Generally, I would say the way I work is informal. I tend to plan things roughly, mostly in my head. If I do put it down on paper, it would most probably be done in the form of a list because my drawings are beyond comprehension. It’s actually quite weird that I’m so rough when it comes to pre-production stuff since I’m usually a pretty meticulous person when it comes to planning. Sometimes, I find it is better not to set in concrete what should happen on a day since issues with the weather or technology are bound to arise. Before the production stage, having a good feel for what the location is like is also helpful. At this stage, I’m also forming a image in my head as to what the final product may look like – how the scenes that will be shot, and how they might be edited in post-production.

When it comes time to film, I follow the rough plan that I’ve got but I’m flexible. In regards to cinematography, I would say the way I film things is simple. The camera will usually be on the tripod, there may be some panning, but hand-held shots are unlikely. This is because I’m not confident with handling the camera with my shaky hands – I should probably practice this more in our exercises. I do enjoy creative ways of production, though I do believe that the mis en scene should accommodate the narrative rather than distract from it.

Recently while I was editing one of our class exercises, I noticed that even though I try to honour continuity as much as possible, at times I favour expression, action, or dialogue. I had two shots to choose from, one which guaranteed continuity, and another one which didn’t. In the end, I still opted for the second shot because the characters’ expressions were much more pronounced.

In conclusion, I am an unrefined worker. I probably need to change that.