So there we were, at a full-time, four-week course on HD filmmaking offered by Objectifs - Centre for Photography and Filmmaking. I wasn’t quite prepared for how intense or rewarding it would be. The course covered every aspect of filmmaking from scripting, directing, camera handling, lighting, sound, casting, acting (Note to M: I haven’t signed the release form yet!), scheduling, budgeting, editing and even marketing. We also watched a lot of local short films spanning the gamut of genres from drama to comedy to experimental to music videos to animation. At the end of each module, we would rethink our films and arrived at the conclusion that the perfect (ie. easiest to complete) film was one with no actors, no dialogue, maybe a voice-over or subtitles, shot only with ambient light, with no complicated camera-work, all wrapped up in a pretty dvd box for distribution to festivals.
We had the privilege of learning from instructors who were in the business of making films and enjoyed their anecdotes and inside stories even as they strove to impart the technical aspects of movie-making to us. Without a doubt, this had to be some of the most accommodating and patient people we’d ever come in contact with. So once again, thank you! I wondered if it was the fact that nobody seemed to have gotten into the business to make money but rather, had done so because film was a passion that could not be denied. This passion shaped their attitudes and sensibilities and their dealings with others. Either that or they had worked with far more unreasonable people and dealing with newbie filmmakers was a walk in the park.
The fact that we would be using HD equipment was something of a coup since most filmmakers start off shooting on digital tape (as opposed to film). The import of this was lessened for us somewhat simply because as first-time film-makers, we had no basis of comparison. At times, the inconveniences and technical complications hardly seemed worth it. Shooting on HD meant storing data on P2 cards, with a capacity of only 4 minutes per card, or 8 minutes in total given the two slots. Gone was the luxury of a 60-minute tape and nearly limitless takes. On the other hand, it helped to instill a certain discipline in shooting. Also, the limited capacity of the P2 cards meant that data had to be transferred to a P2 store. It made one feel very vulnerable, to have one’s precious footage sitting in an external drive and open to corruption and/or loss during all the transferring of data. I admit though that the final footage looked beautiful.
It seems counter-intuitive, but shooting turned out to be the shortest part of the entire filmmaking process. Pre-production, including location-scouting, prop-gathering, casting etc etc and post-production, mainly editing, took up much more time. But in a sense, everything was geared towards the shooting process. Pre-production was all about ensuring a smooth shoot, while post-production was all about salvaging whatever had been shot into a cohesive that’s-what-I–had-in-mind-all-along final product. (Note to self: Never ever use scrolling credits again.)
Filmmaker Robert Bresson said that a film is born three times – in the writing, the shooting and the editing. (“My movie is born first in my head, dies on paper; is resuscitated by the living persons and real objects I use, which are killed on film but, placed in a certain order and projected on to a screen, come to life again like flowers in water.”) It was hence immensely satisfying to have been equipped with the skills for all three forms of birth from the course. Not to mention being able to type out for the credits “Written, Directed and Edited By.” This meant though that a three-headed monstrosity could not be blamed on three different personalities but was the sole responsibility of one.
Now that I’ve experienced first-hand the sheer amount of work that goes into a (short) film, can I still be so cavalier as to pass summary judgment on what I watch? Well, if I must, I must.
(For sinema.sg)