I can’t really call this a week. It was two days.
In Screenwriting we had some tutorial time with Richard on our outlines for our three minute films, and we’re to write them over the holidays. I’m looking forward to that actually, although mine requires considerable adjustment. We’re finally writing a screenplay though which is rather exciting.
On Monday afternoon I had a quick tutorial with Adam, just to see how this first term went and to discuss what next term has in store. Then of course there was the big deadline of handing in our Storylined TV Dramas and I think I got mine in with less than a minute to spare!
On Tuesday we watched the footage that we shot last week for our assessments and some of it was quite hilarious. On a serious note though some of it was quite poor and I’m hoping we, as a class, can take our technical skills up a notch in next term. After that we were done; finished Term 1, free to go home. Most of us didn’t though. We half decided to stick around and see if we could make something in the remainder of the day just as an extra. No-one really seemed that keen but the more time we wasted the more frustrated I would have been if we hadn’t made anything. Anyway, eventually we did produce a short gag which we called Tension (have a watch here if you wish: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=58YJBZxPGNY) and it was shot, captured and edited all in that day. It was tolerable but I’m just glad we made something.
I feel I should give a big reflection on Term 1 now, but I’m not going to. Bottom line is it was a fine introduction to a fantastic course and I’m at the stage I would hope to be at, at this moment in time, anyway. So nothing more remains to be said really. I’m going to enjoy the Christmas break and then… well… bring on Term 2! Bye for now.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Week 11 – A Bonnie Wee Genie May forget her lines
It’s funny that the first thing we are told about Character is “Don’t think of them as a character”. It’s actually quite exciting, the prospect of creating a real, living person and letting other people see them by placing them in stories. It takes me back to the old Play Mobil and Action Man days and I realised that I’ve been ‘creating characters’ all my life, in a sort of way. Even now there is something real about those Play Mobil men, who all have names, backgrounds and personalities and I am certain if I dug them out now it would feel like meeting up with old friends (in fact, I might do that over Christmas; there’s nothing like indulging in a bit of nostalgia after all). I was rather surprised, and worried, that Richard gave us yet more homework for the last week especially as it was to write the biography of a serial killer which is unpleasant at the best of times but more so when I still had Adam’s storylining to do. It seems Screenwriting is the only class which has been going full-pelt right to the very end, but I suppose it’ll make the Christmas break seem all the more welcome.
So usually we get emailed a time to turn up for these Technical Formative Assessments and we pop in for an hour, do our thing, then leave. This time though there had been no email so we were kind of confused as to what we were supposed to be doing. I decided to simply turn up at half past nine and see what was happening and then take it from there. As it turned out we were scheduled for an eight hour assessment! It was great. We were split into two crews and told to write and shoot a twenty second piece each, with everyone having a go at camera, sound and directing. It was interesting to see how we all behaved and worked as a crew and I could begin to pick out some who were finding their niche in a particular role. Most of all it was enjoyable because we were actually making films, we were doing what we came here to do and it was part of, or rather a requirement, of the course rather than something we were doing on our steam. Exciting stuff!
Sherlock Jr was more impressive than entertaining. It simply didn’t have the charm of a Chaplin film but it far surpassed them in technical skill. I feel that had that been the same film, but with Chaplin in the main role instead of Keaton, it would have been far more enjoyable. Unfortunately the music soundtrack was rather distracting. It was bearable up to the car chase sequence where the James Bond Theme suddenly broke through and for me that broke the magic of the black and white film.
One of the best classes with Andy so far on Thursday morning: we got to play with flick books and Zoetropes! I find I learn best that way, when I actually do something practical, and I’ll remember that class because we made our own Zoetrope films (and we got chocolate). It’s also interesting that we talk a lot about The Moving Picture when in fact the whole notion of a moving picture is quite ludicrous. Pictures don’t move (unless it’s Harry Potter) but thanks to our Persistence of Vision we believe that they do.
Our last class with Andy for this term and it was on Cop Shows. I haven’t seen many but I think it’s a fairly full-proof form and it was mildly interesting coming up with our own ones. We watched an episode of House which I did enjoy, more for Hugh Laurie’s surly comments than the actual show itself, and this followed the general format of a Cop Show but cleverly replaced the Cop with a Doctor (or the ‘Holmes’ with a ‘House’).
Filmed a pantomime in Drymen on Friday night and I quite enjoyed both the experience of filming a stage show and the show itself, which was Sinbad (or A Bonny Wee Genie May Call; and the genie turned out to be a young girl who couldn’t quite remember her lines, but it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of it, in fact I’d say it added to it). It was great to get out into the world and do an actual job (I felt like a right professional cameraman) and of course the more use of those cameras I get the happier I am!
