NUFilm Productions – How we scrapped our big project and made a new (and good) short film in three days | For Assessment | Process and Development

After screening the rough cut of The Actor, it became clear that our tutors weren’t happy with the film. While the other groups had given us some positive and supportive feedback, and had commented on things that didn’t work but could (relatively easily) be fixed and improved, the tutors didn’t share this opinion. I was the only person in the group that didn’t quite agree with the tutors – I insisted The Actor was good enough and could be fixed. Now I realise the film may have been good enough technically, but it lacks something very important – a soul.

So while we were in our group–tutor meeting, the main suggestion was to keep the same concept for the film, but change the location and cast, and maybe rewrite some of the story. Work with one character, use the location as a character, and make a simple but effective film. I was initially resisting – I couldn’t see ‘a guy in a pub’ (an idea Ross Varney suggested) as a legitimate concept, I couldn’t see how we could make it in such a short time (less than a week), and I absolutely couldn’t see how it may be better than the result of our 8-week efforts.

Thankfully, the group stepped up after the meeting. We initiated a big discussion on our Facebook group, talking honestly about what was good and bad in the group, what had gone wrong with the production of The Actor, and what we really wanted out of this short film project… After the big argument, two things became clear: we had disappointed ourselves, and it was time to make NUFilm Productions proud.

NUFilm Productions – Group Dynamics and Leadership Issues | For Assessment | Evaluation and Reflection

Ever since I chose the Short Film module, I knew what I wanted out of it – I wanted to try and challenge myself. I wanted to Lead a team of people, and I wanted to Direct a film.

I have never really been a leader in my life. I am a driver, I make things happen, but usually it’s all individual engagement, so I don’t think that’s anywhere as near as being a group leader. I knew from previous projects that I always had a strong opinion, and I’d often tried to persuade people in groups I’d been part of to follow it. There are two main problems with that:

1. You may weaken the current leader’s position, which doesn’t do good to a group.
2. You are not owning your truth. If you really believe in what you’re talking about, and you want it to happen, you should be walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Everyone could have a good idea when not in charge, but try and balance all of what comes with being on the front line with having good ideas… That’s where the challenge lies.

Directing for Drama and Working with Actors – A Few Notes | For Assessment | Analysis

We just finished the Directing Actors workshop, run by Film Nation. It was an intense day, running from 10 am till 4 pm. We had the chance to work with a professional camera operator and two actors, taking us through the process and giving us tips and advise.

The workshop started with a few icebreaking games which I thought was a brilliant idea – it really improved the energy in the room, and made everyone feel more relaxed and open. We were then given the script for our exercise – a three page scene called ‘The Double Blind Date’, about a girl and a guy meeting each other on a blind date, but both expecting someone else. First the actors just read through the script, but of course there was no real performance – they needed more. So we started inventing the back story of this scene, thinking about their ‘wants’, ‘needs’, their ‘objectives’ and ‘obstacles’.

Provoking truths with images. Highlights from the group pool.

Last week we had the task to create a provocative image about an issue we feel strongly about. If you’re curious, you can see my image here. But today, I’d like to highlight other people’s work, things that really provoked me to think.

Task 1 #creativact – Provoking truths with imagery. Things that bother me in our world.

Here is my image for Task 1:

Although it might be a bit too simplistic, I believe you can create more impact with a few strong elements than with a more complicated concept; what is more, this image will be shown online, and it needs to have a strong thumbnail even in very small sizes. So I think the choice of style fits the purpose.

This is an image I took just after we were introduced to the #creativact project, in the break before our afternoon workshops. I think it is a good idea to go out and do something when you’re still inspired by what you’ve been listening to, so I took a camera and went around town. To be honest, I often take similar photos, because I am always fascinated by architecture and the meaning it conveys. Cold, straight, repetitive structures we’ve grown to associate with cities, the modern, ‘western’ world, and economic power. For me, they are more a symbol of lifelessness, emptiness, lack of purpose and fear. Also, of course, a fair amount of control and power – I think big structures always have this nuance in meaning, often related to masculinity, control, pursuit of power and greed. People are put into these cold, uniform boxes, and they obey the system; and each of our actions is reinforcing the system and its rules.