PROMPT 1

Week 4: 4.2 – Research Presentation Project 

I thoroughly enjoyed the week four homework activity. Reflecting upon the research presentation project I realised that researching different directors and how they work as individuals and in teams is crucial in understanding filmmaking. By researching my chosen director, Greta Gerwig, I began to gain a deeper understanding of her directorial techniques and a deeper context of her works. This then allowed me to gather footage and other visuals to further appreciate her efforts and work – for example, narration that appears throughout her films and the script analysis of important dialogue that was required to reach their desired end goal. As such, I feel that this homework task was a good demonstration of the active learning involved in this class. For example, it makes us as students actively participate in the learning process through research. I am overall really pleased with the fact it has enabled me to explore a director that inspires me and the depth of her contributions to cinema. One of the most valuable aspects of this homework project was the ability to delve into Greta Gerwig’s roles as both a write and a director. In briefly analysing her creative processes and ways of directing, I was able to touch on her approach to filmmaking and her ideal versions of dialogue which I found quite insightful. 

However, reflecting on the feedback I received, I recognise areas for improvement, particularly in making my research more succinct (although this was not graded) as well as making more of an effort in attending my classes in order to deepen my knowledge. Overall, this presentation was an enriching experience and I thoroughly enjoyed researching Greta Gerwig’s work and directorial approaches as it has helped me deepen my appreciation for not only her work, but other directors as well as I was able to see my peers presentation slideshows as well.

Week 5: 5.2 – Character Interview Exercise 

In completing the character interview exercise, I found that it was extremely helpful in allowing me to facilitate my creative exploration for my final project. By exploring my characters and their personas I have found it a lot easier to navigate possible screenwriting ideas and plot developments for my script. This activity has prompted me to think outside the box and imagine how my characters may react in various situations and questions both by themselves or alongside other individuals in the story. By fully understanding each character and being able to brainstorm all the ideas that come to mind I have been navigating broader themes and plots. By doing so, I have been able to ensure that each character’s story contributes meaningfully to the overall script and overall scene, therefore enhancing my ideas’ thematic depth and feel. Answering questions for this task in place of my future characters was enlightening as it allowed me to shape my narrative. 

Overall, this exercise also helped me develop the unique voice of my characters. I not only needed my characters in my mind to answer these questions but also thinking and feeling how they would. This really helped me to find each character and for them all to stand alone from one another. It also showed where my characters were too similar, or lacking depth in places so that I could ensure accurate diversity and make more sense of each individual. 

PROMPT 2

Juno (1/5) Movie CLIP – ‘Doodle Can’t Be Un-did’ (2007) HD https://youtu.be/NocIDIeLTqA?si=8E6SqeQgkP6wxHzm 

Deconstruction of a scene 

This scene is a key moment in Juno (2007) that demonstrates the humourous and dramatic nature of the film. I am going to analyse the actors performance, vocal choices, shot choices and production design. 

Throughout this pivotal scene, there was a raw, unassuming yet passionate performance from Juno. The scene essentially depicts the beginning of Juno’s teen pregnancy adventure, whether she decides to keep it or not. The performance size is quite restrained; Juno is sarcastic and witty about the situation but also vulnerable and confused. The expressions on her face are muted, and they tend to look distant displaying her attempt to come to terms with this dilemma. Additionally, Elliott Page’s performance in this scene is rather naturalistic and regards a quirky tone. The voice performances in this scene are essential to the tone of the film. Maintaining an overall dry tone yet engaging delivery, Page delivers Juno’s lines with the perfect humour to play off of her youthful disillusionment. The scene uses a blend of medium shots and close-ups so the audience can capture their facial expressions in the scene. In these close-ups of Juno, we see how she subtly grows and her emotions begin to come into the open as reality sets in. The medium shots contain elements of the surrounding environment which helps to ground them in their small-town local convenience store. The exchange in the convenience store between Juno and the clerk is shot using a shot-reverse-shot technique portraying their banter. 

The scene is defined by the costume design. The casual clothing comprises a pair of jeans and a jacket, mirroring her down-to-earth, rebellious attitude. Meanwhile, the clerk is dressed in a generic convenience store get-up and seems equally disposable to Juno’s story. It also helps to humanise the nature of Juno’s personal crisis. The scene is lit up in a realistic natural way, which fits to the everyday setting of a convenience store. This lighting choice juxtaposes the gravity of the situation against one of the major themes: humour and lifes unexpectedness. 

PROMPT 3

My way of working – reflection

One of the main reasons why I decided on the Directing Performance studio was because I wanted to explore the possibilities of what it takes to become a director and the efforts that need to be put in. I am also exceptionally interested in screenwriting and I feel that both directing and screenwriting are heavily linked together. I grew up watching many films with my family and used to aspire to either be an actor or screenwriter… I later figured that acting was not my strong pursuit. Now that I am a part of this studio I feel that I can combine my passions for writing and media in one. One thing that has really stuck with me was watching the actors that came into class – working with them and watching the way each individual works differently was definitely something I am super grateful for. 

I must note, that when I entered this class I had it in my head that I did not want to feel as though I was bossing anybody around and did not want to tell actors what to do. I grew up flying under the radar and didn’t raise my voice very often so I quickly became scared of knowing when to say specific things and asking people to do things for me when need be. I became worried that if I were to voice something in class it would sound almost idiotic – or if I needed to ask a question it would be deemed a “stupid question”… which ultimately prevented me from sharing my ideas and opinions of topics that were brought up in class. Although from time to time I may still feel this way, I now understand that I won’t get anywhere in my media course unless I voice my big ideas. I suppose a lot of my other peers probably would feel the same way when in class. As such, I aim to become more confident in myself and in my ideas for this studio so I can ultimately succeed and see myself make good progress in my productions.