WEEKEND Q+A #1: BEA

[beatroot]

Bea, bea bea .... I have three questions for you

A) are you a fan of vertical video recordings ? Why?

B) are you a fan of shaky cam ? Why?

C) what do you think of silent films ?

A) I literally cannot stand vertical video recordings ahaha. I feel like so much of the picture/video is lost when its recorded vertically. It's fine if its like content on Facebook or an instagram video. But if its used for a proper film, that's where I draw the line. In terms of composition, I find it more interesting to see stuff on the side, rather what's up and down (if that makes sense? aha)

B) I also cannot stand shaky cam ahah. I find it a bit tacky at times. UNLESS the intent is to create a shaky shot, then I'm fine with that. Though the shaky cam needs to be executed properly because like other people, I get dizzy super fast when I watch shaky shots. A good example of shaky shots would be in the films I mentioned earlier; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (they use it for POV, adding more meaning to the film) and Chungking Express (the shaky shots added to the film's perspective on love and the hectic world of adulthood).

C) In order for me to watch silent films, I must be within an environment where there aren't any distractions (ie; the main theatre at uni). I've only watched one silent film in my life and that's 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920). We watched it during a screening/lecture at university and we were in the main theatre. I really liked it because its a German expressionism film and the Great Depression during the shooting of the film really added to the film's aesthetic and meaning. But besides from that, I don't really have an opinion on silent films. I just don't like how I have to have my eyes glued on the screen in order for me to get the meaning of the film. I like to watch films where most of my senses are involved.

 I just need to train myself to watch more. I really want to watch 'Metropolis' *public outcries from Advanced English students*

[beatroot]

Now for more film-based questions:
What software do you use for film editing? (I generally use iMovie because I'm too broke to purchase an actual film editing software)

As someone who enjoys film editing as a hobby, what tips do you have for film editing?

Welcome back Olivia

iMovie was always my go to film editing software back from 2013 til now aha. Though I am slowly transitioning into Adobe Premiere Pro because that's what we use at AFTRS plus it definitely has a lot more options and effects and whatnot.

As for tips (please bare in mind that I usually edit assembly cuts. I hope to learn how to VFX one day), it just all about practice and making a lot of stuff so you can have a portfolio to look back on. When I didn't have proper film projects, I used to download Taylor Swift music videos and edit them to new music to get a new 'mood' out of it. Also just have fun with it! Experiment with your edits. Try and find your own style when editing. The main reason why I love editing is because I find it oddly therapeutic and I love having this complete control over the end product of a video/film.

Did you consider other areas of study after high school? Did you feel pressured to make a certain decision? If so, how did you deal with that?

Thanks for doing this.

I definitely had a list of top five jobs I wanted to do:

1. Film editor
2. Lawyer
3. Criminal detective
4. Art teacher
5. Art curator

I've always had my eye on studying film ever since 2013 (I'll explain how I got into film in my response to kauac). I remember reading an article one time and it was like "pick a job that's your hobby because it'll feel like you're just doing your hobby and you just happened to get paid for it". So I was like "film is definitely an area I should get into. Obviously I was worried that I wouldn't get a job in the future because it's such a hard industry to get into. I definitely considered doing Law at university because (not gonna lie) it was because of all the ADA's I saw on Law & Order: SVU. It was so cool seeing them defend victims and fight for justice. But then I saw the ATAR requirement for law and I really didn't want to stress myself out during my HSC.

There was also conflict with my parents and I because, like mentioned previously, film is a hard industry to get into and hard to find proper AND consistent income. My dad used to be a screenwriter for TV so he knew everything about industry. Though he supported my decision to do film because he knew how much I was passionate about it and he wanted me to do a job that I enjoyed. My mum was quite hesitant about it first and she really wanted me to do law or engineering as they were "more" consistent than film. She especially kept insisting for me to do engineering because it was a mix between arts and maths; two of my favourite subjects. Though she did realise my passion for film and supported my decision to do it.

The film industry is definitely changing, with adding more emphasis on female filmmakers and people of colour to join it. So this reassured me. I knew I could find a place in the industry in the future. I shouldn't be scared of being unemployed or not getting consistent income. It's my life. What's the point if I did a job I hated?

