Reviewing 2012 – 2013:
Between Sept 2012 and May 2013 a number of new skills were learnt and developed with the aid of new friendships and teachings which successfully furthered an education. Using initiative and resources available helped improve understanding on lessons previously taught.
A series of tasks were set of which one was to present two pitches, where one was part of a group and the other as an individual. The group pitch was a new experience for learning and challenging both management and financial skills, which was a change from research or other smaller roles within the team. This involved organization of the team and communication with industrial people and various members of the public to gather interviewees for the film. One way this was done was by talking over the phone which was an unwanted challenge and was made difficult by not being able to see facial and body expressions, however the task was completed successfully. This task encouraged confidence building and strengthened communication skills. Using visual aids helped to explain what the intended production would include as this project would be part of an advertisement campaign called ‘See Green’.
The individual pitch was much harder due to high expectation of presentation and communication skills. This included memorizing material, speaking confidently, keeping eye contact and explaining the information in an interesting and captivating manner. The most difficult skill was keeping eye contact which was made more challenging without the support of a team however all information was successfully presented.
The focus of the year was to develop editing skills, specifically looking at pace, continuity, colour grading and sound. As well as improvement upon the use of the software and how to apply sound more effectively to the edits. The more films and edits that were created, the more success and confidence was developed. The importance of cinematography when filming was looked at closely to create meaning in the films, as well as the importance of pre-production and planning, to effectively create a smooth working environment for crew and actors. When producing the ‘See Green’ film a number of issues developed within the team such as refusing to help with prep or the physical filming. There was a lack of preparation when actually filming due to not knowing what each person was doing and when they were doing it which could have been avoided with better communication and organisation.
When creating the script for the film titled ‘12:05’ it was difficult to write creatively due to an early dislike of the story, which led to a dislike of creating the film as a whole. Ideally when scripting and producing, pleasing everybody should not have been a primary goal however that would have been something pleasing to achieve. This would have allowed ideas to work and flow better, creating more passion from the scriptwriter and producer.
The final task was to attend 6 film industry events to become immersed in the professional realm so encouraging further personal development in the future. The film society provided extra curriculum activities, one of which was a trip to Berlin for the Berlin Film festival. This involved arranging personal activities and attending film screenings, debates and exhibits of work. This was beneficial because there were opportunities to talk to directors which gave an insight into how they produced their films and provided the bases of a network of possible future contacts.
Developments to be made in 2013 – 2014:
Within the Advanced Script writing module the development of designing and writing a feature length script will be created with a low budget in mind as a restriction. The module produces an understanding showing that although there’s a structure to a script; rules can be broken depending on how the story should progress. This year the scriptwriter will be more passionate about the creation of the script as the subject was a personal decision with a new direction of storytelling. Pleasure will be undertaken when writing and developing the script towards the target audience creating a convincing and exciting story.
Within Film Technology there will be a development of learning about the importance of using the environment to aid or overcome the restrictions it may cause for instance an unmoveable light source such as a lamp post and using this to an advantage, or the use of a tableaux with a static camera and using it creatively. Creating meaning within the work is very important whether that be through the camera angles or the relationship with a character and its environment. Future challenges will hopefully be enjoyable and pushing present technical ability with the equipment available.
There will be improvement on last year’s editing by working with a Maths and Computing student to create a small scale business. This will begin with youtube videos to bring in revenue which will take a while to set up due to the need to create a fan base and to familiarise with the editing structure of this type of production. Once there is a steady stream of revenue it can be put towards bigger projects such as short films and documentaries or branch out to other areas making the company expand and a greater understanding of filming techniques within a certain sector of the industry.
There is hope to become more involved with film work outside of the university and to look for a potential placement for the following academic year. This will allow a development of learning from within the industry and define what to specialise in.
This year there will be a partaking in a number of extracurricular activities including the Film Society Treasurer, the Netball Team Treasurer and as a student ambassador for ‘Show Film First’. Being a treasurer as part of a university committee will involve working as a team, gaining financial knowledge and organising events and activities. As a student ambassador for a national project this will give a wider community of people to network and discuss with. For this project an invitation to early film screenings at local cinemas will be sent so a review can be created, also invitation to seminars and events throughout the year. This information will then be spread through blogging, social media, word of mouth and any other resources at hand.
Due to these extracurricular activities there are a number of events available including ‘BVE north’, ‘The Warner Bros studio tour’, ‘Cannes film festival’ and a number of film screenings and seminars (dates yet to be confirmed). This gives a chance to view and handle new technology; watch new and upcoming releases by both professionals and amateurs, then discuss topically on others views and opinions. Allowing an immersing in the professional film world and preparing for the future.
Throughout the year in any spare time the continuation of a part time job at Jenningsbet will be undertaken developing a further learning to deal with the public and some interesting characters inspiring the writing of a TV series on the experience. Also continuing to have an active part working with Bedfordshire’s Girlguiding groups.
In the following year the intention is to develop all areas of the Staffordshire Universities Graduate Pledge which include Discipline Expert which will be accomplished through the development of editing and preproduction skills. To be a professional will be accomplished by entering the industry actively through work experience and communication with the surrounding community and network of people being steadily created. Global Citizen is constantly in development by working not just within the university and union but with the network created through social media which branches out to other corners of the world. Documentaries will also tackle global issues and spread the word. Communication and Team work will be improved through group work and activities involving the public as well as the positions in which a team leader is needed. This action plan is already an example of reflective and critical skills though great improvement is still needed which can be improved by reviewing all work created and developed. A life long learner is a skill which will never be fully completed as learning can always be improved on with the gathering of knowledge, although an aspiration to learn as much as possible now will be strongly shown through the achievements and gaining of skills in the next year.