I Am Now a First Assistant Director

I really looked forward to the pitch film screenings. I wanted to see the other films and compare them to ours to see if we actually did a good job or if I imagined all of it. But what I really wanted to know was whether I had gotten the role or not.

The film which stood out the most for me was 'Something Blue' mainly because Joe's little brother is adorable but also because it well edited and looked nicer than the others (I'm a fan of blue). Next would be Peter's film as it had a very interesting storyline although it did feel dull at times. I think our film was the best, I'm not even being big headed it's just a fact. I feel like we worked harder than any other group and therefore deserve that victory.

So after the break we came back to find out if we had gotten our roles or not. I remember feeling quite scared. My heart was pumping very hard and I didn't even want to look at  the screen. I was sat next to McDonald and I had to hold his hand because he was shaking so much. I think I was more devastated than him when he didn't get director. I even cried for him so he wouldn't have to. At that point, I thought it was an insult to make him a clapper but thinking about it now, he might actually have one of the best roles. He gets to be on set everyday an enjoy the shoot without any creative or organizational worries. He might be lucky.

I was extremely happy for my peers who had gotten the  roles they wanted. I was so proud so Santa, I knew how hard she had worked on the film even though the end product didn't fully show it because of editing issues. I was also happy for Webster, I really wanted them both to get the roles.

I almost screamed out when Hannah's name came before mine. I was going a bit a crazy…I didn't why her name was there when she had been a producer for the pitch film. I honestly thought I hadn't got it until my name came up. I was in shock for a few seconds and then I became extremely happy. Euphoric almost. I couldn't stop grinning. Then we saw what units we were in and I was over the moon. I had most of my closest friends in my unit but not my best friend which was a great thing. I don't think me and Santa would be able to work together on a project like feature with our roles. We would constantly clash and fight.

I can't believe it. Hard work actually does pay off. I'm sooo proud of myself and the other members of CineCitta for getting the roles  we wanted. I have never been this excited about work before. Now that I've been given the chance, I'll have a lot to prove and I'm ready. If I could stay as happy as I was when I found out I had gotten AD forever, I would never ask for anything else again.

SCRIPT

My first impression of the feature script is not a good one. I haven't read it throughout yet but what I've read so far is enough. I don't think it's good, mainly because it's supposed to be a rom/com but I didn't even crack a smile while reading the first few pages. They all just seemed like cheap jokes. Penis drawing on his face…Really ?  But regardless of my opinion, I'm still willing to make (we don't really have a choice do we). I just hope the directors can bring out 'the funny' in it.

IMDB

Our pitch film is on IMDB I didn't think I'd get my name on there this soon. 

'Something New' - 08.10.2012

Production Meeting

08.10.12

We had a meeting today to discuss final cast members and also prepare for the shoot later on in the week. Everyone was nervous as well as excited for the shoot. I was worried that we weren't prepared enough which such little time between casting and the shoot but everyone reassured me it would be ok.

An issue that concerns me is that we have not yet cast an older Elliot for the final scene. Hannah and Liam are working on this so it should be sorted out soon. But it means I can't schedule that scene in anywhere yet until I know the actors availability.

What I did this week

After cast availability was given to me, I started on the Shooting schedule right away. Turns out it wasn't that different from the rough version. Just had to make a few minor adjustments.

We altered the script one last time to make it perfect.

I finally had all the information I needed to fill out call sheets. I created call sheets for all days scheduled and posted them in the group stating that they were rough copies but the times would not change so everyone could pencil them in their diaries. The child actors both went to school and were only available from 5 on weekends. This seemed like an issue at first, but I was able to schedule around that by planning to shoot their night scenes on Thursday and Friday evening. This meant we would still be able to shoot on weekdays which should save us a lot of time and energy during the weekend.

SHOOT

DAY 1 - 11.10.12

Today started off very well. We came on set very prepared and ready to start the shoot. Once the entire crew had arrived, I read the shooting schedule to them. We then started on set design and gave Domenica a hand with putting up posters and dressing the bed. After prod design was done, I got Webster to set up the camera for the first shot. Once this was done Liam was able to set up his lights.

