Semester 1 Entertainment Final
This semester has been a crazy ride of new experiences, friends, and a new look into my future career in filmmaking.
The semester kicked off with a sort of "warm-up" that helped the whole class remember how the camera was to be used, and to dust off the cobwebs of idleness from the summer. The video I participated in was a cute little project where I was art director, which up to that point, meant almost nothing to me. We filmed all in one sitting, but the high tier of work we produced was a good indicator of the professionalism I would soon experience.
The next project we did was the commercial. As a group we decided on YAMAHA musical instruments, where we then filmed at 5 separate locations, with at least 7 different people, all in about two weeks. The hardest part was just putting everything together the night before, but where I shined was arranging two of the locations, and 2 of our actors. The next month and a half was spent on script writing following this project and was really boring from what I remember, but also was laid back because the stress of filmmaking was not looming over my whole life. The final project of the semester was the short film.
Though my script was not selected, the group I was with yielded excellent results. The film, about a strange cake who tries to kill its creator's girlfriend, was shot in two 4-hour filming sessions, and edited up until the midnight deadline, cutting it very close, making the deadline by mere minutes. The process, of which I had a larger stake than my previous projects, showed me how much I can really do with things I have only just learned.
As far as my time management in class, it really varies from day to day. On days that were very heavy on pre-production I thought I was very effective, trying my hardest to be involved and to help the process go smoothly. On many day throughout actual production, where there was little to do outside of class, my time was used pretty poorly. As I did make sure our locations were still a go for the filming sessions we planned, I still had a lot of time where I just killed time. Post-production is where I fell apart usually, as I am no good at editing and I would have almost nothing to do. Although I offered my artistic vision to the editors, I only ever actually edited once. Also, during my first couple of projects as I was getting my "sea legs" I had little to do as the seniors would control most of the process, as they are wiser, which is why I found it helpful to work with juniors on my final project on the semester, as a kind of communal learning experience.
My abilities as a collaborator I think are stellar. As I would sometimes have little to do and waste time, I also was a very capable film member. Working with these like minded people is so much fun and love collaborating with this classroom. I have found in every group there is one person who is difficult to work with, and I have gotten better at working with them. Though the amount of conflict of that one person varies from group to group, it is always nice to know how to deal with said conflict.
My strengths lay in logistical arrangement, and creative vision. As a group member I found I was excellent at script writing, camera work, and just all around artistic vision. I also am good at people, so asking for actors and actresses was simple, though it could become tiresome at points. Finally, I was great at location scouting, finding many locations between my commercial and short film projects. I love film, and these successes are what keeps me expanding, thinking, and dreaming for more.
As far as improvement in video, I think most of what I need is experience. I could use some more experience with a camera, learning how to focus shots, and just the camera in general. Next, I need to find a way to try and help script writing without becoming too overbearing and annoying. Finally, I would like some work on premiere pro to get better at editing. Though I have many flaws, I aim to make them less through hard work.
The guest speakers that came to us were very illuminating and have helped me to rethink my vision as a filmmaker. The two I want to talk about are Darby Christensen, and Gordon Lamb. The first Darby, was helpful in talking about aspects of filming not normally thought about. The whole health and safety portion was a notion I hadn't even thought about, and I'm CPR certified. The other things she had to say about extras was also helpful in thinking about my own future projects independently. The second speaker, Gordon Lamb gave me a helpful glimpse into the world of advertising, and how equipment with good budgeting is completely affordable. Following his visit, I began to consider promotional media as a career path, if directing doesn't work out.
Looking forward to my production role in our feature film where I am UPM, I am nervous, but excited. As someone who is very high up the ladder in the chain of command, I am determined to do it right and to be present whenever I am needed. As UPM I am responsible for arrangement of locations and resources, something I just love to plan. As i stated earlier, I am a good people person, and I believe my courteous and professional demeanor can go a long way with this role. Through my last two projects I have gotten a lot of practice, and hopefully will have prepared me for the big time.
Looking back now, I have made so much progress, new friends I didn't predict making, and memories for a lifetime. With only three projects under my belt I have made immense progress forward and have new insight on how to be the best I can be. I have now felt the gratifying feeling of a good video, and the crumpling stress of making one. Both will shape me for the next semester and make me better at all I do.
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