The first week

So the first week of uni has finished and the second has begun, and if I don't write an entry about week one now then I never will.

Monday:

I was late for the first class, which was listed on the timetable as "screening or physical class". I was a little bit disappointed to find that we will not be having either screening or physical classes; instead we will be having lectures and seminars. Never mind.

I have enrolled in NZ & Contemporary Theatre this semester, as opposed to NZ Film like the rest of my classmates. My class consists entirely of actors except for one writer - Joe - and I. The morning consisted of going to the library to research and decide who we felt were the most influential theatre practitioners of the 20th century. I have to admit that I wasn't wholly committed to the task; I paired up with Caroline and found myself at a table of girls all catching up following the holidays, and I ended up joining in many of their conversations. The afternoon was a drag, as we all shared our lists with the class. Nevertheless, I did benefit from it, as so many names that I'd never heard before and I began to realise how much I don't know. Going into the morning session, I had thought that I had a pretty good knowledge of 20th century theatre practitioners already, and it's true that I did know many of the names, however seeing all the ones I didn't know opened me up a lot more to the work. The focus of the course is going to be on reading and research, and we are to keep a research journal each week, documenting our reading and findings. I have to say, I find this task very daunting. Discipline is not necessarily my strong point, and I also have a tendency to take each task far too seriously. I can imagine that the journal entries, which will presumably take everyone else about 2 hours per week to complete, are likely to take the entire week for me, every week. I guess I'll just have to try to train myself.

Tuesday:

The morning session, talking through our studio films with Milton and Elizabeth, was far easier than expected. It had seemed as though we would need a lot of preparation for the session, but in fact I was fine with minimal preparation. I did catch myself out a couple of times though, although always too late. I think I sometimes exhibit a certain arrogance and attitude problem, which makes me cringe to even think about. I caught myself speaking reacting to certain problems that other directors were having as though the problems were really very simple and they should not worry about them. The truth is, I am glad I am not in some people's position, and I certainly have no right to act as though I could handle anything. I am neither very knowledgable, nor very experienced. I have no idea where my sudden ego came from. Whatever the case, I am now resolved to learn to keep my mouth shut until I am sure I want to open it.

Wednesday:

I was supposed to have a team meeting for the studio films in the morning. I had no idea what this meant, but worked hard storyboarding the night before to ensure I would be able to answer most questions about the shots at least. Actually, hardly anyone turned up to the team meeting, and certainly no one actually seemed like they wanted to be there. It was very informal. I think I did well though; having the informal situation and the essential people present gave me the chance to speak informally about the project and finally get people excited to work on it. I was very demonstrative and energetic, and asked for people's ideas and opinions, and was able to answer most questions, or work around the ones I couldn't. Finally, it seemed as though people might actually care. Usually I would hope to get everyone very excited about the project at the first pre-production meeting, but the fact of the matter was that at the first meeting at the end of last term I had very little excitement myself. In fact I just flat out didn't care, as I was drowning in looming assessments. Now that I am interested though, it wasn't hard to get the crew to that point too.

The afternoon session involved four directors each getting up in front of the whole directing and acting classes, plus Milton and Elizabeth, and conducting a rehearsal. I felt very sorry for Chris having to go first. He's very softly spoken, and Elizabeth kept asking him to speak up, which of course made going first that much tougher. I took during notes during Chris's rehearsal, as we had been instructed to do, but after that I just gave up as each director copied Chris's exact methods. I felt embarassed for our directing class, that everyone was so uninteresting! And as I watched everyone else's rehearsals, all I could think of was "this would NOT suit my script. What on earth am I going to do?!"

Thursday:

Pre-production meeting. I got my shot list to Lisa on time on Thursday night and it was duly handed out. Larry estimates that my first shot is going to take about two and a half hours to shoot. Ouch. I guess I will have to change it, but what to? I already have too many shots so I don't want to cut it up into multiple shots - it's just not worth it. Also, it's the opening shot. If I don't have a fantastic opening shot, why bother? But if it's going to take that long to shoot then I pretty much sacrifice the rest of the film, so once again, why bother? Argh, it's going to have to change - I just don't know what to. Apart from that, the meeting went well. There were plenty of questions, but I was able to answer most pretty easily, and everyone seemed pretty calm. This is the bonus of being the last shoot scheduled. Larry even said he thought I was a good director - hurrah!

The afternoon session was once again four directors conducting rehearsals in front of everybody, and this time that meant me. As I watched the first three directors I jotted down a rehearsal plan, but when I got up all I really knew was that I couldn't be like them. Over the course of the two afternoons the routine that Chris had started had gradually evolved into a strange talk-show format. There was nothing genuine left.

