Learning from the success and failures of my first year I was keen to take whatever challenges awaited me during my second term. My aims for this year were to inform my knowledge across all spectrums to give myself the best start for my final dissertation year.
The screenwriting module MDA2100 offered me the chance to write creatively again which had taken a backseat to my ongoing theoretical essays. I found the course informative and quite leisurely. Imagining my characters behave and creating a narrative that was governed by the various restrictions of filming on a minimum budget was invigorating. Understanding how characters communicate through other means than just vocally, paired with in-class improvisation helped avoid on-the-nose dialogue. I worked hard and read hard on my script The Uses Of Others and was pleased when it was chosen as one of 12 to be included in a script pool for the consecutive producing and directing module.
I picked the producing and directing module MDA2800 to have an opportunity to enhance my practical skills and it turned out to be a very challenging experience. Disappointed that my script wasn't picked up to be produced, though I understood the reasons, I was asked to join one group as a director for the sci-fi project Opus One. The story was intriguing and with the permission of the writer, Simone Scott, I began to re-write the concept to suit the restrictions of practicality and budget.
Unfortunately the project fell apart quite far into pre-production due to our producer dropping out. Needless to say, as always, we re-grouped and discussed our options. We abandoned Opus One and selected an already practical script that would play to our time restraints and previous experiences. That script quickly became Red Cup.
As discussed in detail in my blog below I co-produced and directed the short film Red Cup, re-writing, pre-producing and shooting the project in just ten days. This finished piece is a testament to mine and my co-producer and editor, Ben Charles', determination. I found all aspects of production an invaluable and testing experience and am proud that we have something of value as a result of our hard work.
Red Cup Storyboards
No books can inform you enough of what to expect on a film shoot, only hindsight, I believe, is the best indicator. Naturally there are numerous issues I would improve upon within Red Cup. I wouldn't trust my cinematographer to be filming my storyboards fully. Using trustworthy and experienced crew can't hinder a production. Also being loose in style and production only works if you have a plan to mark progress upon. My mistake was wasting time experimenting and not getting the shots we needed for the narrative to work. Oh and never assume you can make something of substantial quality in a one day shoot. Never going to happen. See below for proof.
It was in post production of Red Cup that I became interested in the editing process. As George Wald states "We are the products of editing, rather than of authorship.". I've come to understand that a film is made in the edit rather than by the camera. Red Cup is similar to what I imagined in certain aspects but these aspects are, in my opinion, lesser than the salvation we found in the edit suite of Final Cut Pro. As a marker of my first steps as a director I'm proud of Red Cup though can see I have a long way to go.
Key Skills
- Developing a concept into a narrative for the screen.
- Within a script less is more with character dialogue.
- Formatting a screenplay correctly.
- Using improvisation on shoot and during the writing process.
- Recieving criticism respectfully.
- Working in a team that has a common goal.
- It is impossible and impractical to do everything on your own, so spread the workload.
- Directing in unison with a producer.
- Using the edit suite to re-envision a film.
