WEEK 1
This semester I will be working on Claire Zhu’s graduate film, “Echoes” as a runner on set and a sound designer during post production.
In order to prepare for my roles, I began by rewatching Claire’s recorded pitch on media hopper, specifically to make note of the influences and inspirations which she had in mind when envisioning her film so I could watch them, as well as to refresh myself on the story and concept. The films which she highlighted in her pitch were Ghost and P.S. I Love You. I was able to access these films on amazon prime. She mentioned that she was aiming for rich visuals and a nostalgic atmosphere throughout, and this was backed up by the examples which she had provided. I felt that it is best to know as much as possible about the concept and vision for a film while working on a project in any capacity, and specifically as a sound designer I want to know the aesthetics of the film in order to create a soundscape which will best compliment it.
I then looked into a course on working on a film set provided on Learn and uploaded to Linkedin Learning as, aside from the films I had been involved in making during my first semester, I have no real experience on a set. The videos within the course, delivered by filmmaker Chad Perkins, proved to be very useful in this regard, specifically the one created to teach basic set etiquette and another which focused on practising on set safety. The former was helpful in educating me on what is considered polite and generally “good form” on a film set, for example seeking expressed permission from the producer before posting any details from the film on social media, being respectful of all crew and following the chain of command. This means not asking inane questions / questions that you could easily find the answers to elsewhere of the likely very busy heads of departments, as well as knowing who you should be asking about things such as scheduling and breaks (AD). The video on safety was equally informative, detailing what to be aware of when on set in terms of tripping hazards and heavy camera and lighting equipment. It was also mentioned that exhaustion from long shooting days factors in as a safety concern, something which I had not considered before watching the video.
On Monday we had also received a masterclass lecture from 1st assistant director Stuart Cadenhead. There were several significant takeaways from this lecture. One of these was his breakdown of what work is done during the preparation / preshoot time, specifically what crew should be aware of before filming begins such as locations and scheduling – what3words was mentioned as a useful way of locating shoots in more obscure locations. He also covered what the different sections of the AD team are in charge of respectively, emphasised the importance of timekeeping and earliness, the importance of preparing for the conditions of your locations (weather appropriate clothing), and emphasised the fact that a good attitude and pleasant manner will ensure you are well liked and involved on set. I will be utilising what I have learned here in my work on set.
