Since releasing our documentary minimalism to Netflix back in December, I've gotten this question a lot.

How can you possibly be a minimalist and a filmmaker at the same time?

On the surface, this question might seem like it's based on a misunderstanding of what

minimalism actually is, but truthfully,

I think it comes from filmmakers who are paralyzed with choices.

Companies and peers sell them on the gear that they absolutely need to have.

Just like the average consumer, they've become inundated with options.

The underlying assumption?

You need more stuff. As a filmmaker, I've acquired a lot of

stuff over the years. I've got lenses, tripods, cables and batteries, cameras and camera stabilizers.

I've got mics and drones. The simple truth that any decent filmmaker will tell you is that the

tool doesn't matter, that you could go out and shoot a feature

film with an iPhone, and if the content is good enough, it will succeed. I completely agree with this,

and at the same time totally disagree. Let me explain. Every couple years, I make a big investment. Usually

it means buying a new camera. And every single time I do this, I have family and friends tell me that I'm insane.

When it first happened, I was buying a Canon 5D Mark 2 for over $3,000. I didn't have the money.

I couldn't even afford rent at the time, so I had to borrow it from my parents. Everyone I talked to

who thought that I was a complete idiot. The camera you have is fine, they said. How much better could this one be? Listen, if I

stopped buying new cameras with the first one I'd ever bought, I'd still be using a plastic Sony

handy cam recording to tape. I doubt I could find a client who'd take me seriously. The tool is crucial,

but the mindset is way more important. You should be focusing relentlessly on getting better,

building upon each project, learning from them to create something even better tomorrow.

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