Story-telling Unit: Reflection

On reflection i have really enjoyed this unit. Screen writing is something i've always enjoyed for fun and it was a good to write something i wouldn't normally have thought about. I've definitely learnt a lot in terms of how to develop characters and layout etc.

The things that have worked well on this project are that i kept ahead of the game with the script writing and was able to write something that had a real message. I also felt the collaboration with Hannah and Roxanne was really good and it was great to work with people who really understood the project and i think this is a real deal breaker for me in the future.

The things that haven't gone so well. My pitching needs work. I really struggled to sell the initial pitch of the idea and feel like i maybe didn't do it justice or that people didn't really 'get it'. I don't think asking friends to help out on projects is ever a good idea and can lead to a lot of let downs. We are lucky on the course that everyone is like minded and is interested in film making but friends and family often don't share the same enthusiasm as me so it can be awkward and frustrating when people let you down.

My audio in the final edit is not how I wanted it to be. I feel if I could get the hang of Final Cut Pro and editing I will be able to produce higher quality final pieces. Over christmas, after I receive my mac, I am going to mess about with this piece and try and edit it more to my satisfaction and this will also give me good practise with using the software. What I've learnt from this is to give yourself plenty of time to edit so you can ask for help on things that aren't working and show other people and get their opinions.

I decided in the end not to use the music my producer had given me as the tempo didn't feel quite right. I instead used an instrumental version of One of the videos I had given him as an idea. I think in the future I have learnt to get the rough edit done for the music producer early. This will allow him to see the story in visual and not just the script.

I also never want to have to be in any of my own productions ever again! I feel like as i'm enjoying the camera work more and more i don't want to have to be infront of it and not get the chance to fully direct and get the shots exactly how i want them and keep en eye on colour changes and focus and audio levels. I'm incredibly picky and it really grates on me that my film has bits that are out of focus.

Overall i'm pleased with the final outcome of my project as a whole. For my very first attempt at using a camera and editing and writing a proper script im over the moon and cant wait for the next project!

Stay safe,

Helen