Week Three

As week three ends, so descends upon us the week the first round of assessments are due. I'm terrified, even though I submitted my screenwriting synopsis assessment a mere thirty seconds ago, a week before it's due. Is it good enough?

Putting all my doubting aside, I'm ready and determined to finish the other two, in particular my photo story sequence for the screen production fundamentals class. As much as I've learnt already, I'm still hilariously crap at using even the most basic camera. So this will be interesting.

On a side note, I've begun scribbling little notes, writing sentences and images that come to me down on paper, in my phone, on my hand, whatever works when an idea comes to me. I'm thinking that by the end of the trimester I'll write them all down in one blog post, allowing me to sift the wheat from the chaff, as they say. There's a few promising ideas I can see already.

Three things I have learnt this week have come in all the classes (apart from screenwriting) I've had.

When it comes to using and figuring out the technical elements of using the cameras to take a decent picture, it really is down to time. I realize I'm going to have to knuckle down, borrow a camera, and spend a few days just playing with it, taking nothing, random pictures, adjusting the settings, getting comfortable with it. It won't happen overnight. I can utilize others knowledge to help me when I'm stuck, but my ultimate goal for this trimester is to be able to confidently borrow out a camera (and know exactly what it is I'm asking for,) adjust the settings to exactly what I feel the image needs and what I want it to look like aesthetically, and take a damn good picture.

As it is with most technical things, graphics and editing has been a challenge for me. The theory is fine; writing about it and reading literature on the subject I actually find enjoyable, but as soon as we turn on those computers I know I need to jam my listening cap on and scrape together ever brain cell I have.

As the classes continue I am becoming more comfortable with the basic skeleton of premiere pro. The concept of 3-point editing is still pretty mysterious to me, yet I've managed to throw together the most basic of cuts. This week I even added in a dialogue track AND a sound effect. It was terrible, yet I did it. I learnt more. I've gone from being a useless toddler to a five year old who just learnt to shakily scrawl her own name. That's progress to me, and I only hope my future cuts become smoother, less obvious. My goal for the end of the trimester in this class is to be able to confidently open premiere pro, know the layout and what to do with the rushes I have, and be able to throw them into a sequence, adding music, dialogue or sound FX at the finish. I'll put aside my desperate need for it to be a masterpiece, work of art, show of perfection and be happy with whatever I create so long as it shows my progress.

The class I surprisingly enjoyed the most this week was creative media industry. I say surprised as there is an emphasis on social media and networking in that class; two things I normally curl my lip up at. Yet this one got me excited. The class was on music videos; finding people to be in them, directing them, releasing them, sharing them, the difference between them. I love music video's, and them moment I re-entered the class and Tyler the Creators 'Yonkers' video was playing on the screen, I knew I was going to have a good time.

An exercise we did in class was quick-writing three conceptual ideas for a music video. In under five minutes I had these idea's, was manically explaining them to the poor person sitting next to me, and was in my element. The Idea A Day Challenge (as I've started calling it,) has helped think on my feet. The fear of my ideas not being good enough, being disliked or criticized has had to take a backseat, as there is no time, no reason to beat around the bush when you're under a time constraint. It was an adrenaline rush, actually.

As we spoke more on making music videos, some of us realized we could collaborate if we ever had to make one for an artist or band. Some of us know musicians already, some are eager to direct them (me) some want to shoot them (with a camera, obviously,) and it all became clear that we needed each other. And that's what the class is all about really, finding people to work with; collaborating. It relaxed me so much I even completed half the assessment for that class that very night. So success all round.

I look forward and dread next week as I know it will challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone, yet I know how accomplished and relieved I will feel writing next weeks blog entry. So bring it on.