Studio Prompt: What is lost and found if we disassemble the conventional relationship between screenwriting and filmmaking?

Twelve weeks ago I looked at this prompt and didn’t really know what to give as an answer to this question. I said that: “I think what this is trying to ask, is when writing scripts, what can be lost or gained in translation to the creation of the actual adaptation film. For example, this week we were asked to write a short story, and when turning that story into a script, the perspective and details of what the character was doing had to be changed and added”.

This entire experience played on “the unconventional” occurrence of five unprofessional “film-makers” being placed in a group together with no knowledge of each other whatsoever. We collaborated to disassemble the elements of what best constructs different aspects of film. Some groups chose to focus on genre, some focused on different styles of camera, and in Squadron’s case, we had a strong focus on location and how that can influence a films overall look and feel in conjunction with the Thriller genre.

Upon reflection i’ve discovered that in Week One I really didn’t know much at all about what it takes to create a film. A major idea that comes to mind, is when a writer’s script is placed in the hands of someone else – the production will likely be nothing like what the writer had intended if they aren’t there to monitor it. In Squadron’s case, Jackson’s script was edited, cut down, and given a makeover. We loved what he had written however the way we interpreted the script put emphasis on parts that he didn’t see as important. Alex edited the script, taking out parts that Jackson loved but we didn’t see as necessary. Putting creative control in the hands of someone else is decidedly unbearable for creative people like the Media students and Creative Writing students, but for the sake of collaboration we pushed on.

In all honesty, i’m not sure if I really do know what it takes to make a film. This process has taught me just how hard it is to really construct a well-polished film. I have learnt what it takes to make a good film teaser/trailer, but I feel that i’m still a long way off being the next Spielberg.

“This will be a group project”

*Groans of 30+ young adults who are all equally displeased about the thought of yet another group project*

We know they exist. We know it is impossible to go a semester without submitting at least three group projects. We know we can’t avoid them.

So when we were faced with the idea of our major work being a collaborative work, I think we all united with uncertainty and reluctancy towards our ideas being shared and dissected among four others in our group.

I didn’t know any of my group members. Myself and Laura were the two Media Students, and Sarah, Alex and Jackson were all in Creative Writing. I took one look at Jackson and thought “this guy is probably in a band”. Turns out, band or not, this guy can write one hell of good script. Same goes for Sarah, Alex and Laura. I had no expectations of them but I knew if they were here in this class with me – they obviously shared similar interests.

Like all group projects, we tediously sorted out, week to week, a time that would suit all five of us for shooting, meeting and things of the like. It was a process that involved us devising an entire spreadsheet just for potential meeting and shooting times:

I would say on a communication level – this group has excellent communication skills. We managed to talk out every single issue and iron out every crease in our plans and ideas. We found harmony in every situation and were able to achieve goals that combined our individual goals. We successfully divided responsibilities and roles evenly, and even if we were designated one specific role such as me as Camerawoman for our shoot – we interchanged this on the day so that we all got a feel for it.

Of course no group assignment is perfect – so on the note of finding a happy medium between different ideas, it occasionally got a little bit “majority rules” when someone with a different opinion spoke up about it. For example Laura was very keen on shooting for a second time while the others including myself didn’t see it as necessary. After talking it through with Jasmine that week who suggested we don’t shoot again, we were all happy with the resolution. Sometimes it just takes a bit of teacher/tutor authority to steer us in the right direction.

That being said, there was never a week or even a day where I questioned the potential success of us and our project. Squadron made me laugh every single week, even brought me into tears of laughter when Sarah thought it’d be hilarious to rename the project Back Fat instead of Black Flat (It sounds stupid but it was hilarious for us I swear!). I never once questioned whether someone was pulling their weight, and if anything at times I felt like I could be doing more, but that’s just my controlling personality because I love to have full control over a project but it was sort of nice to share that responsibility with four other like minded people for once.

This collaboration was a very long group project as far as others have gone, and it’s strange to say this but it was a really memorable experience that will certainly stand out as a highlight of my second year of uni. It’s nice to be able to say i’ve made four friends that i’ll bump into around uni next year and have that semi-awkward chat about life/uni/work but then remind them of that time we cried with laughter over the project title.