Something’s up with the communication lines between staff. Richard had no idea we would be working on Showlight with the BBC next week and so was slightly concerned about when our next tutorial would be. Then there’s the whole issue with the screenplays which he submitted. Two of them were supposed to be commissioned and made this term but no-one knows why that’s not happened yet either. Ah well, it all adds to the pressure and general confusion of the busiest term… I do love it.
Kim really made us work on Monday afternoon: sticking story beats up on the wall, fetching her cups of water, holding open the door… while she just sat there with her feet up! I mean you’d think she’d injured her leg or something the way she was carry on!! Anyway, it was rather interesting to put our Corrie stories together and arrange them into episodes.
Tuesday morning was a very brief class with Ray where we just ironed out any final issues with the upcoming technical projects: Showlight at the weekend, Black Cats and Blue Angels in a couple of weeks and ultimately the end-of-year class films (our assessment). I look forward to them all in eager anticipation and marvel once again at being privileged enough to have such opportunities. The independent projects are still going on the side of course and I spent the rest of the morning working on Dust.
Feeding my addiction of using Wednesday mornings productively Murdo, myself and some of the crew did a quick location recce for some scenes for Dust then proceeded in a chaotic, rushed, but quite successful, lunchtime shoot in the Academy Café Bar and the Fyfe Lecture Theatre. It seemed I spent most of the time scrounging for extras!
Abandoned and desolate the class of DFTV 1 sat in silence and sorrow staring at the empty screen in the Fyfe. They were waiting, nay, longing for one – just one – tutor to take the time to set up their screening of Bonnie and Clyde. But did anyone come? In Andy’s absence was there no-one who would show them kindness and compassion? Did anyone care? Unfortunately not, so eventually I had to go and find Gavin and request that he put the film on for us. The neglect…
Bonnie and Clyde was an entertaining film even if the ending was a bit of a downer (it was rather extreme… why couldn’t they have done it Charlotte’s Web-style!). I confess I saw it coming, or at least guessed the message of the film, from the moment they first jump in a stolen car and drive away. As with all stories about rebellion and the running away from the consequences of one’s actions it is inevitable that it will end with the main character(s) facing up to those consequences. It’s the classic adolescent film really. We rebel as teenagers and do just what we want because we don’t believe our actions will have consequences; and, of course, they do. Funnily enough I was ‘forced’ to go and see 17 Again with my sisters that evening and it had a very similar message, almost as a warning to high school kids, that we may feel like we can just do whatever we want but ultimately this is the beginning of life, we only get one shot, and we will have to accept the consequences of our actions at some point.
John and I are brainstorming away on a sit-com idea for the web. Adam seems to think it has some potential.
On Thursday evening I finished watching a BBC Series called Cranford; an engagingly enjoyable and expertly executed production and a reminder that the BBC really can make some high-quality programmes. In fact that ‘Jane Austen period’ costume-drama is probably what they do best, to a standard that no-one else in the world can match. I can’t get enough of it.
John Yorke from the BBC gave us a talk on Friday morning about story structure, and its importance in any writing. It was very informative and even though I was already familiar with some of the content the fresh and straightforward style in which it was delivered made it quite inspiring. I confess I was somewhat disappointed in his vocabulary (he seemed often limited to colloquial vulgarities!) but he was honest and open and I think he was genuinely interested in helping us. I am increasingly tempted to consider soaps as a next step in my career because I know I could do it and that it would be enormously beneficial to me… it’s just that I really don’t want to! Who knows, maybe it’ll grow on me (…like a fungus!).
In continuation of the ‘BBC’ theme this weekend was the start of our work experience with BBC Scotland on an event called Showlight, which is a gathering for all 'lighting people'. It is an amazingly exciting opportunity and it really gives me the feeling of getting somewhere in life if I can casually say, “Yeah, I’m working at the BBC this weekend.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IglY3cDTFOo
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