 Curtis aka Elliot arrived on time and I sent him straight to Domenica to get into costume. When he was done I sent him to Ben while I made sure we were ready to start on set.

We started on time and worked through scene 2 very quickly. Curtis was amazing, he had read the script and knew all of his lines. Everyone was on the ball which made my job a lot easier. We also managed to shoot scenes 9 and 11 fairly quickly as well and ended up finishing quite a bit ahead of schedule which seemed to please everyone.

Throughout the shoot I made sure I let everyone know how long we had left till a break or how many shots of the scene we had left to shoot. I think everyone appreciated this because I was like a personal. They could fully concentrate on what they were doing without being distracted by time. I also tried to keep an eye out for any health and safety hazzards and had to pack extension wires and such to the side at times.

Nothing happened today which particularly worried me or stood out. When I called for silence on set everyone listened. The shoot flew by so quickly and effortlessly. I had no problems what so ever and actually enjoyed the shoot. It was nice to watch everything coming together finally. We couldn't have been better prepared. Although it was our first shoot day, to me, it felt like we had been working together for months. There's something about our group that works really well.

DAY 2 - 12.10.12

Today was the same as yesterday, everything felt effortless and right. I kept to my routine as it worked very well yesterday. So prod design first, camera set up and then lights. Like yesterday  Alex Labelle set up his sound kit as soon as he arrived and then helped everyone else.

We were working with only Joshua aka Alex and he really delivered. We only shot 1 scene which took no time at all and then went on to ADR. Once again we finished early.

I don't know if I'm giving us too much time or if we're just working extremely well. Regardless, it's all working out for the best.

One thing I will say is that it didn't really feel like a shoot because we just shot the one scene. But Joshua was the only cast member available so I thought it would be good to get his scenes over and done with. So although it was an exciting or hard shoot, it was still an efficient one.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because we get to work with more cast members. It will also be interesting to see what the adults who have been on quite a few shoots and sets, think about us. I highly doubt they'll be disappointed.

DAY 3 - 13.10.12

We were supposed to shoot all the exterior scenes in the day but it's Alex's birthday and he's having a party, so I had to move those scenes to tomorrow.  It meant it was another late start for us but both the crew and cast are not complaining.

I went through the usual routine. Everyone helped with production design today as we had to dress an entire living room (wall paper and everything). By the time we were finished it looked amazing. You actually felt like you were in a genuine 70's living room.

Once the cast arrived, I sent them straight into hair, makeup and costume and then Ben.

We worked at a quick pace again today. Not as quickly as the previous days but we had more cast members to deal with and a lot more to look out for. I'm starting to think we are machines.

One problem that presented itself was continuity during the dinner scene. Keeping drink levels and amount of food on plates consistent was a task we all took part in.

Another problem was Ben's directing. He spent a lot of time talking to cast members today and I had to rush him a little. I think we started a few minutes late because of this.

I think I'll mention it to him in private before we start shooting tomorrow. It's not a major problem and I realise everyone has their own way of directing but sometimes he'll say the same thing about 4 times by phrasing it differently which is just unneeded with adult and experienced actors.

DAY 4- 14.10.12

Today was our hardest yet most fun day. We spent the majority of the afternoon outside by the park shooting all the exterior scenes in the film and then went back inside to shoot some interior night scenes. It was just like the other days despite having so much more to get through. 

We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

01.10.12

Production Meetings

04.10.12

We discussed a variety of things with the Executive Producers today.  I'll just write a list of things I noted down.

Find out accurate info about how long children can work.

The university owns a box of filters - See of that can be borrowed.

A little hairspray on the posters will dull reflections. In 1970s posters were not glossy.

Camera maps can only be done after storyboards and shot list.

I need to note down any location movements for each shoot day.

Get in contact with Alan Rolinson - Collector of 70's merchandise.

Let Liam be script super on set - need someone to deal with continuity.

Sort out final shooting schedule.

Create Call Sheet template.

