Week Beginning 26/1

Monday afternoon was a class in Sound, generally revising what we had previously looked at with Simon. My experience of this class was rather negatively coloured by the fact that Simon pocketed my flat keys after using the screwdriver on my keyring to adjust a mixer. He went home with them, and I didn't realise until I was standing outside my flat at half past ten that evening. Fortunately a flatmate let me in, but it wasn't till mid afternoon on Wednesday that I managed to retrieve them!

Monday evening was the now famous Corrie Party, where we all squashed into Gavin's room to watch a double episode of Coronation Street. I still don't enjoy the show (though I appreciate the care taken in writing it). But I can feel the compelling nature of it. Strangely it is addictive without being enjoyable.

Tuesday afternoon was Screenwriting, where we bandied about our darkest secrets. From my own perspective, this seems to be of very limited value. A dark secret is either an incident (something we have done of which we are ashamed) or a feeling from deep inside which we hardly admit to ourselves. I presume this latter was what Richard was driving at. But I found that once I began to tap into this vulnerable layer of my psyche, it was impossible to properly express it in words. The same intangible feeling could be - with equal truth - notionally expressed as "All I want is a hug", "I want to be adored by everyone" or even "I want to be worshipped like a god". The spin that is inevitably put on the emotion by transforming it into words can alter the "secret" into the most innocuous or the most wicked of desires.

I had an interesting chat with Phil as to why it should be specifically "dark" secrets that Richard felt best presented human truth to us. He suggested that as all human beings are sinners, all human beings can identify, in some measure, with sin. I think there is probably a lot of truth in that, but that raises another obvious issue. As film makers and screenwriters, should we present humanity's worst aspects to itself, and say "Look: this is what we are." I think - and most of this thinking I'm doing on the spot - that it depends in what follows. "Look: this is what we are - and that's OK" seems to me to be the haze with which the majority of films are infused. It seems to me that "Look: this is what we are - but we should be radically different" seems to me to be a better approach. In the desire to avoid being moral fables, I can't help but think that a lot of film is pushing society in quite the opposite direction. I think there are far deeper and more universal truths than merely dark secrets. They - you could say - are the shadows. But shadows can only exist when there is light.

I found myself amazed in Richards class to hear him casually say that he didn't believe in evil. I could understand such a soundbite coming from an utter materialist, who believed there was nothing more to life than charged particles and energy waves coming together in random patterns. But a materialist would have to discount storytelling as being meaningless, with no survival benefit whatsoever. So I'm not sure where Richard is coming from on that one. Speaking for myself I see good and evil as very obvious forces in this world. It seems to me that the Holocaust was an evil thing, inspired and driven by men bent on evil purposes. I do not say these men were any worse than the rest of us - we are all capable of equal moral blindness. But that does not remove the fact that ultimately the act of killing 6 million human beings was objectively evil.

Philosophy over.

Wednesday was a class on Coronation Street. Again I gained insight into the world of the soap opera, and although I can appreciate that immediately current affairs (such as referencing Gordon Brown, who may or may not be dead by time of broadcast) may throw up impossible difficulties, it seems odd to me that the show would not allow itself to politicise itself slightly. There are whole ranges of political comment (or at least generally topical issues) which can be made without referencing the news of the day. And why not get one of the characters standing for election as an Independent or whatever. So much possibilities for stories, but I suppose I'm moving it away from where it is, to being a show I'd be more interested in watching!

Thursday was a lecture on early cinema, particularly looking at editing techniques. We watched an inspiring documentary on film making (which served to remind me again that we've only had about four editing classes since we started the course). Then we looked at the conflict between the studios and the stars (Florence Laurence is a wonderful name!)

On Thursday afternoon I had a tutorial with Adam regarding my pitch for a TV series. If I'd realised when he set the task that we were going to be taking it this far, I'd have taken it so much more seriously. I had thought it was just a practise at pitching. Now I understand its full blown development! Crazy.

Friday was a screening of City Lights.