I had one assignment for myself: get the actors excited about the film. Having taken a long time to become excited about it myself, I assumed that they might feel similarly about the script to me. I am also aware that when you're not excited about a project you will procrastinate, but when you are excited you will work hard. I think for most actors, the first reason they choose to do acting is because it is fun. So to convince them to choose to work hard on my film, I need to take them to that place of fun that sparks their love of acting and therefor their energy, even if it's just in the first rehearsal.

Happily, I think I succeeded. Funnily enough, the biggest hindrance I found was the tutors. I was moving through my rehearsal quite happily and all was going to plan, when the tutors chimed in. This was to be expected - they were there to give feedback to the directors and help them with their rehearsals, however instead of giving me feedback, the tutors spoke directly to the actors, giving them offering after offering on their characters, and inadvertently beginning to direct my film and my rehearsal themselves. I have to say, I sat on the floor fuming and thinking that they were ruining my plans. I was even going to address the problem with them afterwards, but fortunately I had to sit through a feedback session with the other directors, and this gave me time to put it in perspective. After all, the rehearsal certainly did end well and I did feel that I had achieved my goal. And some of the discussions that the tutors had with my actors were helpful. And they certainly had not seemed to realise that they had jumped in and started to direct the film. I decided to take it as a compliment instead. Perhaps they got so excited too, that they couldn't help themselves and their director/actor instincts just came bursting out and got carried away :-) This probably isn't true, but it helps me to think it is! At the very least, I'm glad that I kept my mouth shut in this case, as I would have ruined a good mood and a good afternoon if I had opened it.

Friday:

Friday afternoon was time set aside for us to rehearse with our actors. Having gotten them excited about the film, I decided to use the time to do the serious text analysis work that the other directors had used their previous rehearsals for. I think it went very well with Ashton and Sarah. Both of them brought creative ideas about their characters to the table, and we were able to have a good laugh over the possibilities and eventually make some valuable decisions about the characters. Unfortunately though, I did not have as much success with Felix. Felix is also acting in Ian's film, and therefore I had to share Felix with Ian in the rehearsal. Unfortunately, this meant that Felix missed out on our original discussions about the characters, and also the good mood and good ideas that were flying about. When Felix was able to join us, many decisions had already been made and Ashton and Sarah tuned out as I talked to Felix. Since they were not strictly necessary to the conversation I found it hard to retain their attention. As a result, Felix had less creative freedom with his character, and the mood was not quite right to promote the fun exploration that was really required. I think that through the discussions I was eventually able to help him see the possibilities and the choices available to him, however his enthusiasm seems considerably lower than I would like at this stage. I always expected that I would have to work hard with him - I've often noticed a tendency towards negativity and resistance in him - I'm just disappointed at the extent, and frustrated as I know the shared time will continue to cause a problem through the whole process.

On Friday night I decided to enact an idea I had had the day before; to make a website about my studio film. Basically, I get sick of chasing people all the time, sending emails and text messages, handing out paperwork, etc. I wanted a central point where people could find all the information available. So I have made a website to do just that. I have been thinking of making a website for a while actually - just to try it out - so this was an excellent opportunity for the experiment. Anyway, I think it is a success so far, although I haven't had much feedback. (This is the one bad point - I always like feedback, and if I put out information on a website then people can access it without actually having to speak to me. Mind you, they don't reply to emails half the time anyway so it's really not much different). Anyway, the site is loveinanelevator.weebly.com. Here's to its success!

Hot Fuzz

I watched this movie on a Saturday night, because I had nothing better to do. Since it was scheduled for a Saturday night, I had very low expectations, but was very pleasantly surprised.

First of all, the cast were perfect for their roles, and second of all, I loved the fast-paced editing. Most importantly, the film was very funny, and an excellent satire of police action-dramas, particularly in the climax. The only problem was, it might have been a bit too clever. I found that I didn't connect to the characters very strongly as the acuteness of the satire often distracted me (albeit very entertainingly).

Good, light entertainment - for a modern generation, who still consider guns and bloody deaths light.

Lessons learned: There is such a thing as being too clever. Maybe audiences want to connect with characters first, ideas second.

Louise-Michel

I saw this movie after Samson and Delilah and I'm glad it wasn't the other way around! Not that I came out of Samson and Delilah depressed - the catharsis at the end was quite intense. But it was very serious, which this film most definitely was not.

Louise-Michel was extremely weird, and extremely funny. There's not too much more to say about it other than that someone has a really good imagination and I wish it was me!

Lessons learned: Be surprising. Use wide shots (comedy needs lots of space) and let the comedy play out naturally - don't cut too much.

Samson and Delilah

This was the first of two films that I saw at The Civic on Thursday, and it was magnificent.

