Directing | Project Evaluation

When starting this unit I was very worried about having to direct two videos. I was mainly worried about having to tell people what to do and being in control of multiple cast and crew members - it's quite daunting. However, I have learnt a lot about directing and how to be a good director through our lectures and workshops. Having the opportunity to have lectures and workshops with director Steve Finn has really helped when learning about directing and gaining the confidence to do it. Steve Finn gave us a lot of helpful information about how to cope with the responsibility of a large group of people, while also staying calm and keeping everyone equally calm.

I didn't think directing my drama video was as bad as I thought it would be as I stayed calm and collective which in turn made everyone around me calm. It was quite scary having around look to me for instructions but I realised that they don't mind waiting and I could take my time when deciding what to do next. I gave the actresses clear instructions on what I wanted the whole scene to look like and they followed the instructions well. Also it helped that my crew were willing to help come up with ideas when I was struggling, so that was nice to have. This was the first project that I used professional actresses in my video and it was quite a stressful process finding them. I'm really happy with the actresses that I chose for the parts and they all did a really good job.

This was also the first project that I used the lighting kit and, as I said in my drama evaluation, I found it quite difficult achieving a natural look to the scene. This is something that I want to work on for the next unit and practise a little more to get better at it. When working on one of the third year projects, I learnt quite a lot about the lighting and how to cancel out shadows, which is something that I definitely needed to do in the first scene. For the next unit I would like to have  improved on my lighting skill, and I will definitely practise and experiment with it. I felt comfortable using all of the equipment in other student's films that I worked on, and I'm very confident with following others instructions.

Since my last project, I have improved in my planning and my directing skill, as well as my editing skill. I definitely feel more confident with these key aspects after this project and I'm really happy with the outcome of both of my videos. Even though directing isn't something that I want pursue as a career, I have still learnt a lot about it and I think I'd be confident to direct again. I hope to continue all of these skills through the next unit.