For the purpose of this assignment, I practiced the role of a producer and a presenter (and assistant director and autocue prompter). Fortunately, these were my first two preferences making this assignment all the more enjoyable.

Rehearsal Set

Taping Day Set

I wanted to tackle the role of a producer just because I knew nothing about it. Moreover, we didn’t have producers in the crew of our class project, so I thought it would be interesting to experiment with the role. Ideally, a producer would plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script; coordinating writing, directing, and editing; and arranging financing. However, these tasks weren’t solely handled by myself or the other producers, but rather came about with the help of the rest of the crew – specifically writers, directors and Chloe…? Yet, my personal priority as a producer was to make sure everything goes as planned (with respect to time for example) and if it didn’t then I’ll make sure everyone adapts quickly. For example, when a crew member is absent – I’ll fill in and try do the job as best as I could.

Ryan mentally preparing himself

Unfortunately, that happened on taping day and I had to step in as assistant director – which is a very stressful job might I add, but like I said I adapted and just did it. Furthermore, I had to sometimes be the middleman between the crew members when they couldn’t directly communicate. In other words, I was the general supervisor of the crew. Also, I noticed that producers could “boss” around other crew members like directors, but simultaneously be their equal rather than being their superiors unlike directors. I found that “in between” zone to be interesting. In addition, producers should be in constant contact, so that everyone could be on the same page when it comes to making decisions – which is something that we practiced on this assignment. And, I learned that it’s very important to meet other people halfway when it comes to decision-making. A skill that I happen to have and was able to put to practice on the studio. Overall, I found myself, as a producer, involved in every little part of the production – from carrying props to the set all the way to helping the control room’s crew. In conclusion, being a producer was an enlightening experience that I would love to do again!!

Unfortunately, that happened on taping day and I had to step in as assistant director – which is a very stressful job might I add, but like I said I adapted and just did it. Furthermore, I had to sometimes be the middleman between the crew members when they couldn’t directly communicate. In other words, I was the general supervisor of the crew. Also, I noticed that producers could “boss” around other crew members like directors, but simultaneously be their equal rather than being their superiors unlike directors. I found that “in between” zone to be interesting. In addition, producers should be in constant contact, so that everyone could be on the same page when it comes to making decisions – which is something that we practiced on this assignment. And, I learned that it’s very important to meet other people halfway when it comes to decision-making. A skill that I happen to have and was able to put to practice on the studio. Overall, I found myself, as a producer, involved in every little part of the production – from carrying props to the set all the way to helping the control room’s crew. In conclusion, being a producer was an enlightening experience that I would love to do again!!

With regards to my second role, I thought it would be the easiest of the two – but boy was I wrong!! Apparently, standing in front of a camera and reading from a screen is super stressful and complicated.

I did many shoots for my segment, because of random unanticipated things like for clapping too loud, or my inability of wearing a raincoat like a normal person, or for talking too quickly. In short, I’m very sorry to whoever was part of the crew that day. But, Darcy, the director, shared my level of perfectionism and didn’t mind taking as many takes as it required to get it right – which I’m very grateful for. Also, being on camera gave me a better understanding of hosting and how to work with hosts when I’m off camera. Moreover, I learned that it’s better to keep calm and hydrated before going on camera as it will minimize the chance of unnecessary mistakes.

me @ shoot

Another struggle was the fact that I couldn’t see myself and the graphics, which limited my presenting somehow. Yet, direct communication with the director and DA (and Chloe…?) made it easier for me to coordinate myself within the frame. One thing I liked, is that I got to present my original idea, which is a very satisfying experience. Maybe because I was initially invested in the political issues presented, my performance was over dramatic and emotional. That’s also thanks to Ryan, the writer of the segment. Overall, I overcame my hatred for being the centre of attention and on camera, just so I can do the task as perfectly as I could. That made me realize how much of a perfectionist I am and that I could never stop trying till I get it right. Lastly, I chose this role to challenge myself, and now that I succeeded in overcoming this challenge – I became able to believe in myself and that I could do anything I set my mind to.

In conclusion, for an amateur crew we produced a good show. Obviously, more rehearsals and practice would’ve been better, but I believe our rehearsals were sufficient enough. In addition, unexpected tech issues sort of hurdled the production process, but again we managed to overcome that problem. We had a consistent amount of good communication and collaboration – everyone kept busy. Also, the fact that the crew members were hard workers made the turnout all the more professional! So, I’m quite proud of this segment and the way it came together.