MDA2900 - First Assignment Idea Finalised

http://www.10-minute-plays.com/scenes/the_unwanted_scene.html

Here is the play on which we are basing our first assignment

From the producer's perspective, it will be very feasible, with one, simple location and two characters.

I will put out a casting call later on so that we can prepare for auditions, especially as in such an emotionally driven scene, acting will be important!

MDA2900 - Schedule

Here is the schedule I composed for the first assignment for MDA2900

MDA2900 - Serena's Second Visit

After having our second talk off Serena Cullen, we had another interesting look into her life, work and her insight into the world of production.

We watched a part of a musical drama she produced, as well as a pilot for a sitcom, and part of a few television movies, and we learned about the low budgets used, tight schedules, and certain times in which the projects were never fully realised, due to funding backing out (even after making a pilot episode, in the case of the sitcom!)

• If funding falls through, you can still make the project and make a larger profit, but BE REALISTIC.
• Persistence and passion are key
• Most films have about 5 memorable moments, so when you are creating a trailer, think about them and try adding them to the trailer
• Use a 2 camera sysytem for a faster shooting process

To conclude, she had five key points to tell us:

• The writer, producer and director all have a shared vision
• A producer must have passion for the project
• Access to the people, resources you need is important
• You need the Energy to see the projects through charismatically
• The most important thing is making it happen for yourself

MDA2900 - New Project Brief

We have a new project brief, to produce or direct (in pairs) a short scene, involving 2/3 characters, which we have to adapt from a book or play, and which must be feasible in the short amount of time we have to make it!

I will be producing, and working with Francisco who will be my director!

I now need to get started looking for texts to use and scheduling for the next few weeks!

MDA2900 - Vladimir Lozinski: The Independent Producer

The next guest speaker we had was Vladimir Lozinski

A producer who worked his way to the top, before breaking off and becoming independent, he had many useful tips for us

• Producer is normally the most important individual in a film production
• Think about the budget every day
• Label your clips so you will not lose them.
• NEVER limit yourself to one technology
• Script is the most important part: the audience needs to have a story they can connect with
• Know your audience.
• The producer is 'driving' the director to create their vision
• Patience is very important, when working with people
• Restrictions you have can help you think outside the box and do something incredible
• As a student, your most powerful tool is the story and its characters
• Producer needs to have the drive and the ego
• People prefer to work with people who manage to create a film under the budget
• Know what you want; good pre-production saves you money
• If you need to get rid of a character, plant something in the backstory
• Fed crew is a happy crew

He also discussed many other important facts, such as the best way he goes about transporting/logging capturing rushes, and also DSLR cameras and the perks/downfalls in using those, compared to other camera models.

I also feel that while the main messages in his talk were similar to those given by Serena, as a whole he had a different air about him as a producer, I feel. I found the fact that this gave him almost a different approach interesting when considering what he had to say!

MDA2900 - Production Workshop

Though I missed it and caught up with my classmates notes, we had a talk off Eddie, discussing what makes a good producer, and the skills involved in Producing films.

• Confident (but not overconfident)
• Organized (write things down, prioritize, research, find out what can go wrong, delegate  communicate, have backup plans, manage your time and ask questions)
• Good communicator (talking, networking, open, knows how to talk to many different people)
• Self-control 
• Patience
• Negotiations (know everybody and everything, and know how to convince people)
• Executional (with your ideas) 
• Leadership – you have to have a vision

Personally, I'm still not sure whether I would make a better producer or director. On the one had, I feel that I would love the creative control a director gets, yet on the other, I feel that I have many skills which would make me a good producer: I'm a good communicator and have dealt with many different people of different backgrounds in my life well, and also I'm patient and in group tasks good at organising others. 

I only did a small amount of producing last year, and feel that I got a bit overwhelmed by it, if I were to do it again, the tips I got from reading through what Eddie discussed at his talk have definitely helped me think about how I could better approach the task. 

MDA2300 - Update and Abstract Film

We have continued Guy's part of the module by looking at a range of Modern video artists, such as Inger Lisa Hansen, who's work called 'Travelling Fields' involving the complex Norwegian Landscape I was very intrigued by.

I personally really enjoy thinking about the many different, unconventional ways film can be used as a form of artistic expression and exploration, and how the moving image can diversify a work of art and make it an even more immersive and impacting piece.

The first of the briefs I have completed is the Abstract Film brief, in which we are not allowed to use any recorded footage. After noticing a particular colour scheme, which was present int he decor of my shared house, I decided that I would use this theme as the basis for my abstract film, visually exploring how well the colours complement one another, in a short film which is aesthetically pleasing, and fun to watch:




I particularly enjoy how smooth the film runs together, almost fluidly.
To make the film, I experimented with Rendered shapes and images, and motion through keyframes in Final Cut Pro. I found it fun to play around with the different settings and getting a wide variety of effects, those of which I thought went together, I put in the film.