What I Did This Week

I started script breakdowns with Ben this week. We went through the entire script and broke down each scene by props, costumes, music, equipment, cast, location and a few other things. We managed to fill out breakdown sheets for every scene so on each shoot day, I'll know exactly who and what is needed. It's funny how I knew nothing about breakdown sheets before I started research for this module. They are very convenient and I'm extremely happy I discovered them. Definitely going to be using them on future shoots.

I also made a list of the different needed for the film and sent this to everyone so they could start looking. It was decided quite quickly that we would shoot in Hannah's house for all the interior locations. Conveniently there is also a park near her house so that might be used for the exterior location after Ben and Web go and scout.

The walkie talkies came this week so we had a bit of fun playing around with them. I love how excited the execs were about the walkie talkies, had never seen Chris Leonard smile that much before.

 

I sent an e-mail to Alan Rolinson regarding the 70's merchandise and this was my reply.

I told Wobs this and he was quite confused. The merchandise was a luxury really. we have enough props to pull off a period scene I think. Regardless I've told everyone to find at least 1 70's looking prop.

We held AUDITIONS on the 5th. We used a room on the third floor as the sound stage was unavailable. It went quite well I think. We only had a few turn up, but I think we'll manage to cast the majority of characters. The child actors were amazing but 2 really stood out and I had feeling Ben would cast them for the role of Alex and Elliot. Which he did.

I also created a rough shooting schedule this week. I tried to keep the days fairly balanced as it's the first proper shoot for most of us. I have no idea how well and fast we'll work on set so didn't want to cram too much into one day and fall behind.

I also created a Call Sheet template. I found old call sheets from wraith in my e-mail and use those as a reference. It didn't take long to create once I knew what had to be included. I also requested a CineCitta logo from Liam so I could put it on my paperwork. I just thought it would make them more professional - which it did.

Thoughts of The Week

This week felt quite relaxed to the previous one. I've realised that I'll be doing A LOT of paperwork and I've accepted that. It's kind of fun in a weird way. I can't believe it's been 2 weeks already and I'm still on top of everything. I thought I would struggle with organisation but I seem to be in my comfort zone. Everyone keep telling me what a good job I'm doing which makes me extremely happy.

I'm feeling very positive about this. I'm also really enjoying myself. This is what film making is all about. It's a completely vibe from last year. I enjoy waking up and doing paperwork, meeting with my team and working together to achieve one goal.

"I hope this euphoric phase lasts because I'm loving every moment of it"

Also, I would upload all my paperwork, but there is just too much so I'll just add screen grabs where relevant. 

24.09.12

Production Meetings

24.09.12

We had our first production meeting today. Everyone made it and we actually managed to get a lot done. We started by establishing the rules that our film has to abide by

Theme: love

Title: 'Something New' (Must include dream sequence & period piece)

5-7 Minutes including titles. 

IDEA(S)

(AVOID CHEESE) Merge period scene & dream sequence together - 

LIAM  

1. Two little boys (70's - tale of friendship continued in future)
2. Two For Joy (Boy sees a magpie "one for sorrow" and makes it his mission to find a second magpie "two for joy" - instead he finds the love of his life (joy/love)

 ALEX 

1. Love Bed (You love your bed, what if your bed loved you),

2. Walkie talkie - two friends, childhood friends - one dies (car crash perhaps), one day the living boy hears his walkie talkie, his dead friend speaks (late 80's/early 90's). 

HANNAH 

Receiving new computer (Elderly person introduced to technology - finds family tree, reunited with old relative)

RACHEL 

Premonitional dreaming (Speaking with the dead when dreaming - attached to dead lover 

(climactic reveal),

The idea we all agreed to expand and explore - KEY IDEA - (ALEX) - Walkie Talkie boys. 

"Two boys (70's) childhood friends, they frequently speak via walkie-talkie regardless of being neighbours - we see them play and develop a relationship - one of the boys dies (car crash, illness, falling from tree), the surviving boy distraught - desperately, tries to talk in his walkie talkie - to his amazement, his friend speaks...... 

