Flying… Not-So-Solo
This project was liberating because students had a say in:
- what their project was based off
- who they work with
- pace they work at
Before this project, I was nervous because this project had a much bigger outreach than anything we’ve done in the past. The scale of the project all of a sudden became so much bigger than just “This is my individual project”.
3 other people were factored in, and with them, their schedules, opinions, and lives.
It suddenly wasn’t a just a project about making a movie, it was about how to communicate with others and putting your trust in others.
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Yu (and) mi
My partner ended up being Yumi which was good because we worked well together! I had a really positive experience working with her because we were friends, but at the same time, we respected each other by splitting work and keeping each others’ needs (work for other classes, daily schedules) in mind.
- First, we created a schedule in order to meet the deadlines. That was helpful for us to always stay on the same page.
- From then on, we just used our class-time efficiently to divide and conquer.
- As soon as we finished a task, we would just discuss the next step, then set a date for us to complete it.
- Most of the time, we finished our work early because we did a majority of it in class, where we were able to help each other develop ideas and give feedback.
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TALK TO MEEEEE
Before the project started, I was worried because I didn’t know anything about my BMSA partners! I was extremely concerned about communication because often times, between cultures, there’s a difference in communication etiquette.
Those worries intensified as they were the type of partners to reply back slowly. Often we would not hear from them for days. Important opportunities for communication (feedback) were not received, so I had to just keep going.
It felt like I was the only one making an effort to reach out, but every time I did, conversation was short and forced. However, I learned that sometimes you don’t always have to constantly communicate in order to complete a goal.
- When we talked, we would cut straight to the chase and talk about the project.
- I was grateful that they didn’t waste time on small talk.
- I could utilize my independent time and do things at my own pace.
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How to be a Screenplay Hipster
Learning how to write a script was confusing because similar to how different writers have their different writing styles, different script writers also have their different styles.
I used Screenplays For You as a reference because the best way for me to learn is to follow an example. I looked at a couple of screenplays before I chose to use American Hustle as my guide. I liked the style of the author’s writing because they clearly separate the background information (camera angles, sound effects, etc) from dialogue. I wanted my script to have the same clarity so my partners could read it quickly so filming would be more efficient.
To Kill a Mockingbird Script:
We ended up tweaking the information in the book to fit modern times and to make filming more efficient. We weren’t aiming to recreate the book scene by scene (there’s already a movie for that), but instead, we wanted to use it as a stimulus.
This was only possible because scriptwriting is not confined to a specific thing I have to do.
It’s just a way of writing to help me communicate my thoughts in the most efficient manner.
Looking Good 😎😎😎
Storyboarding was very intimidating because I’m not very good at drawing, so I wasn’t sure what direction to take my storyboard in.
- Should I add shading?
- Should I draw in 2D or 3D?
- Should I try to make my characters look realistic?
These were all questions I had.
I felt a little better after looking at some websites that taught me how to storyboard. The one that I found to be the most influential in helping me complete my own was Drawing for Visual Storytelling.
I liked this website because it just had a lot of examples. That seemed very smart for a storyboard website because why would you explain how to draw with words when you can just show people how to draw?!
To Kill A Mockingbird Storyboard:
I came to realize that my drawings didn’t have to be perfect in order to be understandable.
I spent so much time in the first page just trying to make everything look realistic that whenever I would make a mistake, I couldn’t bare to erase it. It made me spend less time on the notes, which were as helpful for the director as the drawings.
Movie
Conclusion
With Yumi, I think we were able to work well together because we communicated about what we wanted to do and when we wanted to do it before we even started.
That way, we were both working towards a clear goal even though our process was different from each other. We would also talk to each other if we need more time to complete a task, so we always knew if one of us was going to be late.
Honestly, working with my BMSA partners was not the best experience, but I did learn to trust.
I really thought that this project would turn out well because there were so many platforms we could talk on; email, instagram, etc. However, I severely overestimated the power of the internet in communication.
How do you communicate with someone who doesn’t want to talk to you? I can’t force them to talk to me because I don’t see them everyday and I can’t reach over the screen.
They taught me how to put trust in others because the only thing I could really do was to trust that they will eventually get back to me, and they came through at the end!
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I think by giving students choice and freedom, they will be more likely to take responsibility for their work because you’re letting them be independent and letting them work at a pace that works best for them.
My partners and I had the same end goal – a completed movie – but how each person got there is drastically different.