How do you view the relationship between technical competence/expertise and creative aspiration?
I’m not really sure how to answer this question, but I think that the bottom line is you can’t have one without the other. At its core, a film is made from two elements: the imagination of an idea or concept, and then the physical realisation of that idea. If you have a great story and can write it down or say it but don’t have technical competence, you can’t make a film because you have no means to turn words on a piece of paper to a visual and audial product. Vice versa, if you have all the knowledge of camera and sound gear to make an excellent piece of cinema but don’t have the creativity to think of a great story, then you have no material to start producing in the first place.
I guess this is why it takes an entire crew of people to produce a single film. Each person has their own specific role, which no matter how small is somehow significant to the completion of the film. It is only through the teamwork of many people with different expertise, and the symbiotic collaboration between them that a successful piece of cinema can be made.
The studio guide for The Scene states the aim to conduct both practical and theoretical research. I understand now why this is necessary – so that we can develop both technical and creative skills simultaneously. Through studying the theories and examples of important creators, we can develop creative aspiration, and through conducting our own practical exercises we can enhance our technical competence. Continual reflection allows us to combine both these processes and see the invaluable relationship between them.
