New Year. Here we go!
As my last year in this media degree i figured ‘Why not just go ahead and break the barrier I’ve built between myself and the camera equipment and get to know it a little better” .. oh God.
Okay..it wasn’t so bad. Phew.
Today was great because we undertook an activity whereby we formed groups and were offered unique scripts which we had to block and film. The constraints however, were that the camera perspective could not change (zoom or otherwise). We were only given the opportunity to pan or tilt. The thing I’ve come to learn about constraints is- contrary to what the word itself suggests- they actually inspire a broader terrain of creativity. See, the fact that we couldn’t physically move the camera meant we had to block the 3 actors within the scene in a way that presented some sort of dynamic. One character, Steve, was evidently the power figure so we thought it appropriate that he be seated with his back facing the camera. Synonymously, he is the closest figure to the camera which means he dominates most of the physical space (alluding to his power). The aspect that interested me most was, when we watched the original film derived from the script, many of the blocking decisions were quite similar. This universality really fascinated me because, the unity of human nature makes us understand emotions quite similarly, therefore, when it came to blocking the scene, both parties felt it appropriate to find a way to show that Steve was most dominant and stern.
It was fascinating to see what other groups came up with. See, other groups were offered the same script with different constraints. For instance, we were offered the dialogue (therefore dialogue constraints) however no blocking directions. Another group was offered all blocking directions (therefore blocking constraints) however no dialogue constraints. It was so interesting to see how differently interpreted the scene was because of alternate constraints. Many groups with dialogue constraints were more experimental with the blocking.
My Weekly Epiphany: From this activity, I was made aware of the infinite possibilities creating by the process of designing yourself constraints such as a tight space with strict camera movement options. The thing about this epiphany is that I didn’t manage to achieve it through theoretical study and so this confirms what Robin and Paul discussed in the lecture: there are avenues and possibilities we will never understand until we physically pick up a camera and try.
I realised, specifically through this class and lecture that you design goals through the process of actually being in class and learning and then tailoring an objective from inspiration in class. This being my first week and learning what i have, i’ve decided – i know it’s ambitious – that I want to have a greater understanding of my own style as a director. I want to be able to, through research into other directors and practical application in class, figure out what style it is I prefer to work with and what constraints I like. I feel I am way too anxious to leave the option of simply designing camera coverage spontaneously on the day of filming. Sooooo that is an avenue I’d like to explore as, in my eyes, a mixture of definitive shot planning and spontaneous moments that happen only when in the space with a camera will lead to an inventive yet clean end product.
Until next week…. 🙂