My Past Experience As A Filmmaker: I've actually worked on quite a number of film sets/projects. My first step into making movies was as a kid and using my dad's camera. Years progressed and I found myself editing videos of me playing guitar or pictures synced with songs. I also used to go to concerts with my camera and film concerts. I got a lot of concert footage, most of the footage is elsewhere or probably long gone. I had to train my hand to be it's own camera stabilizer since I couldn't take any tripods or monopods into concert venues. Soon, I just stopped taking my camera into concerts, but I started using my camera for more productive film/video work. In my first semester of college, I worked on a TV show (which was a practicum course, so I didn't get paid). But I was able to practice each job on a TV set (like Director, switcher, sound, camera, etc.) But just last year, I wrote and directed a small project called Handoff which had quite a number of people involved (most of them didn't stick around to the end of the project, they must have lost interest). Anyway, I put it up online over a year ago and it got mostly good feedback, but since I had to compromise a lot, it didn't end up the way I wanted it to. Perhaps in the future I can get a chance to make it the way I intended. I made 2 films last year (Handoff and a film called the Last Man On Campus, a little homage to 28 Days Later, just without infected people). When I transferred to UNC Wilmington, the film opportunities arose for me. Mostly because I joined Flicker Film Society right away. And I wanted to get on board as soon as possible. So in my first month at the new school, I scored a camera operating position on a sketch called No More Wishes, which was made by Flicker Film Society. About a month after that, I acquired a directing job on a short film called Okay. I'm co-directing it with a friend, and we're almost done with it. At the same time as becoming a director for one short film, I also became a Cinematographer for another short film entitled Ticket. With that project, I learned about getting film permits and shooting on location. Whereas Okay, I'm learning how to direct a movie with people I've never worked with before. Last October, my friend and I were production assistants on a FST-495 project called Centipede, where I got to observe how a film set can function with experienced people. And just recently, I worked for about 20 hours on a weekend as a boom operator. The film was called Writing Wrong, a film that Flicker president, Aaron Barnett, wrote with a friend. I'm assuming because of my involvement in Flicker, and because I've worked in all areas on a film set, is why Aaron asked me to be apart of it. And now, I'm currently finishing up Okay, and a visual effects/special effects supervisor on a short film called The Doppelgänger. Later in the semester, I hope to direct a short film that I wrote about two months ago, entitled White Masks.
What do I want to learn in my first production class? Like I said at the top, I am taking my first step into learning film production. I'm currently in the intro-level production class, so I get to work with my peers, but we won't get the luxury of using the high-end equipment that the Film Studies department has. But I do work in the equipment room, so I do get to inspect and test out the gear. But in this class, I want to learn how to make a good movie. I know how to make a movie, and I know what goes into the process of making a film. But I want to know what I can do during film production that can help give my films a boost. How can I successfully tell a story through filmmaking? I think that's what my film, Handoff, suffered from. Some people were a bit baffled with the story since I wasn't able to have any exposition in the story. Granted, most of my actors jumped ship halfway through and some didn't show up, so I had to compromise and improvise on set and during the post production stage.
In 10 years, where will I be? In 10 years from now, I hope to be working on feature films. It's definitely a long shot, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to cancel it from my goals. That IS my goal. I know I'm a bit cliché by saying that I want to be up there with Nolan, Scorsese, Spielberg, etc. But I don't want to lose sight of that dream. I need something to strive for.
Something that most people don't know about me: Aside from filmmaking, people probably don't know that I've played the guitar for 10 years. I'm able to learn a song on the guitar just by listening to it. One of my favorite bands, Rush, made a song called 2112. The song is 20 minutes and 34 seconds long. I learned it in an hour. I just stood by my stereo and played along with it the best I could. And I kept doing it until I could hit every not at the right time. By the time I learned the song in its entirety, an hour hadn't even passed. A long time ago, I wanted to be this kick-ass guitar player in a world famous band, but the more I was drawn to filmmaking, the more that dream faded away. Probably for the better, too. I just enjoy playing guitar, but I have a real strong passion with filmmaking. Within the last few years, I branched out and learned drums and bass guitar. Bass came naturally since I played guitar. Drums weren't too hard, I just had to get loosened up and play what I feel is right. I think I may be playing my favorite songs wrong, but it sounds very close.
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