can be hard to find the motivation to be sexy and creative when our mood is suffering from being overworked. Performing clip creation tasks in phases can help us focus our energy on one work-related thing at a time, allowing enough mental energy left to take care of our personal well-being.
Benefit 6: Planning the next move! Time away from the camera doesn’t mean time away from clip creation. When we aren’t actively shooting, we can reflect on what we’ve already accomplished and recall those ideas that we didn’t have the time or skills to pull off. Having weeks and months to mull over ideas helps us execute them effortlessly when it’s time to film again. We can also prepare earlier by acquiring specific outfit pieces, props and gear. This leads to more fabulous and professional productions.
Benefit 7: Vacation time! One of the benefits of being our own boss is making the schedule that works best for us. This doesn’t mean just a daily routine or a weekly agenda. Think broadly and choose a time of year that works best to film. My preference is to film in the cold season because it keeps studio temperatures manageable, while also avoiding the distracting sounds of mowers and planes. Plus, I get the warm season to enjoy time outside hiking and landscaping.
Benefit 8: Bragging rights! We get to brag that we only film during a certain time of year, just like mainstream entertainment companies. Movie stars aren’t constantly working on set for a new film. TV shows aren’t always in the studio shooting the next episode. By taking the time to recover and reset, we’re actually doing things more professionally. Just like Hollywood.
The benefits just keep adding up! I’m currently taking my eighth summer vacation from filming and my routine is much more free. Work hours are being spent editing all of the exciting cinematic series I filmed last season. When inspiration strikes, I’m ready to develop the series that will be shot starting this November. The sore spots on my body are being addressed and my muscles are being built stronger, making sexier abs and a more firm ass than I ended the season with. And I’m enjoying the flexibility of not having film and prep days anchoring the calendar.
How can I pull it all off? With lists and schedules! More on that later.
