Saturday 12 December 2015

Crazy Times And Needs For Free Time

Well, let's start with saying hi guys! It's been real crazy for me for the past few weeks, months...basically since September! I've had to do a presentation, go on several shoots for university projects, write a full 50 pages for a screenplay and then there's my part time work (which I still need to finish training for). It's been really hectic!

So basically I've not had the time for myself anymore! To say the least I actually miss last year. I had more time to myself and I could actually take my time to do my work. Now I have to make sure I have everything done in the time frame I'd set for myself! Well at least I don't need to worry about shooting for my own project, that was done last week. Honestly I am so glad I don't have to worry about my shoot anymore, it's such a relief! I mean, for the weeks leading up to my shoot I was so hell-bent to making sure everything was ready and organised and I am so grateful that my cousin was standing by! If she weren't there I don't know what I would have done.

You see, I've had to work with one particular student who doesn't have the initiative to be active on set. Now the reason I say this is because he's a transfer student and he hasn't actually worked in film proper before. So it's understandable he doesn't know. However, I noticed something that has worsened my opinion of him even more. Over the course of the semester, I've tried to make sure he has everything he needs for his own project, just so he can have something noteworthy, but every time I tried to confront him about it, he'd brush me off. Don't worry, I've let my personal tutor know, and it's not just me who thinks he's (for lack of a better word) a "slacker". Not to mention, the way he speaks to me and some of my peers is rather undermining, and does peeve me off. I mean, my peers and I have done this film course for the past two years, and he'd only just transferred because he thought it would be a good idea (he did a multimedia course before this one). Basically, this is what happened:

It was the night before his film shoot for his project, and I'd asked if he needed any documents printed off, and he simply asked for actors release forms. After that I asked if he needed any other documents printed off. Now at this point, I should tell you, we didn't need to hand in any documents for the assignment, but in any job or any project you do need to have the paperwork, just in case! So when he told me he had nothing since we didn't need to hand in any paperwork, I told him it was up to him, but that it would have been very handy, in terms of organisation. After that he told me to print off what I could, what I thought he needed, and I was rather confused. I had expected for him to have it all filled out, for himself, but he expected me to fill out his documents for him and because it wasn't my shoot, it wasn't MY responsibility. I told him so and hoped he'd actually have some way of making up the documents himself, but he didn't have his laptop with him, since he had to stay over at his location over night to secure it. (Now as an aspiring filmmaker, and one that has had some experience in filmmaking this made me roll my eyes - YOU NEVER LEAVE ANYWHERE, ESPECIALLY FOR A SHOOT WITHOUT YOUR LAPTOP! It just does not happen!) So he had no documents at all and I was trying to convince him to find a way to make them happen, but his reply, his backhanded and oh-so-not-classy reply was "just get some sleep"! EXCUSE ME! ARE YOU MY MOTHER! DO YOU HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I don't think so! If someone tells you, you were unprepared for your shoot then DON'T BLAME ME (I was his PA - Production Assistant). I warned you, I tried to tell you! IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF SOMEONE CALLS YOU OUT!

Anyway, on the day of his shoot, we arrived, with all the equipment in tow. Ok, so here's the deal, his crew and I were meant to meet at the university to pick up the equipment and travel together to the location. When I got to the uni, I discovered that he'd been there earlier, to pick up the actors, and it wasn't too far off from when I had to come in and pick up the equipment. His DoP (another female and pretty much my first mate in all this) tried to convince him to wait and stay to help with the equipment, since he was going to take a ride, but he shrugged her off and left! If I were him, I would have stayed, put the equipment in the boot and go to the location with everyone! Or if not, just take the equipment and the crew could travel light! But no, he left without any thought for his crew and we had to drag the equipment onto the train!

Now comes the shoot itself! When we got there, he was already filming, he had a camera for himself and when we set up the second camera, his DoP was made in charge of that camera. I didn't think this was fair on her. She just had to stand there, with the camera while he did everything else! I wanted to slap some sense into him. THE DIRECTOR NEVER TOUCHES THE CAMERA! It just does not happen! It's why they have a Director of Photography! He should have trusted her to do her job, but does he listen? NOPE! Instead, he takes his camera and does every shot that his DoP should have been responsible for. PLUS HE ASKED HIS ACTOR TO HOLD THE CAMERA IN HIS STEAD! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF HE'D USED A TRIPOD IN HIS CASE! 

Not only that, when our sound guy asked if there was any sound check he needed to do, he would tell him it was fine...I don't know about you, but I do know this...SOUND IS IMPORTANT FOR FILMS! If the sound is bad, then the production itself will suffer, because it means that the director nor the crew put any thought into making the actors sound good. It doesn't matter if they look good. If they don't sound good at all then what's the point in having a movie? Yeah ok, silent films, blah, blah, blah...but if the movie is not designed for silent film, then yes sound is very important.

Here comes my point. I was his PA as I said before, and his script supervisor (I make sure there is some continuity), I did my best to make sure everything is according to the script, but when I saw a few potentials for better shots or for certain movements, and suggested them to him, he did not take one single suggestion. He'd brush me off like I was a fly and I felt very much like it. I couldn't stand it. I really just wanted to up and leave. I didn't care if it looked bad, I really should have left halfway through, because there was no way I was going to take anymore of it. However, here comes my OCD. I always finish what I start. Plus it was bad manners. So there was no help for it. I stuck with it until the very end and well, I just hope he got what he wanted, although my guess is it'll be rather amateurish. Oh well it wasn't my problem.

Anyway, that's just one story, there's loads more, and I don't think I want to make such a long post just because of the grievances I have with one student. The truth of the matter is, I was going to write something or other about me not having free time, but I guess that'll wait until Christmas and this semester is over. I'm rather tired so I'll just say, thanks for putting up with this complaint. I'll see you all next time!

As always, do with this post what you will, and God Bless! (And if I don't see you soon Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!)

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