When we first began classes in The Scene, it was a bit different to what I imagined. I didn’t expect that there would be so much practical work and I was also a bit fazed by the emphasis that we were not making a film or films, but rather one scene at a time. Every week we would film one scene at a time and do some post-production work as well. I got used to talking about blocking and coverage. This continued for a while but then the emphasis shifted to individual work.

First, we were told to choose what script and scene we wanted to film, then we were told to create an assignment/investigation for ourselves. Being the indecisive person I am, I fell into a sudden panic. What did they mean we could do whatever we wanted? After some time, I eventually found something I wanted to investigate, but I did lose focus of my initial objective in the process. This might have been because I kept the mindset that everything was a work in process and nothing was set in concrete – but perhaps I should have set some things in concrete, this would have prevented me from straying like I did. I thought ‘Everything is a work in progress so it’s OK if I stuff up or decide to change my mind’.

Throughout the semester I collaborated with my peers many times, working on general weekly exercises and also our projects together. During these projects, I got to observe how other people work. I found that my peers are always very clear on what they want from the outset, whereas I am always indecisive and I tend rely a lot on their opinions. If they suggest something to me, I would most likely try it out just because I feel like the more I try out, the more options I will have later on. I have mentioned this before, but I’m not a great planner; I tend to do things on a whim. Recently, I have gotten a little better when it comes to planning but there is still room for improvement.

Another thing I learnt from these collaborations is what kind of instructions I should be giving to actors. When I am taking on the role as a director, there are a lot of things running through my head – framing, blocking, coverage, camera techniques, post-production – and when this happens, I think I sometimes forget to tell actors what kind of mood I’d like to create or what kind of gestures I’d like them to make. When the roles reversed and I become one of the actors, I realised what kind of questions and curiosities about a scene and its character one might have. While directing, I tried to keep this in mind and give instructions more thoroughly.

My collaborations:

Polly – as Gloria in the living room scene

Lisha – Week 6 Tony’s Office, Dialogue scenes x2

William – Stairs scene x2, Long takes (where I get shot) x 2

Kai – Long take (sound only), Action scene

Henry (from Paul’s class) – fighting scene exercise

In regards to technical skills, I have learnt basic camera operating skills – how to set white balance, brightness and contrast, lighting, how to use the zebra pattern to help you discern exposure, how to pull focus, and how to use the camera parts – the aperture, focal length, and focus ring. It does not sound like a lot, but this is a great advancement from only knowing how to format the memory card.

I think what has helped me most is being in an environment where I can get feedback from others, ask questions, and collaborate. For instance, when I’m editing I have seen my edit so many times all meaning seems lost. So when other people view it from a fresh point of view, they are able to see things that I can’t. The small tips like ‘don’t overexpose’ and ‘beware of unnecessary head space’ have made me consider the composition of shots more carefully.

It is hard to put into words what I have taken from this unit. Yes, it was stressful at times, and yes, there is a lot of outside work that we do, but I think this ‘strictness’ is good because ultimately it pays off. Robin always has a lot of things to say about our work – which made me feel both assured and pressured. Assured because it means that my work is being observed and pressured because I want to perform to standards and expectations.

In the end, it was a fulfilling experience – one in which I learnt about my own work ethic, how to collaborate with others, the ‘craftmanship’ involved production, and the considerations one must think about in post-production. Most of all, I have expanded my cinema production knowledge and at the same time, I have realised (anew) how small my knowledge sphere is.