Making Movies

In May, 2016, in one incredibly productive burst, I shot 26 videos in two sessions with my good friend, Maggie Reese. Maggie is the author of Runaway Mind and Runaway Mom, a devoted mother who runs several businesses from home.

The videos were all shot in one take, at Maggie's place, with no script and only minimal editing. One of us would suggest a topic, and we'd run with it: music, family, relationships, sleep, creativity, pets, nature, stress, on and on. Right off the bat, I assumed the persona of the nerd and Maggie the cool kid with practical wisdom. Between the two of us, we had a way of bringing out the best in each other.

Maggie came up with the title, Bipolar Stuff in the Shack with John and Maggie.

Prior to our second shooting, I suggested we do a set of videos, one featuring me as the nerd and the other showcasing Maggie's practical wisdom. These came out as three videos each, "Ask the Nerd," and "Ask Maggie." In "Ask the Nerd," (top video) I'm doing most of the talking while in "Ask Maggie," it's her turn to shine.

Soon after the shooting, Maggie and her family went on summer vacation. It was our intention to shoot many more videos together when she returned, but six weeks later, I had a heart attack and they were cracking me open like a lobster. Hard to believe, viewing myself in these videos.

In the aftermath, I never had the chance to promote these videos. Now is a good time to start ...

John McManamy is the author of Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder and is the publisher of the Bipolar Expert Series, available on Amazon.

Follow John on Twitter at @johnmcman and on Facebook.