There were many different reasons and factors as to why I decided to put the Small Things studio as my first preference for semester 3 in 2019. Originally, I knew a few people who took it as their first studio last year, and seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed it. Furthermore, I knew that Paul Richards ran the course, and after having him in Media 1, I felt a sense of security and familiarity joining a studio already being on good terms with the tutor.

However, after reflecting on the selection process while writing this piece, I realised that my biggest draw to this studio was to make ‘small things’. I absolutely cherish and will never forget the unique, out of the box and compelling filmmaking and storytelling techniques I learnt and constructed in the Seeing the Unseen V2 studio with Hannah, but I felt this yearning to make something simpler. To start small and work my way up incrementally, and I have a feeling that Small Things is going to scratch this itch.

The studio home page on canvas prompts the idea that building on ideas piece by piece, with constraints, stimulates better products and outcomes. To evaluate on that mess of a sentence, basically, does gradually making small products, with different goals and guides, make you a better and more thought out filmmaker? I hope so, otherwise, this studio would be for nothing!

I jest, but this idea of making ‘small things’ fascinates me. On the presentation night for last years Small Things studio, I got to see some final products from the class, both from peers and strangers. I loved the vision behind all these products. Contained and simple stories with such visual and creative flair that it didn’t even matter that they were only a couple minutes long, they were enjoyable, and some visually striking. While I don’t necessarily want to make the same things as the last semester, I do want the next couple months of creation to influence an idea that I will be really proud of, however small the thing may be.