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If You're Serious About Film and TV, You Should Have a Letterboxd
The older I get, the harder it is for me to remember all the movies I've watched over the course of my life. For a long time, I tried to log them in Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, but that always fell apart. Now, I have a Letterboxd, and my life is so much better. I track what I watch, and I can look back to see how I felt about certain movies. I feel like this sounds like an ad, but I truly think if you want to work in any aspect of movies and TV, you need an account on this app. There are free and paid ones (I'm a pro!), and I'm making no money from posting this, but Letterboxd has made my life much better. Let's dive in. - YouTube www.youtube.com Why You Need a Letterboxd I have that AMC Stubs pass that lets me see four movies a week, and I subscribe to all the major streamers. I'm averaging watching a couple of movies a day, and I know that will probably slow down when my wife and I have kids. But for right now, I am consuming a ton of media. I like doing this for two reasons: the first being that I just love it so much, and I feel like it helps inform my own art. The second is that when I walk into a general meeting or hop on a Zoom, I have something to talk about when people are asking me what I've been watching lately. I know the title of this article sounds dire, but I think it really matters to track and log what you are watching and how you feel about it. It will help inform your taste over time, allow you to mature and revisit, and help you see what you consumed in a year. When I go back to make my top ten lists for any given year, I find myself forgetting what I've seen. Now, I have a handy diary that will tell me. And when I watch something new or for the tenth time, I want a record showing I was there and engaged with it. Creating a ritual around movie watching also makes it feel special and important. There are no throwaways, you show your value each piece of art you consume, even if you didn't love it, or even like it. - YouTube www.youtube.com The Four Favorites A lot of the pressure on Letterboxd comes from picking your four favorite films. I find that I am constantly thinking, switching, and revising them. I love following celebrities to see what they're watching. I love checking in on my friends to see what they like and don't, and commenting. I use it to start new text conversations and email chains. I send my reviews to people or call them about theirs. I've found that it's another way to engage with the thing I love the most: movies. And when it comes to writing, it forces me to engage with different genres and really dig into how I feel about the writing, directing, cinematography, and all the other elements. It makes me a better movie watcher, and therefore, a better artist. Summing It All Up Look, it's completely okay if Letterboxd isn't your jam; I just think this would help. And I think we all need to be better when it comes to engaging with the medium where we want to work. For me, Letterboxd helps me be mindful of that. I hope you find the same thing. Let me know what you think in the comments.
The older I get, the harder it is for me to remember all the movies I've watched over the course of my life. For a long time, I tried to log them in Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, but that always fell apart.
Now, I have a Letterboxd, and my life is so much better. I track what I watch, and I can look back to see how I felt about certain movies.
I feel like this sounds like an ad, but I truly think if you want to work in any aspect of movies and TV, you need an account on this app. There are free and paid ones (I'm a pro!), and I'm making no money from posting this, but Letterboxd has made my life much better.
Let's dive in.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Why You Need a Letterboxd
I have that AMC Stubs pass that lets me see four movies a week, and I subscribe to all the major streamers. I'm averaging watching a couple of movies a day, and I know that will probably slow down when my wife and I have kids.
But for right now, I am consuming a ton of media. I like doing this for two reasons: the first being that I just love it so much, and I feel like it helps inform my own art.
The second is that when I walk into a general meeting or hop on a Zoom, I have something to talk about when people are asking me what I've been watching lately.
I know the title of this article sounds dire, but I think it really matters to track and log what you are watching and how you feel about it. It will help inform your taste over time, allow you to mature and revisit, and help you see what you consumed in a year.
When I go back to make my top ten lists for any given year, I find myself forgetting what I've seen. Now, I have a handy diary that will tell me. And when I watch something new or for the tenth time, I want a record showing I was there and engaged with it.
Creating a ritual around movie watching also makes it feel special and important. There are no throwaways, you show your value each piece of art you consume, even if you didn't love it, or even like it.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
The Four Favorites
A lot of the pressure on Letterboxd comes from picking your four favorite films. I find that I am constantly thinking, switching, and revising them. I love following celebrities to see what they're watching. I love checking in on my friends to see what they like and don't, and commenting.
I use it to start new text conversations and email chains. I send my reviews to people or call them about theirs.
I've found that it's another way to engage with the thing I love the most: movies.
And when it comes to writing, it forces me to engage with different genres and really dig into how I feel about the writing, directing, cinematography, and all the other elements. It makes me a better movie watcher, and therefore, a better artist.
Summing It All Up
Look, it's completely okay if Letterboxd isn't your jam; I just think this would help. And I think we all need to be better when it comes to engaging with the medium where we want to work.
For me, Letterboxd helps me be mindful of that. I hope you find the same thing.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