His friend speaks for a while, eventually - the batteries in the device run out, so does his continuing relationship with the voice. 

Years pass by and the surviving boy is now an adult - he is married with kids and moving into a family home - as he is unpacking (moving) boxes, he discovers the walkie-talkie - he smiles, curiosity takes the better of him and tries new batteries - the walkie talkie emits white noise. 

The Camera cuts" (written by Liam Swann)

My idea was chosen as the back up.

Incorporating love: Traditional, rom-com, Bromance, unconditional, couple, affair, romantic, family, break-up. 

Film References

Mystic River, Stand By Me, (500) days of summer, The Road, Waiting for Godot, The Man Who Fell From The Moon, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind,

The division of Gravity (love this short - here's the link

25.09.12

Today's production meeting was quite short. We only met up to discuss our film idea in more detail.

It was agreed that Liam would write up a rough draft of the script then hand it over to Ben for approval, who would then hand it to me to edit. So it's basically become my job to say what I think we can shoot and what we can't. FUN.

We also established what each crew member was responsible for and how long we had to get each task done. I took it upon myself to put this information on a spreadsheet.

26.09.12

Today's meeting was again short. We all seem to know what we're doing now and mainly keep in contact over facebook.

We also came up with a Log-Line for 'Something New'

'A young boy is amazed when the voice of his recently dead friend speaks to him through a toy walkie-talkie'

What I Did This Week

I did quite a few things this week. I started by getting everyone's availability and putting it into a colour coded sheet. This made it easier for me to see when various crew members were available. I discovered that our schedules are a bit all over the place. It might be quite challenging to sort out shoot days.

I also created a 'task' spreadsheet. This showed what part of Pre-production each crew member was responsible and how long they had to get things done. I find it easier to read things when they are on a spreadsheet and it's so convenient to have one sheet jam packed with so much information. Makes it easier to compare documents.

More paperwork - I also created a rough production schedule for the meeting with the Execs on Thursday. I understand that as we identify more issues and things move forward it will change. But it's nice to have something rough to refer to.

I wrote my back - up script for 'Something New' and have it ready in case our first plan falls through. It's a nice simple idea which can easily be produced in a few days. I'm quite happy with the story idea and Webster has spoken to me about possibly shooting it at the end of 2nd year.

The script was sent out early this week. I think I did about 3 re-writes this week. I didn't change the story, just cut out scenes I felt were unnecessary and other just would just not be possible to shoot within our budget and time limit (ie - a funeral set in the 70s, Young boy coming home to an ambulance outside his house. I also cut down on a lot of the dialogue some of it was really 'on-the-nose'. I didn't cut everything I had in mind because of Ben and Liam's objections but we all compromised and agreed on the final product.

Now that I have what seems to be the 'final version' of the script, I can start breaking it down with Ben. Discovered some great Breakdown sheets on this online site I found for Film production paperwork templates - http://www.docstoc.com/search/film-production?catfilter=1

I've also broken down the script a little without Ben. I just divided the scenes up into Days and Nights.  

Thoughts of The Week

I was very happy with my performance this week. I managed to stay on top of all my work and even had time to help others with theirs. It's good to get off to a good start because you get an instant confidence boost. I feel like I'm finally proving my worth. It's nice to complimented by course mates.

 It was a bit disappointing in the exec meeting when Chris thought we had set the bar quite high for ourselves and could possibly fail. We are all very determined to make this film great. We work well together and the presentation of what we have done so far should have been more than enough to convince the Execs that we're very prepared for this. I love how excited they were about the walkie talkies, had never seen Chris Leonard smile that much before.

I think for the first time I'm really connecting with my peers. We all want the same thing as this point (Make a great pitch film + get preferred role for feature) and that makes it easy for us to relate to each other. I think we're going to do quite well with this film - I have a good feeling.

Overall it was a great week which kind of foreshadowed what is to come. If we continue working this hard, I have no worries about actually shooting this film. 

