This week, we looked at the current state of short form cinema. Even though I knew that the mysterious YouTube Algorithm existed, it was disappointing to realise that YouTube values videos of people playing video games more than high quality short films. At least there are enthusiasts curating and showcasing these otherwise overlooked films.

We watched the works of a few filmmakers, particularly David Fincher. It’s inspiring to see that he, though established in the industry, is still passionate about experimenting with different techniques, formats and genres.

We also had a more thorough lesson on colour grading, mainly focusing on the impact that colour has on the tone of a scene. As I’ve got some experience with Lightroom, colour grading seems straightforward enough. As I’m working with animation, I’m not too sure whether I can get the colours right before rendering, or whether I need to do any further grading while I edit the film together. It probably depends on what technique I end up using.

This week, we took a look at the art of sound design.

One of the processes we examined was foley: where sound effects are emulated using common objects. While I had a basic understanding of it, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it’s still used widely in the industry. It also reminded me of a major running gag in Monty Python and the Holy Grail – where the characters walk and run around clapping coconut shells instead of riding horses.

We also learned how to get the best sound from our equipment – everything from keeping a hand’s width away from the microphone when recording, to setting up the digital audio workstation to avoid sound clipping (between -6dB and -12dB) to learning about different microphone recording patterns. We then looked at different ways to create soundscapes through sampling and synthesis.

We then briefly looked at scene composition, shots, lighting, and colour grading. While I have some experience with them, it was useful to have a recap.

I feel like I’m falling behind in class though, my classmates are already showing their rough cuts, while I’m still struggling with my script and shot list. Why does it have to be such a tedious process? With stage 4 restrictions, I’m probably going to have to create the backgrounds myself too. I really need to figure out how I’m going to animate this. Why do I feel like I’m the only one struggling with this?