That's a wrap! - Second year studio shoot

At the beginning of the 2nd year DFSA students are divided into two groups and assigned a studio shoot project that is forged from a photograph as inspiration and only allowed 5 words in the script. The assignment entails working professionally within a studio space from pre-production to post. Production roles are chosen covering all positions such as producer, art designer to gaffer and sound recordist.

The exercise is assessed by a critical reflection made by each crew member of what they learn in their role, rather than by the quality of the film outcome. Later the rushes go to those that took the Avid workshop as a specialism to edit for their assessable outcome from those workshops.

The DFSA team are very proud of all those that worked on the project this year and trust that they will reflect on their roles; what the learned, what worked well and what they may do differently in the future.

Here are some early thoughts from class rep George Pryer, who worked across both shoots.

"I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to work across both shoots as Assistant director and sound recordist. In advance, I listed my learning aims. Firstly and importantly I wanted to develop my cooperation and communication abilities within a leadership role. I got the chance to do so as I de-escalated problematic issues and spontaneous disruptions. I noticed there was some friction as departments crossed duties, leading to frustrations that had to be addressed. In think that in the future it would be beneficial if assigned jobs not only were abided by also clearly researched and understood during preproduction.

"One of the shoots involved improvisation so the schedule was loose, whilst the other was much more planned out and punctual. Overall the latter worked much better due to the director's approach to the production that allowed everyone to follow a laid out plan. Concrete ideas prepared in advance are crucial for a smoother shoot. This is applicable to the project, not just in theory of the idea and but also in the execution of the on set shoot. The pre-production idea not only has to be concrete but the framework of the schedule needs to be thought out enough to allow extra time for complications.

"Personally I have made the reflection that I could've have been less independent and more team oriented. At one point I realised I had been neglecting the fact I had a support network to assist and deliver results, not just for myself but the director and the overall outcome of the shoot; I wish I had realised this sooner.

"Overall, the shoots were draining but satisfying. I strongly believe that investment and the desire to work hard is critical. Don’t be shy to input your ideas no matter what your role is. The more you put in the more you get out."

Written by Gareth and George. And a big thank you for your insightful reflections.

The DFSA team look forward to reading all the blog posts and we are fully confident that this experience will have developed your professional development and skills in digital workflow, as well as identifying future goals.