17.09.12

How I feel before my pitch

I must say I'm feeling quite excited about my pitch, as well as nervous, scared and daunted. So more negatives than positives, but hey, it's been a while since I've anticipated something so much. I've written my pitch and to me it sounds really plastic and fake but that's how I honestly feel and I don't know how else to put it. I did think about singing it but then I'm sure no one wants to hear me sing. I definitely wouldn't get the role. Sometimes I get thoughts in the back of my mind telling me that I'm selling out. That I should have gone for Director instead. It's like a part of me, the ambitious part, is insulting me for being too scared to go for what I actually want. But I don't listen to that because I really want to be a First AD and I'm sticking to that decision. I've already changed my mind and I'm not doing it again. 

Just before entering the room I felt really nauseas. A voice in my head kept telling me that I would end up as clapper or caterer. But hey, at least with those roles I get to be on constantly. And that's exactly where I want to be - where the action is. 

After the Pitch

So I think my pitch went ok. There was a lot of pressure. I panicked every time Chris went to write something down. Ended up going off track a bit but think I pulled it together in the end. Thank God I know how to speak properly. I was told it was 'articulate' wasn't sure if I should have taken that as a compliment or a criticism. Of course I feel relived, I'm glad it's finally over, but now it's another waiting game to see if I get First AD for the pitching films. I've gone over the pitch so many times in my head trying to think of how I could have made it better. This is still a problem I have - over thinking. It's really not good for my health, but I can't seem to help myself. I'm always trying to perfect things, even when it's over and done. I need to stop striving for perfection, because sometimes it's not about the result but rather the process. 

RESULT

I can't believe I got the role for the pitch films. I saw the list, read my name, then ran downstairs to tell Santa who hadn't seen it yet. After realising we had both gotten what we wanted we started dancing around in ours rooms. Yes it's not for the actual feature but I feel like I'm in a race and I was first to jump over the last hurdle so now I have the best chance of winning. Cheesy I know, but I got a ridiculously huge confidence boost reading my name. Because at least I've been given the opportunity to show what I can do and boy am I ready to show it. This is exactly what I've been waiting for, a chance to put everything I have into something and await the outcome. And if the outcome is good and positive, then I can breathe a sigh of relief and be satisfied knowing that I haven't wasted the last year of my life. It's strange that I think like this, because I learnt so much about myself during the first year of the course so it can't have been a waste. But in the back of my mind I always kept thinking that maybe Film Production wasn't for me. To me this isn't just about doing well, it's about rediscovering a part of myself I thought I had lost a long time ago. A chance to finally stop doubting myself and be confident about my ability to achieve something great.

First Steps

The first thing I did after discovering that I had been chosen as a First Ad for pitch film was create a facebook group for everyone in our CineCitta Production team. (researched Cinecita - discovered it's a real Italian production company). Facebook is the easiest form of contact for most people. It's free and you can use it as long as there's internet around. Everyone joined the group within a day and we starting discussing ideas straight away. The next thing I did was set up a Production meeting for the next Monday the 24th after finding out everyone's availability. I then booked a study room in the library for us so we could have some peace and quiet while working. 

Summer

2nd Year

I must say (or type) I'm quite excited for 2nd year; mainly because of Feature Film of course. I just think it's such a wonderful opportunity to be able to make a film as an undergraduate. It was the main reason why I came to UCLan and soon I'll be doing what I've been looking forward to most on this course. I'm also excited to up my game a little bit. I feel like I breezed through first year doing the bare minimum and that is not what I'm at university for. I'm actually looking forward to being challenged by assignments and feature film. I'd like to think I'm ready to work now.

However I'm also worried that I've overestimated my abilities and won't be able to handle 2nd year. Speaking to current 2nd years on the course, they all seemed to mention that there was a huge difference between 1st and 2nd year. Apparently the work load doubles and it's not so easy to pass. I'll be honest and say I haven't given 100% in anything 'education-related' for a few years now and I' scared that when the time calls for it; I won't be able to deliver. It's annoying when you're constantly questioning yourself and your potential. I've never been confident anything I've done or do. I always feel like there's room for improvement or that I'm not good enough. I want 2nd year to be different. I want it to be the year where I can finally say with confidence that I am 'good' at what I do. It may seem like a little thing to most people but it's all I've wanted for as long as I can remember.

