Okay, I have to share this. I think it gives me some hardcore “geek cred”, you know, proof that I was always a big nerd, or maybe dork/dweeb might fit better here..

Set the way back machine to the summer of 1990. I had just turned 15 and for my birthday, my mother had finally caved in and bought me that VHS camcorder that I had begged her for. I immediately set forth recording EVERYTHING. I’ll be honest, going through these tapes, most of it will never again be seen outside of my home, but this little….thing right here, well, I’ve always had a weird amount of pride for it.

Is it bad? Yes, that’s an understatement. Is it cheesy and derivative? What do you expect from a 15-year-old budding cinephile, currently obsessed with the sci-fi serials of the 30s & 40s?

I got this idea in my head and called my buddies over. There was no script, no set-up, just an idea. We grabbed what was around us and worked with it. I think that’s what I love most about this. The imagination and innovation involved. I wasn’t thinking about how bad it would look, all I cared about was making a little movie. I took what I had and ran. That’s something we lose as adults, that fearlessness and pride in just taking a shot and doing whatever we can with whatever we’ve got. We spend so much time and effort trying to make sure something is “good” or “quality” that many times, we lose focus and just end up doing nothing at all. It’s kind of sad if you think about it.

So, anyway, what do you all think? Why not make a short film of your own this weekend? Post your links in the comment section or just email them to me (chrism at nerd-base.com). If I get enough I’ll dedicate a section of the site to them!!