And so, my Journey into my third year of study has begun. I will be taking my leap into the big wide world of blogging, I hope that what I write isn’t the same old dribs and drabs that everyone else talks about I want this process of blogging to be a therapeutic one. A place I can let out all of my thoughts and opinions on films, film making and general pop culture. After 2 years in the Vocational sector of RMIT (Building 94 Represent) I will be stepping up to Higher Ed at Building 9. So, what have I learned in my 2 years?

Well the first thing I learnt was that there is a whole lot more significant areas in film making then a Director and Cinematographer . Film making is a vast sum of parts all working together to make art and a lot of thought has to be taken in ALL aspects of the production not just a nice-looking image. Surround yourself with passionate people, work with talented people that you get along with. Never work with someone you don’t like and you can never know everything there is about film making!! You should be always learning.

Coming from a trade background (Metal fabrication) I have found that I have a good understanding for the technical side of film making, Cameras, Sound, Lighting and editing workflow jargon is what I am good at. People can look at a camera and find themselves unsure about what all the buttons do, I enjoy the challenge. One of my favourite pass times is reading up about all the new cameras and there specs, knowing quite well that I could never afford them.

So, what is true to form? What am I hoping to get out of it all?

Paul talks in the studio guide about the methods of film production being predetermined by the choice to either make Documentary or Drama. Setting the form and often the content. These methods have their practicalities and require a commitment to a particular form and its methods of production but this can limit the film’s expressive potential.

True to form is that the content of your work will be determined by your creative vision while having respect and a deeper understanding for the subject matter in the process of shaping the final form.

What I want to get from the True to Form studio classes is to be true to myself, be open minded to the nature of the studio and to gain a better analytical understanding of film making, composition of a shot, focus, exposure and constructive reflection to my own work. What I have a real hard time doing is being able to articulate my thoughts constructively. I always end up hating everything I make; I would like to say I’m a perfectionist but I look at the negatives of my work. When I should be looking at the positives and looking back at where I started to where I am now which is a big leap.

Some goals/aims for the semester:

– Be able to express myself analytically and analyse my work through reflection.

– Be True to form.

– Gain a deeper knowledge of cinema.

– Pass the semester with flying colours.

– Make/ Work on my own projects, Short films and Webseries.

– Make new friendships and connections in the industry.

And so, my first blog for the year is over. I am excited for the upcoming year and all that will come with it. Until next time this is Lance signing off.