Week 0 - Getting Back To Work

Group Meeting 1. Tuesday 10th January. 10am. Library.

This meeting was mainly focused on getting back on our feet and improving ourselves, not just for the film, but what could very well mean the very outcome of our degrees. It was decided early on that I would step down as Head Editor and take on the role of Co-Head Set Designer due to my lack of knowledge of the software we use for editing. I simply could not get my head around it and did nothing to rectify this. I instead relied on the talents of Jack Wood who can operate the software. It was mutually agreed amongst the group that I was much better suited to the rectified role.

We were given "homework" prior to this meeting, in that we should come up with some objectives that we should aim to fulfill during the Term. Mine were:

• To not get stressed out. When I get stressed out, I can be rather unpleasant. Rachel, our producer, always puts me in my place when this happens and rightly so. My stress levels did not help with morale last term and I'm aiming to focus my stress levels on something that the whole team won't be affected by.
• To be more imaginative in the set design. When we put the set together last term, it was not until we looked at the footage that we realized we were very limited in camera movement. Myself and Shiv (Co Head of Set) are aiming to do something in which Joel (camera technician) can be really creative but at the same time make it a believable world on-screen. I also want to be more ambitious. Last term we were too cautious and this led to a good set but not a GREAT set.  
• Take constructive criticism better. I have to admit that this is just not an objective for my degree but my objective in life itself. I have never taken constructive criticism well at all and even when I try to take it on I always end up going along the lines of "No! I'm right!". But if I am going to get anywhere in this industry then I'm not going to get very far thinking this way. So this is where I make a genuine effort.

One of the main objectives handed out to the whole group was to focus on what and how we can do something rather than saying how we cannot. Lack of ambition was mentioned in my feedback and we intend to turn that on it's head.

It was also decided in this meeting that the first set of scenes we will aim to shoot first are the Bedroom/Union Jack scenes. We are extremely excited about this as there is a surreal element to it and, therefore, gives us much more creative freedom. 

Extract from script:

9A INT. LINDA’S BEDROOM -
NIGHT:
WIDE: Linda enters the room,
slamming the door behind her,
she walks into the centre
slowly as if in a trance.
MEDIUM: She sits on the bed
contemplating what has just
happened.
CLOSE UP: She falls back
onto her pillow and despite
attempts to stay awake, falls
asleep.
9B INT. UNION JACK ROOM -
NIGHT:
EXTREME CLOSE UP: Linda’s
eyes flicker open as the
light in her room flickers
with red a blue lights. They
snap wide open suddenly and
she sits up.
HANDHELD CLOSE UP: She
slowly climbs out of bed,
looks around her room and
smiles. The room is covered
in buntings of the Union Jack
there is a picture of the
Queen’s head spread across
one of her walls with the
eyes covered over.

CUTAWAY: Mary is sat on a
chair in a pool of light, as
if in an interview.
MARY
Yes well she has been behaving
quite outrageously lately. Talking
back to me and having ridiculous
tantrums. It’s like having a 5 year
old again...
WIDE: Linda paces around
in a dazed confused state,
the rooms of the walls are
separated with a cloud of
blackness surrounding her and
them. Everything in the room
is still the same however
the wall decorations have
changed.
CUTAWAY: John is sat in the
same chair Mary was in.
JOHN
Hmmm I haven’t noticed anything
different in her. I believe I have
a great relationship with my daughter
and I think would know if something
bad was going on in her life. She’s
growing up fast though. Soon she’ll
be running the country ey?
MEDIUM: She starts to inspect
the room, looks through the
collection of LPs that sit on
a bookcase close by. As she
looks through them she gets
more frantic, pulling out the
LPs and throwing them across
the room.
CUTAWAY: The headmaster of
her school is now in the
chair.
HEADMASTER
Oh yes Linda, wonderful student. Well
she used to be very conscientious
anyway. I haven’t seen much of her
lately. In fact.. I believe she’s
started hanging out with a new crowd.
No not from this school... I don’t
think they’ve been a good influence
on her. Hmmm on second thoughts, no I
am quite concerned really...
POV: She walks up to the
picture of the Queen’s head
and tears across straight
through the eyes and mouth.
She turns around and even
more buntings have appeared
on the wall, in a fit of rage
she strides across to them
and attempts to rip them all
down. She continues to trash
the bedroom and eventually
tires her self out and sinks
to the floor on the side of
her bed.
CUTAWAY: Susan is now sat in
the chair.
SUSAN
Oh I haven’t seen Linda for ages...
She’s not been herself for a while.
We used to be really close but now
all she cares about is herself. Must
be that new guy she’s been seeing,
Mike is it...?
WIDE: The room pulses with
colour and noise as she
puts her hands in her head
breathing heavily.
FADE TO BLACK.
9C INT. LINDA’S BEDROOM -
NIGHT:
MEDIUM: Linda opens her eyes
and she is back in her normal
room, everything as it was
except for a broken record on
the floor. 

For me, it is incredibly exciting just to read about it! It is my personal opinion that this scene will make or break the film. Only time will tell...

We were set a task just before leaving: to watch "A Scandal in Belgravia" (dir Paul McGuigan) , the first episode of the second series of Sherlock (2010 - present, BBC, created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss) to look at the very distinctive uses of camera-work (please see previous post).

Group Meeting 2. Friday 13th January. 4pm. Library.

Here we discussed what we learned from watching Sherlock and came up with some fantastic ideas to do in the studio. (please see post on Sherlock).