Akanksha Goyal - BA Design for Art Direction As we headed into the SIP unit of DPS, I was very apprehensive. I initially put the SIP on the back burner in terms of my DPS goals and was not very proactive with it. I intended on using the SIP to explore art and design mediums that I was familiar and comfortable with, however after watching the film Frances Ha by Noah Baumbach and being encouraged by tutors to explore and experiment with our SIP I decided to direct and write a short a film. Completely different from what I intended to do (and very unlike me to go off track) I was thrown into the deep end of film production. Initial SIP proposal at the start of DPS The story film was born out of true experiences. During the pandemic there was a strong shift in the ways we perceived our relationships and their development. Some of them such as with our families and friends became stronger, but some experiences such as romantic ones fell apart. I would always hear my friends talk about their struggles and their annoyance with their family and romantic partners and saw that there was a running theme. Despite being from different countries and backgrounds, we were all facing the same challenges. From these stories of my friends and I was born the concept of my short film, Tuesday. Since I had never undertaken a film project, a lot of learning on my feet and research were required. The main takeaway from this project was proactivity. Since shooting a film requires many roles, I had to go outside my comfort zone and find new collaborators. I was constantly reaching out on various platforms to find students or young creatives who related to the project’s theme and were interested in working on it. Apart from that, I also researched a lot about directors and screenwriters that inspired me and contextualised their filmmaking styles. A big inspiration for me were Greta Gerwig and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, their portrayal of women film aligns very well with the “modern women” outlook. The showcase the tribunals of young women a brilliant comedic and visceral way that allows their viewers to be magnetised to the characters. Fleabag: The scriptures by Phoebe Waller Bridge and my research notes on the scripts The whole process has been a learning curve for me. Being organised was key, with a small team working on the film I had to do multiple roles apart from directing. These roles included scriptwriting and production management. Since I had a team of people with different schedules as well, it was important for us to all be on the same page with the progress of the film to keep the communication clear amongst all of us. The film brief document was like the “Bible” of the team, where all necessary information was put in and it was updated according to the progress. This brief eventually manifested itself into the production binder. The production binder would include expenses, call sheets, scripts, storyboard, permits (essentially all necessary documents required on the days of the productions). I was also unaware about a lot of technical aspects of filmmaking, such as equipment management. Having an experienced DOP work on the film was helpful to my learning process, as she would break down what all was required and how to use the equipment. Having collaborators with different skills than me helped me learn a lot from their previous experiences. I was always passionate about film: for my Year 4 thesis I wanted to explore the cinematography style of Luca Guadagnino. I was always keen on exploring filmmaking but was too afraid to do so and never got the chance to either. Using the time and opportunity for doing a SIP, I wanted to test out whether film was just a hobby/interest or something more concrete. I always limited myself to graphic design and explored moving image in a restrained sense, but with this short film I got to explore filmmaking on a whole new level. This allowed me to reflect on what my skills are and what I would like to pursue in the future in my professional journey. Working on a project that is completely self-initiated has helped me gain confidence in my own work and abilities. Having this chance to work on something that I was always passionate about has showcased that “new agency” does come with its big risks however, the reward is just as great. Research Links
10 Writing and Directing tips from Greta Gerwig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPgKRWUOZvE 10 Screenwriting Tips from Phoebe Waller-Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIk5yP8zk6k How To Make A Production Binder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMfQqnalYZ4 Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2023
Categories |