This is the end. Well, it is almost the end of my undergraduate life. For the past two weeks, I have been busy—perhaps too caught up with my assignments. I’d say it’s the craziest final weeks in my university life. I only hope that everything will turn out well and that I will have some quiet time to review my life again, rethink my plans for the future. Afterall, it is an important year, the last year in uni.

This studio, Film Light, has been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot, especially I’m also studying Histories of Film Theory for my contextual stream. The studies here has benefited me to be able to “truly understand”—the understanding the craftsmanship behind filmmaking, and the awareness of the incredibly dense nature and potential of film as a medium to express and investigate. I’m now paying more attention to the details of a film and trying to discuss more in-depth with my other friends who are also interested in filmmaking. My plan for my career in the future is to be a film director and I know that there’s simply so much more for me to learn.

I’ve also come to understand that even though we did learn the technical aspects of lighting in films, the point of going to university is to help you to learn a way to make sense of the world and to find yourself. This “way” is found only through studying consciously on my own, through observing the working methods of others. Have I found myself? I always know, very well, what I want, but I am never sure how I can achieve my goal. Perhaps I have deliberately tried to avoid living my life as planned. I can still remember one short story I read when I was very young. I believe that it was the kind of story with a direct message to convince one of making a concise plan for life and the future. I’ve grown a dislike now towards that kind of “literature” now. At the time, after reading the story, I felt that I don’t like any absolute certainty in life that was indicated in the story. I kind of do enjoy a bit of the unforeseeable, which has made me a person now who is unsure of the current and future situations, yet who is doing stuff with gut feelings. I’m sure now if that is good or not. Perhaps it is just a way of living my life, without the judgment of right or wrong. However, it is time to make life decisions. The university and life have taught me to stop ignoring social realities.

The following provides a practical outlook of the learning outcome of this studio.

An Incomplete List of Practical Learning:

  • Identify the quality/temperature of light
  • Set up simple lighting indoors for conversations
  • Solving outdoor lighting problems with reflectors
  • Be aware of the dynamic range of a camera
  • Work with others/Effective communication
  • Analysing the lighting in films in detail—and the elementary knowledge to replicate/learn from the lighting of the scene
  • Know the names of some equipments: c-stand, Arri 1k, didolight, led panel lights……
  • Use Sony Ex3

Studying in Melbourne has been like a dream—a dream like one of those old movies. I want to commence further studies in filmmaking and make films of memories. Hopefully, everything will turn out just the way it should be.

I will end this post with the trailer of Godard’s new film—The Picture Book. I’m looking forward to watching this.