BOBBIE & CLIVE: PROJECT EVALUATION
I came into this unit with an idea to create a comedy about a heist. This idea started out as 'Stick-Up', a short film about two friends who decide to rob what they believe is an Apple warehouse. It turns out to be an apple (the fruit) warehouse. This is the only part of the plot that still exists in what is now 'Bobbie & Clive'.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Throughout the pre-production process my main focus was how I was going to direct the film. I wanted to fully understand my own vision for the film so I spent some time creating graphics, working on costume design, and creating mood-boards and a directors statement. All of this helped me, and others, understand my vision for the film. I wanted to make something slick and professional looking with a light-hearted tone and fun sense of humour.
Moving on from this I started working on shot lists and shooting scripts. My ideas for shots were mostly based on personal preference, but some shots stemmed from work I had seen from other directors. Location recce's and test shoots helped to inform these decisions.
Casting was an interesting process. From the get go we pretty much knew who we wanted to play the roles of 'Bobbie & Clive', and lucky for us those two people, Sophie & Nik, were happy to stay on board with us and do the roles justice. We cast Craig, who auditioned for Clive, as Frank the security guard, and looking back I am very happy with that choice. Across the weeks we rehearsed the scenes with our cast, and I believe this saved us a lot of time on the shoot days because we had already run through the blocking of each scene.
My other focus during the pre-production process was co-writing the script. Script writing has never been my strong point so I'm glad I was able to work with others on this. The story developed very a lot over the months and I'm very happy with the final script. I like the twists that were added, and I think the character development is good.
Overall the pre-production process was very long and challenging, but it set us up really well to create a great film.
PRODUCTION
Getting to the production days was huge challenge. We were faced with extreme weather conditions and so had to reschedule. We were then faced with problems with actor availably and so had to reschedule again. Eventually we did get to the shoot day.
The three shoot days went as well as they could, especially considering that two weeks after 'the beast from the east' we were still having to deal with bad snow.
Overall I think I did a good job directing the film, both in terms of cast and crew, and I'm very happy with all of the footage and sound we captured.
POST-PRODUCTION
My main role during post-production was as editor. I like that I was editor & director because it meant I already had a good idea of how I wanted to cut the film together. Normally the editor would take direction from the director. On this occasion I could take direction from myself.
I structured the editing process to ensure I was always working on the film in a strategic manner. For example I started by logging and syncing all of the sound, rather than assembling the cut first. This ultimately saved me a lot of time.
I enjoyed working with Ellen on sound design and colour grade, and I think we both really understood what we wanted to achieve. When watching the film back, I am very happy with the work we carried out on this aspect. We did have some issues with the colour grade but they have now all been resolved.
Overall I found the post-production process challenging, but enjoyable, and I'm extremely pleased with the final cut of the film.
OVERALL EVALUATION: CRITICAL REFLECTIONS
Strengths-
- I believe my main strength on this project was my determination to produce an amazing film. From the get go I wanted this to be something people would enjoy and remember, and I think I have achieved that.
- I think my general filmmaking ability would a plus. I have learnt a lot during my three years on the course, and I think I literally applied everything I know during this entire production.
- I think another strength was my organisation skills. Even though I wasn't the producer, I was able to keep my involvement in the production organised and productive. I completed my tasks on time which ultimately meant we were never behind schedule.
- My final main strength on this project was my overall editing ability. I was able to edit together a very clean, professional and tight cut of the film ready for submission. I am very proud of all of the work I put into the edit, and I hope that comes across on screen. I also think my editing ability on After Effects and Photoshop really came in handy on this project as I was able to design multiple graphics for different elements of the film production.
Weaknesses-
- I still struggle to take feedback from people. On this project I decided that if I didn't agree with feedback I just wouldn't say anything because it was the easiest way to get around things. Although I see this as a weakness, I also see it as a strength. If I want to be a unique filmmaker, I need to learn to teach myself what is right and wrong with a project, not rely on others to give me their own opinion, which may not always be right.
- I feel I let myself down on the teamwork aspect of this project. Although we worked very well as a team, I know that Ellie & Ellen had to put up with some crap from me. I've had a very busy few months outside of university, and I let the stress of all of that get to me too much, which then effected the whole team. I will not let that happen again.
Possible Developments- What did I learn?
- I learnt that filmmaking is not easy and that it takes a lot of people, time, and money to create something worth watching. This is an important life lesson for me and one I will keep with me for a long time. I also learnt that at times I don't handle stress very well and I need to work on that. Most importantly I learnt that if you work with the right people, you really can create something amazing, and I think I definitely had the right people by my side throughout this project. No matter what they were always on board, and they helped me bring Bobbie & Clive to life on screen.
If I were to do this again:
- I would have done it as my pre-production unit as well so I would've had more time to prepare for it.
- I would have spent more time researching to inform my decisions. I don't know why but on this project I just chose not to do that. I wanted to do my own thing, and base my directorial decisions on my own vision not someone else's. I know it'll probably effect my final mark, but I just felt it wasn't necessary, perhaps if I did it again, I would try to research more.
- Finally I would not let stress get to me and not let it effect team morale. Although I don't think it effected the production, it still wasn't fair on everyone else.
Overall I really enjoyed working on 'Bobbie & Clive'. It's my first proper short film. I'm proud to say I co-wrote and directed it. I will be using it for years to come as a showcase of my filmmaking ability, and I'm sure Ellie and Ellen will too. Speaking of those two, they were amazing. This was my first time working with them, and I was pleasantly surprised. They were on-board throughout and had just as much passion for this project as I did. Even with everything they had to put up with from me, they were so great and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to work with on this film. I cannot wait for people to see 'Bobbie & Clive'. What a great project to finish university on!
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