I was drawn to this film first of all because the picture in the film festival guide was stunning. It was a close-up of a curly-haired Aborginal boy in golden late-afternoon sun, staring moodily out of the frame. Secondly, I chose to write a research essay on Aboriginal national cinema last year, and have had a strong interest in Aboriginal films ever since.

This may not be a film for impatient people. There is virtually no dialogue in this 100 minute-long film, but I quickly adapted to this, and the visuals told the story so clearly that the minimal dialogue was well-suited. You might also say that not a lot happens in the film - but you might also say that the story is epic.

Basically, it swept me off my feet. I was on the edge of my seat in utter horror most of the time, as the central characters were repeatedly beaten down, by both outside factors and by themselves. From the first image of a boy waking up and pressing a can of petrol to his face before even getting out of bed, the film is extremely heavy; so heavy that you feel it all through your body. It's heavy, and everything in it is so intensely sad, yet you can never cry as the path of destruction simply continues. Until the very end. Fortunately, there is a little glimmer of hope at the end, and when the film finally cut to black, I broke down instantly in tears.

Lessons learned: Take more interest in the Aboriginal situation in Central Australia. A picture speaks a thousand words. Music is extremely powerful. Repetition isn't necessarily boring.

Themis As A Lady Of Loose Morals

I have to confess, I did fall asleep during this doco, but I think that was just because I was exhausted, not because there was necessarily anything wrong with the film.

I fell asleep in the beginning, which is frustrating because I was probably missing a lot of important contextual information for the rest of the film. In particular, I came out not knowing anything about the Themis of the title. Nevertheless, even without the contextual information this film actually made a very big impact on me in the end. I had previously had no idea about the situation of Belarus. Now I'm completely indignant - why didn't I know? Why isn't it on the news? Why aren't the Americans threatening to invade? Isn't this the kind of thing they normally take a keen interest in?

Belarus is a dictatorship. Lukashenko, their corrupt president, has been in power for the last 15 years. His opponents and those outspoken against him frequently disappear, or find themselves thrown into jail for years without trial. Belarus is pretty much a modern version of Stalinist Russia.

This wasn't necessarily a fantastic documentary in terms of narrative structure or style, but as a feat of human bravery, this was documentary amazing. It consisted of a lot of on-the-spot coverage of events in Belarus, with some narration by the author, commenting on the implications of these events. There were some interviews included - all were impromptu, adding to the urgency that came through everything. Some archival footage was used too, as the author drew comparisons between a convicted Belarusian psychopath and the president of the country. The danger of making this documentary was frequently evident, and I often found myself on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and inwardly begging the cameraman to turn the camera off and potentially save himself from being arrested or beaten or killed.

Lessons learned: Extraordinary footage speaks for itself. Sometimes film making and truth telling will put you into sticky situations, but sometimes they are the most important thing you could ever do.

Yes Madam, Sir

Wow! What a documentary! What an inspiration!

I couldn't fault this film. The subject, Kiran Bedi, maybe every now and then. But the film itself - fantastic!

The documentary drew us along a fascinating, character driven narrative. I was amazed, time and time again, by this extraordinary woman. And then to have the director, Megan Doneman, stand up at the end for a Q&A and reveal that she shot the film herself on Mini DV in breaks between paid jobs over 6 years.... it was fantastic.

I am also making a documentary at the moment on Mini DV, with no money, shooting in my spare time. It's taking a long time and it's hard, but seeing what Megan achieved, and the magnitude of the story she was able to tell through the same simple means, has really revitalised my hope and determination for my own work. Not mention the extraordinary strength and resilience of her subject. I felt like I left the theatre with a gift. I felt like I'd received a transfusion of that same strength from both film maker and film subject alike.

Lessons learned: Anything is possible. Strength, resilience, determination, hope, belief in yourself and good humour will get you everywhere.

Homegrown: Drama on Video

A series of short films made by New Zealand, which I saw on the Sunday morning.

I have to say, I chose to see these films for their educational value, rather than because I thought I'd genuinely enjoy them. There were other options that I thought I'd enjoy more, but since we only make short films at uni, I wanted to see what the festival considered to be the best short films made in New Zealand. After all, I can't afford to make a feature length film, so I'm relying on the ability to make great short films to be my ticket to bigger and better things.

Unfortunately I was disappointed. The films started off very well, with a short about a little boy in America who is both bright and studious, but can't do well at school because he only speaks Spanish, not English. Sadly though, the film started brilliantly and I was totally engrossed, until.... it ended. It just ended without an ending. It was such a sad way to ruin a wonderful film! The concept probably could have been made into a much longer film, and it was nicely shot and directed. Maybe it will be finished properly at a later date.

