It became apparent very quickly that this class could not be defined with in the course outline provided and their would be a lot more hands-on and creative work, both things I very much excited for.

To me the first few weeks kind of felt like a crash course on everything I had probably forgotten while I was travelling, throwing in some new things as well. I’ve enjoyed it because the process isn’t moving at a snails pace but rather we are expected in our own time to practise certain techniques or practical aspects outside of class so we can move on to the more hands on or interesting aspects of film making. Like actually developing a story or genuine directing of scenes that give the learning process a certain authenticity that makes it feel a lot richer and a more enjoyable learning experience. So far it appears we are going to focus on every aspect of Film making and I’m learning a lot more than I thought I would and genuinely look forward to going to class on a Thursday and Friday. No easy feat for Uni students known for having the attention span of a…of a…..

I can’t really be certain whether I’ve had an epiphany or anything similar but there have definitely been a few moments that have made me feel a bit stupid with the techniques I was trying to use before, particularly within editing. Editing to me is probably the most important aspect of filmmaking as it is where the story really comes together and the rough diamond is cut and shaped into the beautiful jewel it had the potential to become. So many shortcuts and hotkeys that for the last two years I had been spending an extra 10 minutes on something that could have taken me 30 seconds.

One aspect that I did really enjoy exploring and discussing in class is the way that an idea or a theme can be conveyed. The documentary style vs the dramatic. In class it was posed what was the purpose for choosing a documentary style film when watching Punishment Park and an almost off the cuff remark of “Why does it matter?” suggested by a colleague became the entire point of the subject. It doesn’t matter! It is just a process in which different people convey an idea or a point and that to me is the closest I’ve come to a really epiphany. There are multiple ways in filmmaking to reach the same goal and it is really up you how you feel you can best make that point when choosing your method.