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“The beauty of a move lies not in its appearance but in the thought behind it.” – Aaron Nimzowitsch
Enhanced patience, objectivity, stability, confidence and intuition are qualities that all aspiring chess masters and videographers should have. We need patience to grind through a position or project. We practice objectivity for accurate assessment. We strive for stability to maintain a clear mind and we strengthen our intuition to act fast and accurately when necessary.
1. Be Pa·tient [the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset]
Chess is a game that requires a lot of patience in order to learn and improve. There is always something new to study and there’s always room for improvement. Like chess, mastering videography requires the same patience. The “10,000 hour rule,” based on a study by psychologist Anders Ericsson, suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to master any subject. To practice at anything for this amount of time (20 hours for 50 weeks a year for ten years) would require a high degree of patience and dedication. Long productions, editing sessions and chess games can be grueling, but refined patience can make these experiences bearable and, more often than not, enjoyable. In my experience, patiently enduring an uncomfortable situation often leads to a breakthrough.
2. Be Ob·jec·tive [not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts]
When assessing a chess position or an edit that you’re working on, it’s usually best to make decisions based on objective analysis. In my experience, detachment from my personal emotions when making decisions has yielded better results in my chess games. A lot of the time, being too attached to certain ideas has made me less flexible in my decision-making processes, and I’ve learned by playing a lot of chess that whoever has the more flexible position usually has the advantage. This lesson has been useful when I’m editing videos for clients. Objectivity and flexibility when editing for clients is critical. I usually have to submit a number of revisions before a client is perfectly happy. Being flexible and objective has helped me addresses client notes painlessly and usually without complications.
3. Be Sta·ble [sane and sensible; not easily upset or disturbed]
I was watching a video about one of Magnus Carlsen’s tournament chess games on youtube recently and the video’s commentator mentioned an interesting point about the world champion. He noted that one of the main reasons Magnus Carlsen has achieved the status that he has is partially due to his stability in his private life. He added that one of the reasons why other strong players don’t reach a status parallel to Carlsen’s is due to the fact that they lack stability outside of their chess careers. This point really resonated with me. Even though I have been fortunate to have a strong family support system and a college education, I’ve struggled with maintaining complete stability in my own life. Hearing that Carlsen’s stability influences his extraordinary skill influenced me to strive for stability daily. Video production takes a lot of focus and attention to detail. Try not to let issues in your personal life affect your diligence, work ethic or performance.
4. Be Con·fi·dent [the feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities]
In the same video about Magnus Carlsen’s superior ability, the commentator also mentioned that Carlsen’s confidence enhances his execution. In my experience, when I play chess with confidence, I tend to have better results. On the other hand, when I play timidly and second-guess myself, I usually lose. It’s important to be confident in your abilities in chess and in video production work. Evaluate your skill set accurately and execute tasks with a strong belief in your capabilities.
5. Have a Strong In·tu·i·tion [the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning]
When I talk to more experienced Chess players they usually suggest that over the years they’ve developed a strong chess intuition. They’re able to make good moves without thinking hard about them due to their experience playing many chess games. In video production, having a strong intuition is also valuable. If you’re able to address problems before they come up or do what’s necessary before the necessity is realized by others, you increase your value. Most production sets are fast-paced environments so it’s beneficial to be able to make good decisions intuitively. Often times when playing chess, I usually make an error when I don’t make the move that my intuition suggests. Over time, strengthening your intuition and developing trust in your intuition will make you a stronger player.