As for the others, they were generally quite nicely shot, although there were some focus problems in The Big Happiness, but on the whole they were sorely let down by poor scripts and poor pacing. I really hope I can make better, one day!

Lessons learned: No matter the length of the film, it still needs a beginning, middle and end. Slowness is not suspenseful unless the stakes are high.

The Strength of Water

To be honest, I only saw this film because my friend Kikorangi was in it. Otherwise I probably would have chosen something else. The best thing about going to a film with this attitude is that you set yourself up to be pleasantly surprised!

Okay, the film wasn't perfect. Firstly it didn't have enough of Kikorangi in it for my tastes. Some of the acting was a bit wooden and at times it was a bit slow. The photography was extremely beautiful, but I think they fell in love with their shots a bit too much, wanting to include all of them, instead of focusing on what was necessary to tell the story. There was also quite a lot of Maori mysticism, which didn't ring true for me. Possibly it's because I have such a limited experience of Maori culture, but it seemed to me that the picture they painted was a little bit fake.

Despite all of this though, I came out of the film very pleased that I had seen it. I cried twice, which I always consider to be evidence of good film-making. I enjoy the experience of crying in a film. I like the catharsis. I love the sensation of connection. Sure, I may be a connecting with a fictional 2D character, but at least I know I still have the ability to empathise and I'm not desensitised to the struggles of others. As above, I thought the photography was gorgeous and it brought the land to life. It was also a sweet story, although there were several times it appeared to be building to a climax but did not deliver. Never mind, we got there in the end.

Lessons learned: Audiences can forgive poorer acting, as long as the actors keep it simple and sweet. Focus on the story.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Even though I'm writing on the same day as my previous entry, I have decided to divide up my entries by subject, as the blog automatically divides them by dates anyway, and when I look back on my entries I am more likely to look for a particular subject than a particular date.

Anyway, I have seen a LOT of films lately. It's fantastic actually, as I watched shamefully few last semester. Anyway, I saw Harry Potter on the 15th of July in Wellington.

I am a big fan of the Harry Potter books, so I always tell myself not to expect big things of the films, however there is always a niggling hope inside me that the next film will be amazing and satisfy me for once. Once again, that's how I walked into this film. Unfortunately, I was disappointed, as usual.

I do have to say, there were some excellent things in this film. I really like the actors playing Hermione, Ron, Professor McGonagall, Bellatrix, and most of the Weasley family (except Ginny). I also liked the humour in this film; the books are very funny at times too, and it was nice to see the film take on that characteristic. I REALLY liked that, for once, the director really used the shots to tell the story. The framing and movement were really dynamic and interesting to watch. It was pleasing to the eye and the camera wasn't just a static window into the world but a real participant in the story. Very cool camera work.

On the down side, the director seems not to understand the story properly. I hate the way they put so much emphasis on magic in the films, especially at the start. Slow motion, twinkly sound effects, swoopy camera movements... please! One of the best things about the world of Harry Potter is that magic is totally normal and everyday! Witches and wizards don't stand in awe of simple spells, they just fling them about. By jazzing up the magic I think the filmmakers really remove a lot of the magic. And while they're putting extra emphasis on the magic, the filmmakers forget to push the mystery. HP books are full of mystery but it gets lost in the films. For example, in the films, who cares about the Half Blood Prince? We barely know anything about him. And if Dumbledore can find and get to the Horcrux so easily, why exactly are we watching? Where is the danger there? The discoveries of the Horcrux and Half Blood Prince are supposed to be the climax of the film, yet the characters skate through these things more easily than they prepare for a quidditch match. And another pet peeve: they obviously have no idea how to write or direct teenage love. The scenes between Harry and Ginny were painfully lame.

In conclusion: I want to remake the Harry Potter films. If only I had some cash!

The first entry

SO. We are required to keep another directing journal this semester. I have decided to make mine a blog; this way I can get used to the routine of blogging (I want to start one sometime soon...) and I can access the journal from just about anywhere, without having to carry anything around. Hopefully this will mean I won't have to spend any time in the end typing up and sorting out entries from all over the place.

It seems appropriate to begin the journal with a list of goals again. So here they are:

• Make regular, thorough journal entries.
• Keep up with my theatre theory journal and read extensively.
• Watch more films this semester.
• Learn to think before I speak. Be tactical in my interactions with peers and tutors.
• Streamline my work, and use new technologies and communication tools wherever possible.
• Be prepared.
• Be on time.
• Be reliable.
• Be creative.
• Make work to the best of my abilities and make myself proud.
• Finish my "Green project" documentary.
• Start and finish other challenging projects.
• Work towards good grades.
• Maintain a work-life balance.

I think that's enough to be going on with for now...