What key learning did you do in this week’s workshop?

This week’s workshop was focused on the structure of a film, such as utilising the 3 act structure as a guideline tell a more dramatic and consistent story. We also discussed the use of cuts and transitions to evoke certain emotions, such as how smash cuts can be used to disorient audiences, L cuts to tie 2 scenes together, and J cuts for smoother transitions and building anticipation. More ‘outdated’ cuts like wipes and irises could also still be used in the right settings as well, such as for comedic purposes or evoking an older time in filmmaking.

Reflect and describe the main conceptual elements of this studio that you learnt.

This week we focused on David Lynch’s directing style, giving us a more wholistic view of how sound design, editing, colour theory, and shot composition all relate to one another to create a coherent final product. While I might not be the biggest fan of Lynch’s visual style, learning about his intentionality of his filmmaking gives me a greater understanding on how to create prestige film, as it emphasises the importance of keeping in mind all aspects of what goes into a film to create an outstanding product. I personally find that I tend to neglect colour and sound quite often, and hope to improve this in the future

Reflect and describe the main media making elements you experienced and completed.

This week I filmed and edited the final cut for my second assignment. Filming went very smoothly, as the Sony FX3 with a tripod allowed me more flexibility for shots in terms of positioning and lighting. In the future I hope to continue taking advantage of the use of high-end equipment for my projects. This time around, my biggest disappointment was my concept for my film. I didn’t have a strong idea of what I wanted to do, so I defaulted to a dream sequence. While disorientating as intended, I found that there wasn’t really any solid story that could be followed, which left the film unstructured. In the future, I hope to be able to plan out and discuss my ideas with my peers at a greater length for a stronger concept.

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