EXAM

Well the exam is over. It’s been an interesting ten plus weeks with many ups and downs along the way. But we all made it to the end and crossed the finish line as a team. The exam went well. There are of course things I would have liked to have improved upon, which is why hindsight is a wonderfully woeful thing.

We shot the same five-minute script twice using two different shot lists and a different actor for the male lead. From the offset, I’d wanted a mature actor that was age appropriate for the role. Yet by the time I got the greenlight and was able to get the script to my actor, there was little time left to memorize the lines. Which was a shame but in no way a reflection upon the ability or willingness of my actor.

Everyone worked well together. The floor manager was particularly versatile, dressing the set, managing the studio floor and feeding lines to the actor. Which I’d like to have done using a discreet ear piece placed in the actors’ ear.  But time would not allow for such a concession to be made.

From 09.00 I was all too aware that the clock was against me. Initially we had to set the scene which ate up a few minutes. I should have stayed in the studio and walked the cast though the entire physicality of the scene. But I was too caught up in the routine of directing from the gallery. I wish I’d had the confidence to follow my gut rather then doing what I assumed was expected of me.

I felt comfortable in the directors’ chair, some of the shots looked really good. Killing the house lights in the studio added a sense of visual depth we hadn’t seen before. Watching the other director and the younger alternate actor was interesting. The physicality of the other performance was well rehearsed and highly polished. They had developed onscreen chemistry which made for genuinely compelling viewing.

My dual role of q-lab operatior was fairly-easy. There were a few technical hiccups, but they were promptly resolved. I had the opportunity to observe for long periods between my cues to play the required file at the required time.

What I think I learnt today is that I still have a lot to learn about directing. I didn’t take the position because I wanted too, it was a job that no one else wanted. I can direct and I’m getting better with experience, but it’s not something that comes naturally to me.

Directing is like conducting and orchestra. But, I’m inherently an off-beat. I have a terrible sense of rhythm. The only way I’m directing my way to Carnegie Hall is with fastidious practice. The thing which I enjoyed the most was seeing and hearing the dialogue I structured being spoken by the actors on screen. Seeing the words come alive in a visual sense from page to screen was the part I took the most pride in. I think, whereas I like directing, I love scriptwriting and should perhaps focus more on my passions in future.

Week Ten

This week marked not only our final session in the studio before our exam, it also marked my last ever class as an undergraduate. If I had a smartphone, I’d have taken a selfie, but I don’t, so I didn’t. This week we focused on refining our roles for the exam. I directed for the first half again. The difference this time was that our producer was now acting as my directorial counterpart. We are short on crew, so are stretched very thin in terms of manpower.

As well as taking the directors chair, I was assigned the role of QLab operator during the second half. Initially, I was not comfortable with this swap. As I hadn’t performed the task prior, I didn’t feel very confident in doing it for the first time halfway though our last session. It seemed like a potential spanner in the works so to speak. However, as we are short staffed, I continued to fill the role despite my reservations.

We had another disastrous set-back this week. When both our actors dropped out at the very last minute. The funny thing is, the actors who failed to turn up were not my first choice in terms of casting. I had wanted to cast a mature student in the role of Jon the police chief/chef. As he would have been more age appropriate for the character and would have been far more visually interesting, in terms of the visual distinction between the ages of Jon and Faith. Given that my choice is a mature student, they would undoubtedly have been more committed to the role. But my ideas in relation to casting were shot-down. When the actors didn’t turn up there was nothing I could do, as it was to short notice. In hindsight, I should have fought harder for my choice of casting.  This quote from 130 lessons in leadership from the directors’ chair perhaps best illustrates how vital casting is in pre-production.

“Directing is mostly casting. Some say directing is 60 percent casting, others say 90 percent. Regardless, it’s a lot. There is not a more important single decision you will make during the production than who you put into a role.”

Operating QLab during the second half of the session, was a bit boring. All I had to do was press the spacebar when I was instructed to do so. Whilst doing this, I got to view the opening credits sequence a few times. Which admittedly is very well put together. However, it made me think/feel that I should have a writing credit for the project. I worked a lot on the script from it’s original draft. I refined it and made it work where it was lacking in style and structure. At this point, having the writing credit is inconsequential. I don’t want to come across like a diva, demanding acknowledgement for my work.  

All in all, the session went well, and I think we are on track to do well on the exam. We have consistently worked as a team despite setbacks beyond our individual and collective control. I will post one more blog after the exam and one final entry after grading to reflect on the module as a whole.