Pre-Production | Evaluation

What worked?

I am happy with how we worked together as a team.  We have known that we work well together from the start of the project and I am glad this came together as it did.  The test shoots, for example, worked well because we each planned what days we could do, how we would get there and exactly what we needed to do once we got there.  Using Google Drive was also extremely beneficial to our collaborative work.

I feel the script has turned out fairly well; it is not perfect, but it has laid a good foundation for going into production.  I am particularly happy with how some of the jokes have worked, such as the slogan on the side of the van and the owl punch are my personal highlights and I am proud of them.

The casting process went very well - I am confident that the cast we have chosen will deliver the lines well and turn the script into something better than I envisioned.  I am also pleased that I have been able to push myself out of my comfort zone from casting people I knew to holding auditions and casting five actors I have never met before.

In my opinion, the completed package also looks very professional and well put together.  I think we made the right decision to spend longer making the package so we were not limited by how much time it would take to print a book.  Whilst I would have preferred a professionally printed version, printing and then comb-binding the package still looks professional and we had plenty of time to get everything polished before then.

What didn't work?

I feel that I limited myself with what to include in the script and I could have been more ambitious with locations and casting.  As I was writing the initial script, Mel and Katie were planning out their work in response to what I was writing, so I held back with making too many drastic changes as I did not want to create too much stress for them.  Especially in the weeks leading up to the deadline, I knew that we had some cast and locations secured so changing things would have thrown a spanner in the works for the producing side of things.

I could have presented the blocking a lot better than I have.  The hand-drawn diagrams work well for my benefit but to others, they may seem unprofessional, or lacking in detail.

Some aspects of the production have been overlooked to a certain extent.  Whilst we have agreed that we will be avoiding the use of music and aim for a realistic soundscape, we did not delve far into the realm of sound for the pre-production package.  Since none of us are really focusing on this, this is understandable, but we will need to consider it in greater depth when it comes to creating the final film.

What did I learn?

I learned a lot about the writing process.  I have written a fair amount of scripts over the duration of the course, but since this was my primary role for this project, I learned a lot about how to take on constructive criticism for my work and to be prepared to completely rewrite, or even scrap certain elements of my writing.

I also learned a tremendous amount about the auditioning process.  This is something I have never really been ambitious enough to try properly before, but I enjoyed chatting to potential cast members and hearing them read my script.  This boosted my confidence and gave me some vital experience in networking and interviewing.

This project also allowed me and my team to manage our time better.  As mentioned previously, we chose to spend more time working on the project over a potentially better looking book.  We had more time by choosing to do this, but we still had to ensure everything was complete almost a week before the deadline and so I learned more about time management for this project.

What could I develop?

I could be more ambitious with my writing and less confined with regards having to change particular aspects of the script for the purpose of logistics.  This will allow me greater freedom to write scenes that would be more in tune with the narrative and would not limit me to locations and cast that are already confirmed.

I could certainly work on how I present my blocking.  At the moment, I feel it is good enough for me to understand, but to others it looks a bit confusing and messy compared to how the rest of the project is presented, particularly the script and storyboards that Katie created.

I should also focus more of my attention toward aspects such as sound, establishing where to use diegetic and non-diegetic sounds in the production stage.  As director, it will be my decision as to what the film sounds like and so it is important that I establish this before we start shooting and editing.