kateelizabethlargan

ideas tap / mac birmingham film lab

had an amazing time at the mac birmingham, these past three days have been really eye opening!

Wednesday 1st:
Met up at the mac, 9.30 start.
Watched Christopher Nolan’s Doodlebug, critique of the film and discussed techniques and  loads of film speak.
Broke up for lunch, lovely falafel burger courtesy of the bridge cafe at the mac yummmmmmmmmmm.
Started up with a directing activity, actors from the amateur players group joined us, members of the group were assigned different parts of creating a scene.
Day ends with a round up of the day’s activities, and an introduction to the project brief. The brief is rivers, in keeping with the events and workshops happening at the mac over the summer.

Thursday 2nd:
Met up at the mac for 10.00.
First day filming, I head down to the river armed only with my iphone 4s and trusty windows movie maker.
Get a few good minutes of filming done and head back to the suite to discuss ideas and thinking with Michael- a 2x bafta winning director (not bad mac, not bad)
Lunch? A lovely picnic courtesy of aldi with mademoiselle Kirsty. Classic english summer with scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam and strawberries. All washed down with pear cider and helpings of chill music.
Perfection.
Went back to suite to finish up sorting out some slips.
Mishap in the evening and lost the majority of work done.
Gahdgjfsdhhhh

Friday 3rd:
Deadline day.
No filming. No film footage. No ideas.
Not a great place to be on a film lab really, idiot girl.
Head to river, create a first cut of a film- gets slated. No one really likes it. I don’t like it, but grin and bear through the pain of failure.
Have a strop.
Consume copious amounts of kit kats.
Have a breakdown and a little cry.
Mop it up, get back together.
Write a little poem whilst being sat by the side of the river, do a little more filming.
Get a little cut roughed up on windows movie maker, show Michael. All gets approved move on to see Scott! The lovely film maker come techie who helped me put it all together on the godforsaken macs and their confusing software (although I do really want a mac now, they’re so bloody beautiful!)
People amazed that I’ve done so well in such little time and with such little equipment.

Go for a little snack with people from the course, then for a showing of all the films made in the cinema of the mac!
Its amazing seeing something you’ve made on the big screen!
The next generation producer Dan for the mac came to see it as did a documentary film maker called Sam, both were very encouraging (unsure if it was because they liked it or if they had to…mhhhmmm)

Happy with the results and really enjoyed the three days!
Encouraging signs and really want to explore film making in much depth.

Waaah, I don;t think I want it to end!
Oh well back to Aberystwyth on Monday, might as well indulge in all the home comforts though…