So usually we get emailed a time to turn up for these Technical Formative Assessments and we pop in for an hour, do our thing, then leave. This time though there had been no email so we were kind of confused as to what we were supposed to be doing. I decided to simply turn up at half past nine and see what was happening and then take it from there. As it turned out we were scheduled for an eight hour assessment! It was great. We were split into two crews and told to write and shoot a twenty second piece each, with everyone having a go at camera, sound and directing. It was interesting to see how we all behaved and worked as a crew and I could begin to pick out some who were finding their niche in a particular role. Most of all it was enjoyable because we were actually making films, we were doing what we came here to do and it was part of, or rather a requirement, of the course rather than something we were doing on our steam. Exciting stuff!
Sherlock Jr was more impressive than entertaining. It simply didn’t have the charm of a Chaplin film but it far surpassed them in technical skill. I feel that had that been the same film, but with Chaplin in the main role instead of Keaton, it would have been far more enjoyable. Unfortunately the music soundtrack was rather distracting. It was bearable up to the car chase sequence where the James Bond Theme suddenly broke through and for me that broke the magic of the black and white film.
One of the best classes with Andy so far on Thursday morning: we got to play with flick books and Zoetropes! I find I learn best that way, when I actually do something practical, and I’ll remember that class because we made our own Zoetrope films (and we got chocolate). It’s also interesting that we talk a lot about The Moving Picture when in fact the whole notion of a moving picture is quite ludicrous. Pictures don’t move (unless it’s Harry Potter) but thanks to our Persistence of Vision we believe that they do.
Our last class with Andy for this term and it was on Cop Shows. I haven’t seen many but I think it’s a fairly full-proof form and it was mildly interesting coming up with our own ones. We watched an episode of House which I did enjoy, more for Hugh Laurie’s surly comments than the actual show itself, and this followed the general format of a Cop Show but cleverly replaced the Cop with a Doctor (or the ‘Holmes’ with a ‘House’).
Filmed a pantomime in Drymen on Friday night and I quite enjoyed both the experience of filming a stage show and the show itself, which was Sinbad (or A Bonny Wee Genie May Call; and the genie turned out to be a young girl who couldn’t quite remember her lines, but it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of it, in fact I’d say it added to it). It was great to get out into the world and do an actual job (I felt like a right professional cameraman) and of course the more use of those cameras I get the happier I am!
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Week 10 - I always wanted to be a horse
Monday morning was a heart-to-heart session and there was a shocking lack of croissants! It involved taking it in turns to point out three of our flaws to the rest of the class. It was a helpful, if perhaps a rather unusual, experience because we could be entirely open and honest; admitting things which would not normally come up in conversation but allowing everyone else a deeper understanding of that individual’s personality. I must admit I got a few surprises from some of the things people said. I can see how this helps us to bond as a class and be more relaxed in each others’ company but I’m afraid that, as of yet, I’m unsure how much it will help our screenwriting. I suppose anything human, any truth or any belief can be utilised when writing a film.
We are transitioning from TV into short form, and ‘short-short form’ or mobile media, in Adam’s class now. We watched a number of very high quality short films; the cinematography of the Napier University films was particularly impressive. Then we watched some shorter films, some only ninety seconds in length, and some of them were very entertaining; Le Cheval, Non-fat and Operator being three examples. On the other hand some were hopeless but the advantage, of course, of this format is that instead of wasting two hours of your life on a bad film you’re barely wasting two minutes. I can see the appeal of this type of media and I’m fascinated by the sheer difference of film grammar when compared to feature films. I suppose there’s always the possibility that this is the replacement of cinema and longer films will gradually disappear which is more than slightly worrying. It seems the reason there is such a growing market for shorter films is not because people have a shorter attention span it is, I think, because we are more impatient. If it is comedy we are after then we want a laugh NOW and then we can move on or browse for more. We do not have the patience to sit and watch a comedy feature. Or if it is action we seek then we want it NOW and in small enough chunks so that if we get bored we can leave it without a second glance. Sitting down for two hours takes up too much time and is too much of a commitment. Maybe our lives are just faster and busier and to accommodate for this we purchase technology that allows us to deal with our business faster thus making more room for more business and making us ultimately even busier. So we don’t have time to sit down in a cinema. We want to squeeze in our entertainment around our business: on trains, at lunch, on the move… In my opinion we all need to slow down. The busier we are the faster we try to deal with that business, the faster we deal with that business the busier we become; it’s a vicious circle. For some people, that’s life. So, yes, there’s a place for short films but we cannot lose that good old fashioned storytelling where we gather round the fireside and settle down to hear what Granddad will tell us this evening. I fear that if he told us a ninety second joke we’d be rather disappointed.
On Tuesday afternoon we had a brief class on Game or Quiz Shows. It was informative and to the point. Afterwards Andy seemed to think we hadn’t engaged very well with it but I didn’t think it was particularly negating, just very short.
