https://vimeo.com/mediafactoryrmit/review/952236118/125bf5ee4b

Upon research for my assignment #4, I aimed to utilise the lessons I have been taught through previous exercises and pivot towards this final assessment. It was a way to showcase what I’ve learnt but provide my intentions throughout my film. In that case, such lessons as the 180° rule, the eyelines, cheating locations to make it look like one location, analysing the script and collaborating with other peers to create one edit (like the exercises). All of this essentially came down to my final assessment. I wanted to review the assignment by imagining a discussion between two characters with a scenic background. I had to devise a good excuse to make, such as why these characters are in such a picturesque background, and not try to make it for aesthetic reasons. 

I also pondered the question of the relationship between these two characters, as well. This also added another layer of choices to be made towards the script, which had landed on the factor that they should become a couple for this matter. Furthermore, it encompasses a story about a couple fighting about their relationship. After many ideas came through, I still couldn’t land on the excuse for the choice of the background until the idea that the couple were in heaven. Because they were in such a beautiful and naturalistic choice of location, this resulted in me thinking that it could be a twist of some sort. Hence why, the idea of a couple arguing, plus being a heaven – had led to their deaths in the first place. My process for pursuing this idea was to come up with a story that I was happy with. I also followed and showed a clear understanding of what I was taught through my studio leader and how it can be visually done. As I will say, this is a very dialogue-heavy film; there would appear to be a lot of camera coverage. Meaning that I would have to be involved in a lot of setups and have a lot of practice up my sleeve to execute on set. But in this way, I had to accompany two things. There was enough dialogue for me to get shots that I was taught and also ensure that the actors that I hired would have remembered their lines. This was a crucial aspect of production; I was trying to make their performance take control of the sequence. Instead, I have always previously made the camera perform. In other cases, I often wouldn’t put the camera on the tripod as my previous works were constantly moving and did not use a tripod. However, I entrusted the actors that I hired and made sure I was more direct in how they were going to act in front of the camera and for the audience. In that way, I can save coverage while encompassing the story’s true grits. Having a camera would stay on these two characters and let them take the scene instead of the director/character.

The outcome of this assessment was to break the 180° line, or at least covert – however, I failed in that idea. However – I still was able to convey the past lessons of classes to conform to this assignment. So if I have to be more comfortable with shooting films that I felt were right on the day; I had to practise feeling what I could shoot before in pre-production. As I was not a fan of storyboarding or shortlisting, I needed to utilise as little shots as possible, not only to save time – but also to become a very important gesture for the actors to perform as much as possible. Through pre-production, I have constructed a shortlist and printed out the script with a breakdown analysis of each dialogue. How at which point of the script do I want to say cut? Points of the script do I want to set up? And if I should move the camera? These were the questions that I had to consider throughout pre-production, which not only have conducted a smooth shoot but also had my vision completed as much as possible on screen. Furthermore, initially the script would have been 11 pages long, but as soon as I started reading out loud, I realised that the actors might forget their lines and take too much away from the sequence. They had to be balanced within this assignment. I can’t always let the actors perform forever, and I can’t let the camera perform forever as well. There needed to be a balance between each shot. If I were to have the camera still and record extended sequences, it would’ve been tiring for the actors and I wouldn’t have felt as much help as a director. And if I were to move the camera too much, then I would have resulted in devaluing the actors performing. So in this case, I made the choice to cut down from 11 pages to 6 pages, which put off stress for the actors, myself and the audience when witnessing the pace of the film. The past experimentations that I had learnt through the exercises and lectures led me to put it all in this one assignment. Everything that has helped me reach this point has been a very insightful experience for myself and my work.