I'm also worried about working in such a large group of my peers. I don't do well in big groups. I always get really quiet and let others talk even though I really have a lot to say. I think getting to know my course mates a bit better should help with this. Once I'm comfortable with someone I find it easier to be myself.

I know what I need to do to succeed, I always have. It's just a matter of getting those things done ! Starting work a good few weeks before it's due will be my biggest hurdle I think. I'm so used to doing things last minute that it's now quite hard to find motivation to work when I'm not under pressure. I think making 'To Do' lists everyday and giving myself some sort of punishment when I don't get everything done should help with the problem.

So overall I am both excited and worried about 2nd year. I can't wait to start though,  I think it'll be a good year.

Role

I came onto the course determined to become a Director in the future so as soon as Feature came up I decided to go for that role. I spent a lot of time thinking about this over the summer. A lot of time. I've decided to not go for Director anymore. The excuse I told myself was that I wasn't experienced enough; I haven't actually directed a film 'properly' yet. However this journal is for me to be honest about my feelings so that's what I'll do. I got scared. I started thinking about what it would take to actually direct a feature film and chickened out. I definitely don't have enough experience and I'm not confident enough to go for it. I like challenges but this one just felt like it was beyond me. I'm disappointed at my fear but I'm also not going to go for something I'm so unsure about.

Yes I'm still scared of failure. It's going to be hard to get rid of that flaw of mine.

I've decided to go for a role which I'm more confident about fulfilling but which will also challenge me. I'm going to go for First AD. Reading up on the role description, it just seemed to stand out. I like the fact that a First Ad needs to be ridiculously organized. It'll give me a chance to see if I can get a bit of the old Rachel back. A girl who always managed to stay on top of everything and with ease. It'll also be good to have a role of such importance; to feel like I have a say in what happens.

Research

I'll be honest and admit that I didn't do much research into being a first AD. I mainly used the internet to research about the role of a First Assistant Director and what it takes to become one. I found already knew the main roles and  responsibilities of an AD from what I had been told and what I had seen last year during my making of.

However I did learn something very important during my research; The extent to which I have to schedule. I thought I only needed to decide what scenes we shot each day with a basic scene shooting order. I didn't realise I had to schedule each shot in and also estimate the amount of time it would take to get a good take. Very detailed stuff, but it didn't throw me off at all. The fact that I have more control is actually exciting

.

"I have to be careful not to become a control freak

 if I get First AD"

All in all, bottom line is...if we don't finish everything we need to in the day - it's on me. I need to learn how to schedule defiantly and effectively - that will be my main task.

The main reason why I didn't do much research was because I wanted to go for a trial and error approach. The dry runs will be a great time to do this as it gives me time to practice and find the best methods before the actual shoot. I thought it would better and overall more rewarding to discover my own way of ADing.

So through my research I have discovered that a First AD needs to DO and BE the following things:

·         Schedule each shoot day:

·     -    Assist the Director

·      -   Supervise cast and crew

·      -    Keep shoot on or ahead of schedule

·      -   Responsible for health and safety on set

·      -   Call Sheets

·      -   General production activity.

·      -   Team leader

·      -   Motivator

·     -   Good communicator

I think I'm happier and more comfortable going for the role of First Ad because as challenging as it seems, in the back of my mind, I know that I can do it if I work. When I think about directing, it's just endless doubt. Can you really become a good director just because you work hard at it ? Isn't it one of those things you either have or don't. Creativity is not something you can learn...or is it ? So many questions...it just gives me a headache. But I'll have to tackle this fear of directing soon if I'm serious about pursuing that career in the future.

"I definitely still want to direct"

Just not now. I want to build up my confidence in order areas first and then go for it. But who knows where the future might take me. Might get First AD and absolutely hate being one or get a different role and love it. But that is the beauty of filmmaking. You can never really tell what you'll like until you actually try doing it.