Coronation Street 2

Sophie teams up with her mum against her sister.
Audrey confronts Maria for attacking Tony.
Blanche asks Deirdre if she is looking trustworthy
Maria refuses help.
Blanche tells Leanne that Peter is coming home
Carla tries to persuade Tony to get a court injunction.
Something else happens.
Carla calls the police (Commercial Hook)

Maria goes to the police.
Ken and Deirdre tell Leanne that Peter is in rehab
Eddie and his wife argue about something with a woman on the street.
Leanne insists she will see Peter.
Maria is met by a rather unconvincing Scottish detective who refuses to believe anything.
Eddie apologises to someone for getting mugged.
Maria is told if she carries on she'll become a criminal.
Persons A and B discuss men.
Gary and his uncle scheme, plot and plan mischeivous dealings.
Maria runs Tony over (Half hour gap hook)

Tony is not dead
Gary claims he was arrested because of a woman.
Person C realises Person D was at school with her mum
Carla tells the police to arrest Maria
Gary confronts the chip shop girl. He wants her.
Despite here paranoia, Maria's baby is OK.
Martha invites Ken into the barge for soup. (Commercial hook)

Ken and Martha flirt unashamedly while telling each other their tales of woe.
Sophie's Dad tells her he's always there for her.
Ken's wife gives him more soup. He's not impressed.
Detective turns up at Maria's
The chip shop girl argues with her boyfriend about Gary
Maria is possibly to be charged with attempted murder (End of double episode hook)

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The final hook is less of a cliffhanger than a moral dilemma, which does not need to be followed up in real time. In contrast, the running down of Tony had to be followed up the same evening to preserve the feeling of real time.

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Character status
Maria: Paranoid, unpredicatable expecting mother
Audrey: Matriarchal guiding figure
Fizz: Loyal friend
Tony: Calm, almost compassionate, antagonist
Carla: Protective wife.
Ken: Family man --> Flirtatious rogue
Leanne: Loyal girlfriend

Week Beginning 19/1

Monday afternoon was a short class in lighting, then some informal time afterwards allowing us to try out three point lighting on various subjects. Although the selection of lights, gels and filters was not great (I believe they were all booked out) it was very helpful to see the difference lighting an make to any scene. It also showed us some of the issues that lighting presented (lights coming into shot, vast set-up time).

Tuesday afternoon was Screenwriting class. We had a Group Storytelling exercise which, despite the bizarre range of stories which emerged, demonstrated clearly to me how important it is to set up a clear goal and need at the beginning. If there is no clear goal, the story swiftly loses direction, and if there is no clear character need, it is very difficult to come to a satisfactory ending.

Wednesday afternoon was kicked off by a forum with TPA students to discuss working together. It all seemed a good idea at the time, but I reckon that the whole thing was left so broad that the groups that we have established will begin to tread water, rather than go anywhere specific.
This was followed by a lecture on the workings of Coronation Street. As Andy said, I had no idea of the complexities involved in writing a neverending story. My brain was beginning to sizzle at the edges just thinking about it. Having said that, I still have absolutely no interest in soaps, and would prefer to work on almost any other show on television. It seems bizarre to me to spend so much time and effort producing something which is so dull. Of course, I appreciate that huge swathes of the population are madly addicted to soaps. I shake my head in confusion and wander off to find a scone.

Thursday morning was a short introduction to Moodle followed by a lecture in early cinema. We looked at the importance of film in the Russian revolution, and the impact the film Intolerance had on Russian editing style. We also looked again at the Odessa Steps sequence - certainly worthy of a second look - and noted especially the editing: the cuts, the montage, the use of dolly, the close-ups for emotion, the wide angles to re-establish the geography, the lack of any actual violence covered by the clever juxtaposition of shots.

