I’ve written about this a couple of times during this course, but as i’m wrapping up my Film 3 project I thought I’d update my thoughts on it, since i’ve learned a lot this semester.

I worked on two projects during this final section, my own and Jamies, and I have to say it was much less stressful working on hers. Whenever you’re working with someone else, no matter how closely you collaborate, theres always gunna be one person who’s in charge, or who cares a little more, or who came up with the initial concept. Maybe not for the whole thing, but everyone working on a project will look at one section and think ‘mine’.

When the whole thing was ‘mine’, I had an idea of exactly how I wanted it to go in my head, but not being able to be everywhere at once, I had people helping me create it. And no matter how well you explain it, nobody is ever going to be able to recreate exactly what is in your head. Hell, most of the time I can’t create whats in my head. So when I’ve got people working under me theres always gunna be a split second moment of ‘oh’, when what they present doesn’t match up to what you imagined. Sometimes its better, sometimes its worse. I was lucky, and I had a great team, and it came close. So when I’m in charge I’m battling with what I want, whats realistic, and what people can give me. I want to be everywhere at once, doing everything.

The other side of that coin is much calmer. When I’m just one part of the project I can focus. I do my part as best I can, I hand it in. If it isn’t good enough, I do it again, and I’ll do it because I know its my job, and whatever I think about what I’ve done, I’m there to fulfill a brief. I’ll redo something ten, twenty times if I have to because I know how hard it is to get someone else to get exactly what you need. Whereas if I’m the person asking someone to redo something I still hold onto my softheartedness, I never want to tell anyone that what they’ve done isn’t good enough, so I end up compromising.

If this semesters taught me anything its that you learn more by doing than any number of hours in a classroom can teach you, and working with people, for people, and in charge of people has given me a good idea of who I am, and what role I play on any set.