Transitions: Evaluation


Overall I have found this unit to being really beneficial and a great refresh on job roles. With the busyness of studio production and our commission pieces, working in a smaller group project and focusing on specific roles has been insightful. From doing this unit I have been inspired for things to come for my third year project i.e. learning new effects. This will be a shot evaluation of what I have learned form this project, what worked, what didn't work and what I would do differently had I the chance to do it again.

When we first started this unit I was very worried about finding what job role I wanted to take on. I was stuck between Director or DoP. In the end I decided to undergo the role of director which turned out to being a good choice and was a role I truly enjoyed doing. Whilst this was my main role, I also shared other roles with the team that we weren't specializing in (i.e.Producing).
Overall we didn't have very long to complete this project, and though stressful, I don't think it was a bad thing. It was genuinely really challenging and tested my resilience, resourcefulness and how to cope properly under pressure when things go wrong which they did on multiple occasions (the second shoot being probably the most stressful).

The art of directing was something I had practiced before in previous projects e.g.Directions Unit). It is doing this that I feel I have found my style; something that has been quite consistent in my last couple of projects.It has a certain look to it and it's difficult for me to pin-point it myself exactly; hopefully the more work I produce, the clearer it will become. This doesn't worry me as I know it takes directors so long to find out. One thing I do know is that through every piece of work I do I want to tell a story.

“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.”

-Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center



The storytelling of The Firm Awards has really helped me to workout the storytelling of The Wrong Mans through the way I've directed them. Although being two completely different projects (one corporate, the other television), both have helped my style and I feel in advancing on from this transitions unit, I can bring in all that I've learned and create a third year project I will be proud of even years to come. In fact I have come to the realisation now I'm doing this evaluation and critically reflecting on everything that I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY enjoy storytelling. On reflection looking back on all my work even to now I have always wanted to tell a story and it is only now that I'm noticing it. When I first heard about this unit I had very mixed opinions, and thought because of all the other work I needed to do this was just adding to the pile. However, now that I have experience it and learned from it and found what my vocation is not only at university but in life (hopefully!) I would really enjoy storytelling and my ambition is to put this across through my directing.

Something else I learned from doing this unit is to not be afraid to test ideas.The eye zoom effect is something I would've not thought myself capable of attempting before. I would have probably given it a go, but not expected the same outcome. As a result I have been inspired to research into some more effects to make my third year project even better, and by looking early I can test and plan ideas (I have even began planning a test shoot with Ferg on 3D tracking).
Overall this unit has been a success; it has challenged my skills as a director and helped my to find myself as a director. It has been interesting and insightful.

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