Friday morning was a screening of Nosferatu (see my other blog) followed in the afternoon by Production. We were watching a lot of rather depressing short films - mainly Scottish. I can't understand why UK Film Council films and Scottish Screen always have a grey haze over everything. It's as though they are saying to the world: Scotland (or UK) is grey depressing and miserable, full of thugs and victims as demonstrated in this short. Please never come to visit. It's got to the point where even the UK Film Council logo at the beginning of the film is enough for my heart to sink. Compare these kind of films to the huge variety of stuff which comes out of America (up-beat, farce, high tension, fantasy, period drama, romance, action) and it is little wonder that the Scottish Film Industry is hardly thriving. When even Scottish people don't want to see Scottish films, why will anyone else?
Rant over.

Week Begininng 12/1

First Week back in term two has been dominated, regretably, by a horrible cold (my fourth in about six weeks). This has left me really exhausted, however, I have found everything going on in the Academy very interesting.

First on Tuesday was a Technical class, looking at lights, and the fundamentals of operating them. There is still a lot to learn here, but it is clear to me that a good working knowledge of lighting increases our cinematic repertoire no end, so its great to be getting stuck in to learning.

Tuesday afternoon was Screenwriting with Richard where we had a recap of the various things we have covered so far. We had a very useful discussion of themes in films, and came up with several ideas for stories, which I found very stimulating.

Wednesday was a lecture on Appointment Viewing, and the way in which Doctor Who has redrawn the map for British TV, in terms of providing a Saturday night focus, and in bringing fantasy drama back to the screen. We also touched on the way that Doctor Who has become a franchise, with spin-offs. The episode we watched was one of the poorest since the new series has started, but I appreciate why it was chosen. I think a very interesting comparison could be made between that episode (Rose) and the first Jon Pertwee episode from the 70's (Spearhead from Space). In both these stories we introduce a new actor for the doctor, we fight the same aliens (shop window dummies) and we take the show in a new direction. (The Black and White, Studio bound, 60's Doctor Who is giving way to the more action-packed, colour Doctor Who, filmed as much as possible on location). The difference between these two stories lies in the tone and the storyline. In Spearhead from Space the autons are presented as so chillingly terrifying that my 20 year old sister still refuses to watch the show. In Rose, they are almost comical, especially once Mickey is copied. The new storyline is also paced much more frantically, leaving you little or no time to actually explain who these aliens are, or what they are doing. Spearhead from Space, while arguably a tad sedate, is in my opinion a far better Doctor Who story than Rose could possibly be.

Thursday was a lecture on early cinema (Lumiere Bros, Melies) which I found very enjoyable. Ever since reading a little of his life, I have always considered Melies to be a very worthy subject for a biopic. He made over 500 films in a very short space of time, and then somehow seemed to give up, spiralling down and down until he ended up working as a garage attendant. It was here that he was "discovered" by a film journalist, and catapulted back onto the mainstage to receive an award for film-making excellence.

Friday morning was a screening of Battleship Potemkin (see other blog for review!) and Friday afternoon was our first lecture in Production. We looked at the role of the Producer in making a film, and in particular focussed on how so much of the work is on building good working relationships with as many people as possible. I think my levels of cold-induced tiredness combined with my slight stress regarding a new project at the Citz theatre which I am involved with together prevented me from getting much out of this last class. Hopefully it will become a little more practical. We all know that getting into a career trajectory after graduation is going to be very difficult; but it seems as though this was being over-emphasised in the lecture.

Coronation Street (26/12/08)

• Maria breaks dog bowl in paranoia as her pal Fizz knocks at the door.
• Maria tries to persuade Fizz to accompany her to the police station to accuse Tony.
• Person X apologises to Person Y for bad behaviour in the kitchen.
• Maria sets of Tony’s burglar alarm accidentally.
• Dev takes Maria out on a drink, but tells Tony how Maria set off his alarm.
• Lloyd DJ’s at a keep-fit club.
• Maria daubs “Murderer” across Tony’s door.
• Pam is still selling “stuff”; Tyrone is unhappy.
• Maria accuses Tony of murder; the police arrest her for vandalism.