semester reflection

The reason that I chose the ‘Translating Observation’ studio was the fact that Robin’s presentation didn’t seemed forced as the others were – he wasn’t trying to be funny or touching. He was just passionate about his topic and that itself was enough to convince me of signing up. Can I just add though that all of the studios were either concerned with documentary or comedy… not very appealing for people wanting to explore drama, such as myself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the premise behind this studio: transforming what we notice in reality into stories for the screen. It has grown to become a habit of mine now whenever I am on the train or sitting at the State Library eating my lunch – I constantly muse at how certain people or scenarios can be evolved into film.

I’ve never been technically capable with cameras, having always allotted someone else with those certain tasks. I would say now that I have a slightly larger understanding of camera mechanics but I’ll always prefer writing and directing a project in comparison to actually making it happen. I also wish that the camera tutorial classes hadn’t taken up most of the semester because I would’ve much preferred to spend the time discussing films and creating our own.

Moreover, I’ve definitely been more engaged this semester than I was with the last and that is greatly due to actually enjoying the final semester project that I was involved in. If it hadn’t been for Alex’s enthusiasm with my observation, I wouldn’t have considered even making it and therefore, taken a back-seat in someone else’s concept. Making a film, however long or shot it may be, is such a team effort and it’s proved to be a lot of give-and-take. It hasn’t just been my film per se, but a collaborative effort in which everyone has had their specific input. I think we did the best that we could given the time frame we were allotted to making the film and given the hiccups we encountered along the way. If anything, I now know what to change next time.

Lastly, he will feel uncomfortable about me saying this, but Robin has been one of my favourite tutors at RMIT thus far. Through out the semester, I have written down some of his greatest one-liners, which I’m sure will be of need in the years to come:

• “Don’t limit something to filmic merit, just see. Don’t go out looking.”
• “No thing is too small to write about.”
• “Don’t fall a victim to your camera, own it.” (In hindsight, this is the advice I should have listened to the most)
• “You need to understand cinema to make a film.”
• “This most perfect moment of innocence is actually a contrived thing.”

And, my personal favourite –

• “You’re never not a filmmaker and if you name it, you can start to work with it somehow.”