What if you built the whole plane out of the black box?

A classic joke in the aviation industry is, if the black box is the only thing that survives the crash, why not build the whole plane out of it?

I always appreciated the snarkiness, but also the logic of this one liner.

Because theoretically, black boxing would make the aircraft indestructible. Sadly, it’s not a serious engineering suggestion. The black box is designed to withstand extreme conditions such as high impact forces and intense heat during a crash. If the whole plane was made out of that material, it would be an engineering nightmare.

The vessel would be excessively heavy, cost prohibitive to build, and the functionality would be impractical for flight.

Oh well. Guess my career as an aeronautical engineer is just a pipe dream, no pun intended.

However, there is a larger principle behind this black boxing strategy. One that can be replicated in other areas of life for greater fulfillment.

You simply take the one small thing that works and scale it. Identify and replicate that which provides the most leverage for your needs, and use that to save time, resources and effort; while also maximizing positive results.

Let me share an example of black boxing in my own creative work.

My favorite visual element of films is often the b roll, which is the secondary footage with little or no sound, action, dialogue or characters. The composition of the shots is about context and perspective, providing a more comprehensive visual experience for the audience.

B roll still manages to tell stories, evoke emotions, and engage viewers, purely through the language of visuals.

And so, when I first had the idea to make my western film, I thought to myself, well shit, what if the whole movie was b roll? What if there was no script, plot or narrative arc, just music and lyrics and landscapes?

This constraint was energizing to me for many reasons.

First, it would allow nature to do the heavy lifting for me. Who needs actors when you have mountains and cactus? I am not a screenwriter, nor do I have any desire to be one.

Instead, now I could play with various recorded instruments and editing techniques and visual effects to evoke emotion for me. This makes the viewing experience unlike any other western movie out there.

Because the film is pure atmosphere. Abstract, interpretive and impressionistic.

Plus, making the movie itself would leverage solely my skills as a photographer, writer, musician and storyteller. I wouldn’t have to stress out about scripts and actors and sets and schedules and fundraising. I just grab the camera and start shooting.

My whole approach to making this film was lean, fast, simple, joyful and independent. I took this one thing that I loved, built the whole project around it, and elevated that into my primary aesthetic technique. No complexities or constraints to stand in my way of what was most exciting, which was shooting cool shit in the desert. I let the black box do its magic.

What if you took the one small thing that worked and scaled it? Is there a black boxing strategy that would unlock greater fulfillment in your creative projects?

My recommendation is to start with your strengths and your joys. Reflect on the smallest viable slice of the process that excites you the most, but also leverages your natural gifts. Use this core element as your organizing principle going forward. Make it the central focus of your work. Then, keep introducing constraints.

Not so many that you have no room to maneuver, but just enough so that you’re not bogged down by traditional expectations and elements. Paint yourself into a corner, and use your genius to create your way out of it.

What if you built the whole plane out of this one thing?