I simply love Chaplin films. They’re warming and simple, no thinking is required, and they always get me laughing at some point and laughter is a good thing. Like all good things it can be used for the wrong reasons: laughing at someone else’s expense, laughing as an encouragement of evil human desires or laughing to cover up true emotion, but it seems that Chaplin avoids deriving laughter from these things and instead gives us a character who reflects the simple nature of the common man; thus we are in fact laughing at ourselves. The Gold Rush wasn’t quite as enjoyable as The Kid but there was a noticeable advancement in Chaplin’s filmmaking abilities in those four years. I think the narration was unnecessary and I much prefer the silent style where the imagination can heighten the humour.
Yet another half day on Thursday (that’s three in a row… the course seems to be winding down considerably) and this time we looked at the birth of cinema and some of Mitchell and Kenyon's work. Watching some of the very first reels of film was both exciting and informative and it struck me just how constant mankind is. Places, society, buildings, clothes and transport all change and eventually become history but people… humans… men, women, children… we have always been the same. The same matter, the same emotions and the same spirituality. Looking at the faces of those people, more than a hundred years ago, was like looking at a reflection of ourselves in a different time.
We had a whole day of sound on Friday which enabled us to develop confidence with the kit, and try recording interviews both interior and exterior. We had a go at micing up a piano which was great fun especially as I got to play it! I feel I’ve got a pretty good grasp of the technical fundamentals and I look forward to the challenges of next term. However there’s Christmas to look forward to before then of course!
We are transitioning from TV into short form, and ‘short-short form’ or mobile media, in Adam’s class now. We watched a number of very high quality short films; the cinematography of the Napier University films was particularly impressive. Then we watched some shorter films, some only ninety seconds in length, and some of them were very entertaining; Le Cheval, Non-fat and Operator being three examples. On the other hand some were hopeless but the advantage, of course, of this format is that instead of wasting two hours of your life on a bad film you’re barely wasting two minutes. I can see the appeal of this type of media and I’m fascinated by the sheer difference of film grammar when compared to feature films. I suppose there’s always the possibility that this is the replacement of cinema and longer films will gradually disappear which is more than slightly worrying. It seems the reason there is such a growing market for shorter films is not because people have a shorter attention span it is, I think, because we are more impatient. If it is comedy we are after then we want a laugh NOW and then we can move on or browse for more. We do not have the patience to sit and watch a comedy feature. Or if it is action we seek then we want it NOW and in small enough chunks so that if we get bored we can leave it without a second glance. Sitting down for two hours takes up too much time and is too much of a commitment. Maybe our lives are just faster and busier and to accommodate for this we purchase technology that allows us to deal with our business faster thus making more room for more business and making us ultimately even busier. So we don’t have time to sit down in a cinema. We want to squeeze in our entertainment around our business: on trains, at lunch, on the move… In my opinion we all need to slow down. The busier we are the faster we try to deal with that business, the faster we deal with that business the busier we become; it’s a vicious circle. For some people, that’s life. So, yes, there’s a place for short films but we cannot lose that good old fashioned storytelling where we gather round the fireside and settle down to hear what Granddad will tell us this evening. I fear that if he told us a ninety second joke we’d be rather disappointed.
On Tuesday afternoon we had a brief class on Game or Quiz Shows. It was informative and to the point. Afterwards Andy seemed to think we hadn’t engaged very well with it but I didn’t think it was particularly negating, just very short.
I simply love Chaplin films. They’re warming and simple, no thinking is required, and they always get me laughing at some point and laughter is a good thing. Like all good things it can be used for the wrong reasons: laughing at someone else’s expense, laughing as an encouragement of evil human desires or laughing to cover up true emotion, but it seems that Chaplin avoids deriving laughter from these things and instead gives us a character who reflects the simple nature of the common man; thus we are in fact laughing at ourselves. The Gold Rush wasn’t quite as enjoyable as The Kid but there was a noticeable advancement in Chaplin’s filmmaking abilities in those four years. I think the narration was unnecessary and I much prefer the silent style where the imagination can heighten the humour.
Yet another half day on Thursday (that’s three in a row… the course seems to be winding down considerably) and this time we looked at the birth of cinema and some of Mitchell and Kenyon's work. Watching some of the very first reels of film was both exciting and informative and it struck me just how constant mankind is. Places, society, buildings, clothes and transport all change and eventually become history but people… humans… men, women, children… we have always been the same. The same matter, the same emotions and the same spirituality. Looking at the faces of those people, more than a hundred years ago, was like looking at a reflection of ourselves in a different time.
We had a whole day of sound on Friday which enabled us to develop confidence with the kit, and try recording interviews both interior and exterior. We had a go at micing up a piano which was great fun especially as I got to play it! I feel I’ve got a pretty good grasp of the technical fundamentals and I look forward to the challenges of next term. However there’s Christmas to look forward to before then of course!
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