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.