Pre Production: Evaluation

Evaluation

This unit was probably the most challenging one because it really required me to multi task and take on new roles. 

Researching
This was the first part of the pre production package but was also the most important in my opinion as this allowed me to further understand the depths of what I already had in mind.Through researching mental health, I was able to stumble upon lots of facts that eventually led my story in a different approach. I learnt the importance of letting the facts speak for themselves instead of only sticking to what you initially wanted to put out because it might not be a correct representation. I initially wanted to show how black parents' tough love can be the downfall of their children's self esteem and I initially took a harsh approach. It took me 3 drafts to realise there are other ways of getting my message across and this was all because of continuous research as well as sharing my idea with my peers. 

Casting

This process was the biggest eye opener for me because after creating a few drafts and sending it to potential actors, seeing people sending their self tapes and bringing my idea that was once on paper to life was really astonishing. The fact that I was able to create an idea and script that people saw an interest in was more than enough for me to believe that I do actually have what it takes to be a Director or just have good creativity in general. 
Everything became so real when I started narrowing down the cast, getting to know them and their abilities, being able to think creatively about how they could perform the character portrayals. All of these things where very exciting but very daunting at the same time. Its a shame that I wasn't able to get all my cast together for the pre production package but I am confident I will find appropriate cast members for both Mariette and David.

Filming Test Shoots

This was one of my favourite parts as I was able to further visualise and plan HOW I wanted my film to look. It was fun experimenting with lenses as I was forced to learn about more equipment and find out how to combat some of the issues I had. The best part about the test shoots for me was editing. I realised my ability to colour grade and enhance has improved somehow and I think this is something that I would really like to get into a bit more. When I took the original images at the Mote Park shoot,I was already astonished at the quality but to see how an image can develop further when you colour correct was really great. 

I colour corrected these images on Photoshop Express, an iPad Pro app that lets me change a multitude of things. 

I was really proud of the transformation here but I am still unsure what look I will end up finalising with.

When editing the test shoots in Premiere pro, I wanted to almost imitate the colour correction style of the images but was unable to do it the same, however I was really proud of my ability to enhance and stylise a video; 

Colour correction is a new skill that I feel like I'm learning, I was able to identify and differentiate from the Highs, mids and shadow tones and new what colour to add, whether it was blue or green or even red. I want to continue learning this as i really enjoyed seeing how every detail altered had a lasting effect on the clip. 

Because of the simplicity of my test shooting requirements, I was able to conduct all of my filming locally. 3 out of 4 test shoots where shot locally. However, I must understand that it won't be like this for the real shooting dates. As they will be taking place in London and will require a greater amount of preparation, which I am prepared to do. Thus illustrating the need to properly schedule. 

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 write a 21 page script and actively amend it through constructive criticism was a challenge because it forced me to think differently each time. I am honestly so grateful for the tutorials with Simon because that forced me to not settle for a mediocre script. Thinking about how my script started in comparison to what it is now, I can honestly say I have gained better creative writing abilities and I feel as though I can think outside of the box a little more than I used to. But this process just reiterated how important it is get feedback on your work, because if its just left up to you only (which it still is), you run risk of not being able to improve. So, I learnt there is always room for improvement and you should value the opinions of others. 
• I learnt a new skill, graphic designing! when it came to branding and creating the book, I was somehow able to improvise and make use of my own ability to create graphics and artistic elements. I really enjoyed being able to personally create something, creating the book was a very rewarding thing and I'm very proud of it because I know how much time went into every single part of it.
• The importance of considering every aspect of your film. Actors, shot types, props, set design...all of these things I have had to sit and think about every detail and how it will effect the final outcome of my film. In first year I never thought I would be able to do this on such a large scale, especially on my own. It was a real shock to the system but so important for my growth as a director/film maker. I look forward to actually making this film as this will require an even more developed set of skills.

What Can I improve?

• My time management this year still needs some work, therefore I will spend Christmas break trying to do as much preparation for the next term as possible.I found that I still struggled to do what was needed. I paid to much attention to the look of the book that the content suffered a little, I feel as though in my final year this shouldn't be happening so I will continue to improve.

All in all I am extremely pleased with the result and hope to continue to grow my skills in all of these fields, whether it is researching, planning shoots etc,  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!