1. Gains from the studio
Looking back at my goals for the studio, I was very keen to improve my directing and acting skills. As my directing journey draws to a close, it has made me realise how interesting and rewarding this studio has been. As the studio prompt talks about:
Often in the filmmaking process there can be a myopic, and often reductive, focus solely on the technical aspects – at the cost of story and performance.
In Blog 1, I wrote that I usually “focus on the technical aspects of the filmmaking process” at the expense of story and performance. During my studies in the studio, I pushed myself to shift my perspective from focusing on film editing to studying the performances on screen and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the director on set. For example, I knew how to cast and audition, something I had never attempted before. I have also learnt how to analyse a script from the perspective of acting rather than photography.
Throughout the semester, I “experimented, researched, practised and discovered processes utilised in directing the performance.” Each exercise and assignment in the studio has improved me with each subsequent production. The structure of the course gave me more opportunities to stimulate my talents and possibilities. Exceeding my expectations, I think I have achieved all my goals and applied them to my film project: Ma Vie En Rose. Overall, this studio truly helps me to become a more collaborative, supportive and strategic director.
2. Contextualise my work
Ma Vie En Rose (Directed by Qinyuan Qian)
- Script-writing
My screenplay was inspired by the song WOMXNLY by Jolin Tsai. When listening to this song, I was constantly building a story world in my mind, enriching it and refining the characters’ backstory. But due to the requirements of the project and the script length limit, I only need to write a scene plot, in other words, I need my big story world cut into a small excerpt to write the script, and this excerpt also needs to reflect the characters’ internal conflict and external obstacle, which is a considerable challenge for me. However, using strategies learned in the studio, writing dialogue is a very effective way as the first step to developing character and scriptwriting. Scenarist, with its excellent screenwriting software and tools, speeds up my writing process. Once I finished the first edition, I went back and rewrote it, producing the second edition, and the third edition. Through this film project, I understand that there has never been a well-done and perfect character development and script creation which is a paradox of my perfectionist identity. Until I directed the film, there were some adjustments in the movie lines to adapt to the actors’ expressions. Don’t stick to the “first edition” or “final edition”, as the saying goes, “It will never be perfect, but you have to decide when is the right time to lock it in and take it to the next level”. So be prepared and be flexible.
script reading and analysing
- Casting
The biggest breakthrough and reward at the studio was learning about the whole casting and audition process. In contrast to my previous film projects where I offered roles to actors without auditions, this time I started to emphasise the casting process. From my studies in the studio, I learned that the casting process involves auditions, screen tests and callbacks. During my casting process, I broke down the script and created character descriptions for Ricky and Ben (the two main characters in Ma Vie En Rose). I then compiled these descriptions into a casting breakdown that contained information about gender, the age range of the character, character notes and any relevant backstory that could help the actor further embody the character. Knowing that the most important thing when casting is to see as many actors as possible to widen the selection of talent you can choose from, I sent the casting breakdown directly to my target actors and set up an open call for auditions on social media. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any response within two days, which made me sad for a long time. In this case, I found that how you promote your project and convince/encourage people to work with you is also an important aspect of pre-production.
- Directing & Acting
As a director, how do I work with actors to create deep and subtle performances? These are my main concerns on set. The main acting style in my films is dialogue, so there is more focus on emotion, plus my actors are non-professional actors, which is a challenge to the actors’ performance abilities and my ability to direct. We share our thoughts in auditions to help actors understand the character’s motivations and conflicts. I help the actors to break down the script before the scene starts, marking out some of the emotional turns and beats, and giving some light cues without affecting their creative instincts. During rehearsals, I decided to rewrite the lines on the spot when two of the actors had difficulty understanding and remembering one part of the dialogue. I also listened to the actors’ instincts, and I accepted the improvisation idea suggested by the actors, which was eventually used for this improvised scene. During the shoot, I also needed to give the actors accurate and valuable direction to make their performances as good as possible. In my opinion, all of the above strategies that I have used have led me to produce work that I am happy with.
rehearsal
directing & acting
Audience
Ma Vie En Rose is a story about bullying of the LGBT community in a Chinese school. The mood and atmosphere of this excerpted scene are sad, peaceful, hopeful and powerful. I hope that my script, camera and performance will resonate with the audience and create a truly memorable performance that will make the audience feel the sincerity, delicacy and haziness of young love.
Improvement
- The body language and facial expression of actors in this performance need to improve. I think the actors maybe a little nervous and awkward, coupled with the unfamiliarity between the two actors, it is difficult for them to play the teen love.
- Another area that needs improvement is writing shot lists. In pre-production, I spent more time writing scripts and casting characters than writing shot lists and storyboards. Finally, I did not shoot the scenery shots of the actors and the environment (which led me to go to the set twice). In the process of editing, I was not satisfied with the angle and size of some shots of the characters.
- I also need to buy a mic that can externally connect to a camera.
3. Collaboration
Improving my ability to collaborate and communication is one of the reasons for choosing this studio. During the practice in studio class and the process of film production, I gained valuable cooperation experience. I would like to emphasize again that the cooperative relationship between director and actor is what I pay attention to this semester. By working with Luke and Jeni, giving me a deep impression, I absorb how good actors work and how to cast actors. By sharing my script to Charlotte, I received valuable feedbacks from her, and I also adjusted my script based on her suggestion. By filming on set, I had a comprehensive idea about how collaborative the process of making movies really is and how to work together with actors to draw out forgettable performance.
All in all, Directing Performance as my fifth studio was very valuable to me. I have gained a lot in this semester. Reviewing my studio in the three years of college, I have been making many attempts from News is a Joke, Deliberate Film, Alternative Mobile Media and Directing Performance. I have found my possibility and creativity. The core concept of cooperation and communication in Directing Performance is exactly the direction I want to be engaged in in my future career.
Thanks Sebastian!