We Are Back!
Creative Club Season 2 Begins!
We are back! We know you’ve missed your bi-weekly creative challenges. Today is the beginning of our 2nd content season! Great to have you back. This season will include 20 creative challenges from 5 different creatives. Each challenge will be delivered to you every other Monday.
Last season, each creative came up with their own challenge and completed it themselves. For this season the team members at Simplex Minds will be individually challenging each other. The person being challenged will then do their best to complete the challenge, publish it, and then open it up for you to try yourself.
Through these challenges, we hope to inspire you to create alongside us. We want you to want to exercise your creative muscles alongside us.
For our first challenge, Carissa challenges us to create 2 TikToks. I (Troy) personally have been very averse to getting involved with TikTok, so she thinks it would be fun to challenge me, to create on the one platform I just don’t want to be involved in.
Challenge accepted. Let’s have some fun with this.
Challenge: Create 2 TikToks
A take on a TikTok trend
Open format
Rules:
Vertical, short form video
Must be shot on phone
The TikTok trend must be shot first!
Let’s get to it
Step 1 - Find a trend
TikTok is vast with a large amount of communities within the platform. I am pretty much starting with a blank slate. I have probably spent a total of 30 minutes on TikTok. We need to curate our For You Page and find creators/creatives we think are cool. Searching hashtags with your general interests is a great place to start. I started with #photography, then began to like different videos, and the algorithm began to curate TikToks on interesting camera tips & tricks from videography & photography. From there you’ll be able to find a format/trend that interests you. Just keep scrolling & liking videos until the one you want to try pops out to you.
Step 2 - Figure out the essence of the trend
Trends on TikTok have a rhythm & format to them. That is either the music, the lead in, or the contents of the video. Usually, the audio will hold essence of your trend. What we can do is tap on the little circle in the bottom right of your phone to see what others have done with that audio. From there, we can get a good idea of what that trend entails.
Step 3 - Ideate your angle on the trend
If you want to copy the trend verbatim from another creator, go for it. But, it could be a bit more fun to figure out our own personal angle on the trend. What can we do in order to make the trend ours? What kind of change can we do to the trend to add our own flair? This is different for everyone. From the previous step, we now understand the essence of what the trend is. In this step we can mold the trend to be something a bit more personal to who we are. Move into asking “what ifs” with the trend. “What if I moved the camera here?” “What if instead of doing this, we do that.” And so on. Keep asking questions & brainstorm.
Step 4 - Plan out the video
What shots do you need to do? Is there a location you need to go to? What equipment would work best? Do you need a friend for the video?
Step 5 - Shoot the video
This is the step where the most amount of excuses can happen. Excuses are not your friend at this moment. Excuses kills the project. When someone you care about hits you up to hang out, you make time. Just like making time for your best friend, make some time for your creativity. You deserve it.
Take some time out of your day and shoot the video. Use the amount of time you have and shoot the video to the best of your ability. Do NOT get caught up in trying to get the perfect shot. Done is better than perfect. This is the hardest step, no doubt.
Step 6 - Edit the video
I chose to edit the video on my computer using DaVinci Resolve. Use whatever editing software you have on hand. It seems like CapCut is the editor of choice for most TikTokers. Edit to the flow of the trend. The person you are following already has the blueprint, just follow that blueprint.
Step 7 - Upload the TikTok
With whatever editor you use, export the video and bring it to your phone. For Apple products, you have to export your video as a .mp4, and then you can AirDrop your video onto your phone.
Now, we go onto TikTok and go to the template video you plan to use. In the bottom right of the video there will be a little circle icon. The same icon we pressed at the beginning to see all of the other videos that use that audio. Press that icon and then on the next screen press “Use this sound”. You can then Upload your video and use the audio from the trend. Add in your description and publish! You did it!
My attempt
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
TikTok #2 (Open Format)
For this one, do whatever you would like for the video. It’s open format. The world is your oyster! Create whatever you like.
I’m going to stick with following behind those that have created videos I enjoy. I just want to get another video posted.
I decided to post two more videos.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I decided to do another take on the trend and another shorter video. I just feel like it fits my voice well. It also fits the type of clips I enjoy filming. I love documenting the mundane and taking you to the places I film.
Tips
Find a video that inspires you and/or seems fun to do
We are creating for fun. Find something you think you would have fun with and enjoy and go for it.
Find a sound bite that inspires you
A fun sound bite can get your imagination going.
Keep it simple
Don’t overwhelm yourself and try to do too much.
Conclusion
Give it a shot.
The fun thing with TikTok is that you can just practice on there. Nothing needs to be perfect. You can choose a skill you want to practice and turn it into a TikTok. If you want to practice vertical tripod shots, you can turn it into a TikTok. If you want to practice your color blending with acrylic paint, you can turn it into a TikTok. If you want to learn a new dance move, you can turn it into a TikTok.
I have been about anti-tiktok when it comes to creating as they come. I just didn’t spend enough time finding the content I actually find inspiring. Give this challenge a shot.
(Don’t tell Carissa that everything was shot with my camera & not my phone 🤫)
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New challenge in two weeks. The next will be on self-love by Carissa. We’re glad to be back.
We’re excited to create alongside y’all again.
I read that last part 🙂↔️