[beatroot]

When/how did you get into film-making?

It all dates back to 2013 when I was in Year 8. For English class, we had to get into groups of 6/7 and make a film. I was assigned as the film editor because my group thought I was really good with computers aha. Though I was still heavily involved in the production process, to the point where I had to be director and camera operator for some scenes. After weeks of script writing, preparation and filming our film, I edited the final cut of our horror film 'The Ghost in the Hallway'. It was voted best edited AND best film in my class so it got shown in front the entire school! People laughed. People cried. People actually got scared. I just couldn't believe that this 3 minute clip I edited could bring out so many emotions. Ever since then, film editing has stuck with me. We also had to write an essay analysing our own films and I remember getting 19/20! I was terrible at English back in Year 8 so getting an A+ for an essay was life changing.

I edited school assignments. I edited random edits at home. I just loved how film editing was just another form of art. I've been a HUGE Visual Arts fan ever since I was in primary school. I loved painting and I loved the media arts. When I was confident enough, I took on film courses at NIDA and AFTRS to really see if I genuinely wanted to do film in the future. And those three film courses that I did were the best thing that happened in my life. I learned the production process on a professional level and worked with other individuals who enjoyed filmmaking as well.

Now I'm an actual film student. Just couldn't believe how a small English assessment would change my life. Crazy.

[owidjaja]

B) I also cannot stand shaky cam ahah. I find it a bit tacky at times. UNLESS the intent is to create a shaky shot, then I'm fine with that. Though the shaky cam needs to be executed properly because like other people, I get dizzy super fast when I watch shaky shots. A good example of shaky shots would be in the films I mentioned earlier; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (they use it for POV, adding more meaning to the film) and Chungking Express (the shaky shots added to the film's perspective on love and the hectic world of adulthood).

After reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on The Blair Witch Project lmao

[jamonwindeyer]

What would be your "crowning glory" film project, like, what's the end goal? Feature film? Super influential documentary? YouTube fame?

[blasonduo]

Has there been anything that has surprised you in film during your studies?

[beatroot]

After reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on The Blair Witch Project lmao

Will definitely that film to my watch list! I know I've watched a Law & Order: SVU episode similar to that film.

What would be your "crowning glory" film project, like, what's the end goal? Feature film? Super influential documentary? YouTube fame?

I've had this dream project for as long as I could remember (alright around 2015). But the ultimate crowning glory film project for me would have to be a mockumentary (mixture of Parks and Recreation + Brooklyn Nine Nine) about teachers within their workplace. In the show, we get to know more about them beyond their careers, their dreams, goals, failed loves, families and life out of school. Kind of like that British mockumentary show 'Bad Education' but just a bit more emphasis on the teachers. I think its because I have a lot of admiration for my teachers and I just hated the way that they're portrayed within films/shows set in the school context. I love hearing about their families, their love lives and their teen/childhood stories. I have so much respect for them and I want to portray them authentically on screen. And why mockumentary? Its because its my favourite genre and format of TV and I feel that it would be easier to grab the attention of the audience through this format. I've tried to write a script for the pilot episode and its a bit meh (just because I'm not too familiar with the format of TV episodes yet). But I'll probably work on it during the upcoming semester break

Has there been anything that has surprised you in film during your studies?

In terms of the content I've learnt so far, pretty much the entire film history has surprised me. Like the studio system in Hollywood. How censorship has affected Hollywood cinema. The Hong Kong new wave. European cinema. And much more. Also the whole idea of 'directorial auteurship', I find extremely fascinating. It's when films are made by the same director and there's an obvious pattern in every film that they make.

Though in terms of me, while I'm studying film at university, I'm actually really surprised (and terrified) how much I like to talk about death and angst in my assignments. My assignment for Screen Business was about accepting death. My script for Story was about accepting death and letting go of fabricated love. My one minute short for Image was about going downhill. My 2 minute short film "Memento Mori" is about the abstractness of Life and Death (humanised). I didn't realise how much of an influence and a running themes of death and angst was in my assignments until now. I'm hoping this changes next semester

[beatroot]

THIS Q&A IS NOW CLOSED!

Thanks everyone