Usually my assignments come to me 1 of 3 Ways. On a Drive. A Link. Or in an Email. The drive has Interviews + B-roll shot by a freelancer somewhere. The link takes me to a Dropbox with content a producer has pulled. The email introduces me to a person I need to contact for an interview.

After I review this content and my assignment, my creative process begins with these three Important questions: What story am I telling? Who will be watching? And...How can I engage them?

Then…I look at characters, settings, scenes, themes and emotions that connect the story to my audience on a deep level, and write a Focus Statement.

What's a Focus Statement? It's a single sentence or short phrase that describes what the story is about. Usually I write a 3-Word Focus Statement consisting of a noun, a verb, and an object.

LIKE: Who_Did_What...What_Did_What...This_Does_That.

Other times I write a Short Focus Sentence that usually includes the traditional...Who. What. When.Where. Why. And How.

My 3-Word Focus Statement helps me keep the story on track and gives every scene, soundbite, voiceover and sequence a purpose. Because...unless I can describe this content in one sentence I'm not ready to produce the story.

My Focus Statement is the central message I want people to remember.

And the compass I use to take my audience on a journey.