This semester I undertook the studio Capturing Creativity, headed by Louise Turley. Capturing Creativity encompassed the ideals of the contemporary art world as well as the codes and conventions of filmmaking, and became the intersection where art and media met in holy matrimony.

My goal going into this semester was to “embrace excellence”, to do or create something that I was truly proud of. For me, sometimes just getting out of bed and coming to uni felt like a huge achievement, but retrospectively, all the friends that I made, all the project briefs that I submitted, all the experiences that I now have as a reference point for my career are all priceless accomplishments that I never would have acquired without undertaking this subject and rising to the challenges that it presented me with.

The first lesson that Capturing Creativity taught me was to embrace my individuality, expressiveness and artistry. With a history in art and a future in media, it was essential for me to allow my artistic perception to dominate in order for me to take full advantage of this studio. This became most prevalent when it came to making creative decisions for the outcome of my visual portrait, whether that meant positioning the camera a certain way, or manipulating the background to convey a certain message about my artist. The lessons I had learned when practicing art suddenly seemed to carry a lot more weight and I found myself thinking more innovatively.

Secondly, I was taught in this class about conducting myself in a way that is professional and competent, which is a skill that I will carry throughout my career. In this course we learned how to behave on set as well as online, in a way that not only represents ourselves, but our uni. I learned about building my reputation and rapport within a community as well as how to professionally complete even the simplest tasks such as sending an email. Moreover, we were taught about the significance of on-set behaviour and the safety precautions that must be taken in order to have a safe and successful shoot. Louise also showed us how to operate Sony X200 cameras and how to appropriately dismantle a tripod to ensure that everything went smoothly when it came to actually shooting.

Lastly, Capturing Creativity pushed me to not only do more, but to be more than I had ever had to be. With little to no background in filmmaking, editing and Adobe software, I was thrown into the deep end when faced with the prospect of documenting the life of someone I barely knew. I was tasked with introducing myself, building a relationship with my artist, engaging in a manner that was friendly and professional, organising shoots, selecting appropriate locations, working around schedules, managing setbacks, booking equipment and editing footage into a fluent and succinct video portrait.

My final project, the video portrait of artist Stephanie Leigh is likely to be one of my proudest achievements to date. I knew from the beginning that Steph was someone whom I would not only get along with, but that I would be able to document in a way that was both informative and engaging. I told Steph at the beginning of the semester that I wanted the portrait to be a reflection of who she is in the present moment, comprising of a relaxed, comfortable and conversational interview in conjunction with beautifully composed visuals of not only Steph, but her environment and her work. I feel that I achieved this in the end. There were a lot of creative decisions that I had to make and a lot of selection and omission in terms of what needed to be included and what Steph and myself wanted to be included, and I feel as though I was able to find a happy medium between those three influences. I feel as though my film accurately represents Steph not only as a artist, but as a feminist, philanthropist, woman and human being.

Retrospectively, this semester was unbelievably challenging. There were as many peaks as there were pits, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The experiences that I now have came at a hefty cost, but it was well worth it when I consider how invaluable they actually are. Capturing Creativity enables me to reconnect with my creative side and taught me the value of those artistic qualities in the field of work that I hope to eventually enter into. Moreover, I am significantly more open minded than I once was about contemporary art and the people who dominate that world of work, and I feel a much more profound respect for those who make a living from their artwork. This studio has imparted me with the creative confidence to do more, be more and create more, and that in itself is something that I will truly cherish.