Contents:

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3

Question 1

In 200 words or less please outline your goals, desires – what you want to get out of this semester. You will review this later in the course. Many will rethink this dramatically – this is a good thing.

This semester I would love to really solidify my practical video skills (including shooting, audio and editing), and also organisational skills (directing and producing). Obviously I won’t get the chance to do EVERYTHING, but I would like to really be confident in recording audio and camera, as well as solidifying my directing and producing skills. I also would love to be confident in my own skills to make my own short film by myself, and hopefully make friends that I can collaborate with in the future.

Question 2

Consider Jasmine’s lecture on Screenwriting and briefly describe one point that you have taken from it.

A point that excites you, something that was completely new to you, perplexes you or even one you take issue with.

A point from Jasmine’s lecture on screenwriting I was interested in (and something I’m always interested in) is the protagonist/antagonist dynamic, and how it doesn’t necessarily have to be deadly enemies pitted against each other (a la Harry Potter/Voldemort, Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty, etc), but rather just people who have agendas who oppose each other. I’m always really interested in protagonists and antagonists, because it’s interesting looking at what struggles heroes have and what makes antagonists compelling.

Question 3

Select from one of the readings from week 1 or 2 and briefly describe two points that you have taken from that reading. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.

I read Slogans for the Screenwriter’s Wall because I thought there might be some handy slogans I could write on my own wall. But my favourite bit ended up being the part that said that films come in three lengths: long, too long and much too long, while student films are: too long, much too long, and very much too long. I thought that was a riot. I did Year 12 Media and had to watch a lot of student films and go to a lot of film festivals, and that is 100% perfect. Student films are invariably too long! So I thought that was a particularly apt slogan.

There was plenty of other slogans I enjoyed, but one that I really enjoyed was: if you have a beginning but not an end, you don’t have the right beginning. I thought that was excellent, as I do have an idea for a book but don’t have an idea for the ending. Maybe I need a new beginning.