A simple technique used by filmmakers, students, and business owners to get unstuck and get things done.
You know that feeling. You’ve got a big project sitting on your desk a pitch to write, a video to edit, a proposal to finish and every time you look at it, you just… don’t start. The task feels too big, too heavy, too everything.
We’ve been there too, I’ve been there multiple times. Video production involves a lot of moving parts: pre-production planning, filming days, hours of editing, client feedback rounds. Without a system, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed before you’ve even pressed record.
Enter the Pomodoro Technique
Back in the late 1980s, a university student named Francesco Cirillo was struggling to focus. He grabbed a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato “pomodoro in Italian” set it for 25 minutes, and made a deal with himself: just work until it rings.
That simple idea became one of the most widely used productivity techniques in the world. The concept is beautifully straightforward: work in focused 25-minute bursts, take a short break, repeat. No multitasking, no distractions… just you and the task in front of you.
Give It a Try Right Now
We’ve built a free Pomodoro timer you can use straight from your browser. No app download, no sign-up, nothing to install. Just open it, type what you’re working on, and hit start.
Technique originally developed by Francesco Cirillo, Click Pomodoro to learn more
How It Works
Just one. Write it down. Give it your full attention.
No emails, no scrolling, no “just a quick check.” You’re in the zone.
That’s one Pomodoro done. Mark it off, it feels surprisingly good.
Step away, stretch, make a brew. Let your brain breathe.
15–20 minutes. You’ve earned it. Then go again.
We started applying this to our own workflow at EMV and honestly, it changed how we approach edit days. What used to feel like an endless mountain of footage became a series of focused sprints (Thank you Dr. Anna Klenert for sharing this Technique with me). One Pomodoro for logging clips. One for rough cut. One for colour. Suddenly a full edit day felt structured rather than chaotic.
It works just as well for MBA study sessions, writing proposals, or getting through your inbox. Anything daunting becomes manageable when you shrink it down to 25 minutes at a time.
