About

This teaching blog is being used as a part of the RMIT Undergraduate Media 2016, Semester 1 Media Studios for Media 3 and Media 5. The blog is written and curatd by James Thompson in collaboration with the Media 3 and 5 students who make up this studio practice. The perspectives here are part of an ongoing exploration into teaching creative short film making practices and are not those of RMIT University.

Studio Prompt

How can we develop dramatic, engaging stories from a single source of inspiration and use this process to explore the creative possibilities of short film narrative?

Studio Description

All great films begin with a single idea or inspiration. This could be an object, a location, a character, or a message. For the writer, the director, the producer, and the actor and for any creative person involved in the bringing together of a story for the screen, this source of inspiration is essential. It provides direction and a common vision for the collaborative process. This studio is about finding ways of navigating that core creative process.

In this studio, we will explore ways of developing story within the short film format. We will be encouraging students to push the boundaries of the form. As a group we will start from a common source of inspiration. We will construct a series of experiments aimed at developing dramatic short film concepts. These may include but are not limited to: character development, script development, directing, performance and improvisation and producing a single shot or scene. We will be on the look out for the random connections and surprising revelations that breath life into our creative endeavours.

There will be opportunities for both collaboration and individual work throughout the semester. Our method is to engage in an ongoing process of drafting and development: the final outcome being agreed upon in consultation during the studio.
This work is essentially practical but will be underpinned with theoretical and historical research and reflective writing.

Aims of the Studio

  • To develop core creative competencies in both individual and collaborative contexts
  • To develop an understanding of the filmmaking process from story conception to edit
  • To explore the possibilities, constraints and challenges of short film narrative