Walking into the first class for this studio, I was excited but honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. However, given that we sped through the typical introductory spiel and in about twenty minutes had jumped straight into a technical camera exercise, it’s safe to say that this is exactly the studio I was looking for.
Although I enjoyed many parts of the Media 1 course, the one aspect I was disappointed in was the more theory based emphasis and subsequent lack of opportunities to explore practical work. At the end of the semester I found that although I had a grasp on the various theories and discussions surrounding media and communications, I still didn’t know much about how to set up a camera or how a film set operates.
What attracted me the most about this studio is the premise of “research by practice”, and my goals for this semester are largely based on practical skills. At the end of the semester I hope to emerge a more confident and knowledgeable documentary/film maker.
Here are my goals for the studio:
1) To be able to confidently operate the equipment available
One of the things I am most excited about the Film 3 studio is that we will have access to various professional tech equipment such as the Sony EX3’s. For example, I’m excited to learn how to set up a shot, and be able to determine the correct exposure, white balance, focal length etc. I hope to become confident in operating the camera and audio equipment available to us, and like Paul mentioned, be able to look “cool” while doing it.
2) To be okay with not knowing everything beforehand and just going and doing
When it comes to media making, one of the best ways to learn is through experimentation. It may be scary at first to try something new with little instruction, but as it became apparent through the first class exercise, even though it was “designed to fail”, that a lot of learning happens through trial and error. Whether it be operating a boom mic or shooting a scene, getting hands on experience and slowly figuring it out leads to great learning curves.
3) To gain a wider understanding of various aesthetic aspects of a shot and/or scene
Through a mixture of going out on our own and shooting and learning theory, I’d like to be able to gain a basic understanding of what makes a shot visually appealing. This might include what type of frame, angle, or positioning creates engaging scenes, or how to most effectively edit these scenes using Premiere.
4) To improve my reflection skills
I’ve never been the type of person who can just sit down and spew out their thoughts and reflections about a certain event. But having realised the importance of self reflection, through the focus on reflection in this course I hope to develop new ways of critical thinking and hopefully become better at expressing my thoughts and ‘light bulb’ moments.
