Fiction Adaptation: Project Evaluation

Evaluation

My role;

My role in this production was to carefully plan and create my own interpretation of my chosen poem. The aim was to challenge myself and completely go outside of my comfort zone to create imagery that I have never created before.The idea was exciting to me at the start due to the amount of freedom we were given and I really took this one seriously as I wanted to create something that I could be proud of. 

What went well;

• First of all, at the start I was a lot more into my preparation and idea generation than I ever was with any other project. I spent hours on Vimeo searching for inspiration and to see how viable my idea could be. I really enjoyed researching because it did not feel like researching at all.
• After refining my idea and finally getting dancers on board, the shooting day was perfect and couldn't have gone better in my opinion. I have really noticed an improvement in my directing skills as well as camera skills. This is also due to the Slovenia trip where I learnt so much about the Canon 7d's
• The co operation between the dancers and I. This made the production for so much better and made it a whole lot more enjoyable
• I am really happy with the final edit and can safely say that this is a piece that I am really proud of.

What didn't go well;

• Now, Even though I was so much more prepared for the shoot than before, I still managed to mess up slightly because of where I wrote the last bits of the shot list. It was hidden on the other side of the paper (which was stuck to the wall so I could manually tick off) So now I must make sure that next time I combat this by creating a shot list digitally and placing all sides of them in a visible area. This will save time as well since I had to call my dancers back just after they left in order to get the right shots
• I felt as though I could've done more with the fabric but as I was limited with time and budget, I think I did a good job but it could've been better.
• I also think my video would've looked better if I booked out the stabiliser earlier as it is very limited. However I think it worked out for the better because I was forced to steady my shots on my own.
• Having cancellations last minute will always be a pain, sometimes it is really unavoidable but now I understand that sometimes it can be for the better because you never know what the outcome will be when you have a backup plan.

What Did I learn;

• I learnt so many new skills from this project alone but mostly I learnt how to be confident in my ideas and understand that I have the capability to do anything if I put my mind to it. Being able to choreograph dancers for my piece was a real milestone for me because I never had the confidence to direct in the way that I did. It really opened up my mind to all the possibilities that I could overcome and it is something that I look forward to expanding on.
• Another important thing I learnt is not to take criticisms to heart because it can affect your work and make unnecessary negative feelings to the project as a whole. Criticism is there to help not hinder and so now I know to not take it to heart because the end result  will be munch better. It is always good to get feedback from others because it takes you away from your own little world and opens your mind up to new possibilities.  
• I learnt how organisation is key to a production and for me mostly was the shot list because my piece was so intricate I really needed to make sure I had all the shots. This is something I struggled with in the past as I never really put much thought into the planning stage and I sometimes wing it on the day of shooting (year 1) but ever since I realised how much of a hindrance that really was, I promised myself I would put the extra effort into my planning and it paid off in the end. 
• I also learnt how to create fabric installations and how great it can be when you maximise the props around you. 
• Anything is possible!

All in all I am extremely pleased with the result and hope to continue to grow my skills in all of these fields. I will continue to improve my organisation and my overall performance. I am very excited about the future and I am very thankful for this course as it really helps me channel and enhance my creativity!