Evaluation of Creative and Professional Development

Over the course of this project both my skills as a creative professional and my practice have developed and improved significantly. One of the important ways in which my practice has developed is the discovery of a new method of storytelling. At the beginning of this project I was attempting to create a fictional world by focusing on the setting, history, politics etc, but I eventually came to the realisation that this method wasn’t working for me. I had become so bogged down in the details of the back-story and setting that I was neglecting the story itself, so I decided to leave the back-story for a while. I have recently decided on employing a different approach to telling a story that is inspired by the web-comic Homestuck, something that has swiftly become one of my favourite narrative experiences. The story of Homestuck starts out very simply, with a character in a simple location and a straight forward premise/motivation. The back-story and setting then builds organically as the main narrative progresses, the story of Homestuck now being a truly epic and complex tale. This approach is very different to that which I had at the beginning of this project and I believe it is an approach that will serve my practice well. The moral or lesson here basically is: Start out simply and then build from there as the story goes on.  

I have also improved my skills of characterisation through the use of two new techniques s. The first technique is to use a character’s home or personal belongings to describe their personality, thoughts, feelings, desires, passions etc. I began using this technique after a friend suggested it and I found it to be very effective when developing characters. It help make them feel more like real people by adding the essential little details that seem unimportant but mean the difference between a fiction person and simple words on a page.  The second technique is one I like to refer to as ‘Blowin’ the Amp’. This technique is to create a simple moment early on when introducing a character that perfectly sums up and communicates to the audience what makes them tick and what kind of person they are, preferably with saying anything. This technique shows the audience what kind of person the character is instead of simply dictating it to them and allows for a more cinematic aspect to the film. Both these techniques help to create well developed characters and I intend to make great use of them in the future.

I have also begun to develop a personal visual style and feel for my films. Often in the past I have been guilty of neglecting a film’s visuals in favour of the script but this time I made a conscious effort to also pay close attention to how I wanted the film to look. Through experimenting with the equipment and editing software I have manage to begin forging what I hope to become an individual style and feel to my films. I intend to continue experimenting with slow pace, high contrast monochrome, close-ups and static camera shots further, as well as other techniques, in the hope of creating a style that is all my own.

I have also developed my professional skills considerably over the course of this project. At the beginning of this project I had little experience of using a camera, so one of my goals was to make myself familiar with the equipment. I made a point to taking out the camera a number of times in order to experiment with it and familiarise my style with using it, manipulating focus and depth of field etc. Not only did this result in me become very familiar with using a camera but it also resulted in the creation of an experimental film that I’m am very happy with. I have also experimented with the editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro, and music creation software, Logic Pro, and in doing so have become confident and familiar with using the software.

For this project I had to organise both shooting on location and finding and working with actors, these were both very new to me and as such I was quite nervous at the idea. However, I knew that with a location and professional actors my film would be a lot better than otherwise. Finding a location proved to be a lot easier than I had expected, most of the places I asked were very co-operative. Finding actors was somewhat harder but not as difficult I had envisioned, I found casting call pro to be very effective, posters on the other hand was not and I doubt I’ll use that method again. Once I found actors, working with them went well and I found it quite easy. I really like what a professional can bring to the characters and how they can bring the characters to life.  

There are a few things I plan to do, regarding to my practice, after the course is finished. The main thing is that I plan to build an audience, primarily through the use of online media such as YouTube and podcasting. I feel that my practice is well suited to online media like YouTube and I think that it will be a great way to build a loyal audience. I also plan to read more and further develop my writing style by analysing and appropriating the techniques of my favourite authors, such as Jules Vern and H.P. Lovecraft. Lastly, I plan to write more and experiment with creative outlets other than film. I feel that my practice is suited to more than just film, particularly books. I love film and still intend to make films but i think writing books can afford more creative freedom in a number of ways.