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Skills Development

1.1 Develop your current knowledge, understanding and skills

My knowledge, understanding, and experience of film has been built up over several years, by my attendance at 4 residential Summer film courses, creating two visual-based short films, attending photography workshops, continuing my photography in my own time and developing my skills in needs-anticipation and teamwork through a waitressing job. For three years, I attended a residential Summer School, either for 1 or 2 weeks, where I initially worked in front of the camera, and then on the camera team, before working on two films as a director as I grew in confidence and ability. After working as director on two films I made two short films without dialogue, working on my own camera skills, whilst also developing my photography skills. In February of 2018, I attended a Fashion Photography workshop with professional photographer Chloe Sheppard, was featured twice on the feminist ‘Girl Gaze’ platforms Instagram, and achieved “Highly Commended” twice, in 2017 and 2018, in the Gloucestershire Young Photographer of the Year competition. Most recently, in the Summer of 2018, I applied to the BFI Craft Skills Residential in Edinburgh, and was accepted as the youngest participant; whilst attending we were required to write a treatment for a short film before arriving, which would be developed into a script and 3 of the 24 students’ films would be selected to be produced. My script was selected to be turned into a short film, and I was also one of 6 selected to direct a different film. In terms of my own analysis and watching of film, I try to watch a wide-span of films from varying genres, and, over time, I have found I most strongly connect to drama films, specifically focused on women. On top of my A Levels, my Sixth form requires me to complete an EPQ, and I am planning to write a 5000 word essay on “How the Representation of Queer Women within Film and Television reinforces Compulsive Heteronormativity” – specifically comparing ‘Carol’, ‘Blue is the Warmest Colour’ and ‘Pariah’.

My main interests and skills within film-making are script-writing and directing, specifically of live action drama, as throughout my development as a film-maker, I have found myself to most enjoy and be best suited to these roles. The directors that have influenced me the most, such as Desiree Akhavan, Crystal Moselle, Sally Potter, Greta Gerwig and Sofia Coppola, focus on the intimacy of human interactions and relationships, and I aim to explore this theme throughout my own career as a film-maker. I love creating and watching films that create a feeling of Catharsis, and make you question your own relationships and how you interact with the people you love – and the people you don’t. I am interested in exploring other genres – such as horror – as I think these themes can still be explored, and perhaps in more symbolic and engaging ways, however, drama is my main focus for the genre I would like to work within in the future.

I believe I would be best suited within roles that align with the interests mentioned in my previous paragraph, and I think I have the skills to perform these roles well and to contribute towards making a film that the whole crew and team would be proud of. My interest and skills  within writing is evidenced by my English skills within the Education System (I achieved 2 9s for English Literature and Language GCSE, and am predicted A* in English Literature A Level), my own interest in reading – both novels and scripts – and the script-writing that I do out of school and its reception – for example, my script being chosen to be turned into a Short Film on the Edinburgh Residential. My English Skills also feature into how I take upon directorial roles, as I enjoy analysing the script in great depth, and working with the actors to craft and develop the characters, as well as with the rest of the departments to figure out how best to present the characters, the story, and messages of the film on screen. From my (relatively small) personal experience of directing, the process of collaborating with the film crew to ensure everyone is able to understand, contribute towards and help realise the overall vision the Director has for a film is integral to producing a good film, and I find this to be the most gratifying and enjoyable part of filmmaking, therefore making directing and screen-writing the roles I would like to be placed in.

I am looking to meet more local, like-minded young people who are also beginning their journeys as filmmakers, and I hope to gain future connections and meet future collaborators. Furthermore, I really want to build up my portfolio, and I think the quality of films made at the BFI Bristol BOVTS Academy is extremely high, so I hope to learn much more about the process of making high-quality films within a professional environment and work with the future generation of the film industry to create a film that I am proud to put in my portfolio, and shows my skills. I believe that being able to regularly attend a film-making course over several months will also further motivate me to pursue a career in the industry, keep me focused on my ambitions and will help me to keep working on films whilst attending Sixth form.

I would like to observe other scriptwriters and directors to get a greater understanding of the roles, and see how each individual approaches them slightly differently, in order to develop my own skills and understanding. I would also like to improve my skills and knowledge by talking to mentors and industry professionals, particularly speaking to my mentors during/after working on the film to see what they had noticed about my skills and how I needed to improve and take a different approach. In addition to this, I am looking forward to working more collaboratively with the crew, and understanding how best to behave and adapt myself to work well with others and combine our skills. In terms of my knowledge of film, I am hoping to talk to others who have the same depth of interest in films I have, and I am aiming to watch any films that I hear others speak of that I haven’t already seen. I think the Masterclasses will also be a great opportunity to learn more about the industry, the best routes in which to enter, and advice on how to behave and work once in the industry and actively working.

Currently, I am attempting to get work experience/shadowing – either as a runner/intern or any other role I could fulfil – on professional sets, and I am hoping to be able to work on a film set, particularly in the summer. Once I have finished my A Levels, I plan to look into either working more as a runner to gain more experience, interning at a film production company, or getting onto the Channel 4 Apprenticeship or Production Training Scheme, as I really like the drama that Channel 4 is producing, and the direction in which they are heading with their television content. I would then seek to gain more experience, and try to make shorts at the same time which would hopefully, eventually, be successful enough for me to get enough funding to make my first feature. When I reach the age of 21, I plan to evaluate where my career is, and decide whether or not I think applying to NFTS for the Directing Fiction Masters would be the right thing to do, and, if not, what I need to do, to further my career as a director and screen-writer.

Link to BFI Edinburgh Short Film I co-directed: https://vimeo.com/292098967/db153b6f38?fbclid=IwAR3xxxjT5JpX1o6t0ub6B_Rf9BfC27Un2Gpkmif5aRijQ_U_PRcqapKJWYY

Link to Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/issyfranklinphoto

Link to Visual Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWZnpWPmRHs&t=14s

BFI Edinburgh Script: Just Girls

1.2 Take a role in the production of a short film

My production role is writer, co-director and co-1st AD.
As a writer I work within the writing team to move the idea from the original concept the whole group come up with, to a final script draft, refining ideas and translating them to the page. My role as a co-director involves working with the whole crew and cast, and my co-directors, to create a vision for the film we can all work towards and invest in. This involves casting and then rehearsing with the actors, meeting with all of the production teams to collaborate on creating the look of the film – i.e. art department to work on set dressing, makeup, costume, etc – and facilitating a creative and comfortable environment on set for everyone involved to perform their roles to the best of their ability. Finally, when working as 1st AD I will aid the director by organising the logistics on set, so they can best focus on shooting, and handle many of the practical jobs in both pre and post production.
A good director is able to communicate sensitively and effectively with the crew and cast, lead and motivate, take initiative – particularly during production when problems arise – and keep the bigger picture of the film in mind, even when focusing on specific details. In pre-production, the director has several roles, such as working with the DP on storyboards, analysing and making notes on the script throughout the pre-production and shooting, and then in post-production they must work with the editor to see how the story should be put together and told. During pre-production, the 1st AD works with the production team on the script breakdown, location reccies, and the shooting schedule, and runs the set during the shoot to ensure everything is running to schedule and budget.
When fulfilling my roles, I aim to maintain professionalism at all times and set a clear example of my dedication to the project, whilst also creating a comfortable atmosphere for everyone on set. I hope to empower everyone to feel they can best complete their role, and help push the actors’ performances to the best of their ability through my direction – i.e. observing and making useful notes for any adjustments, creating space for the actors to experiment with their approach to scenes (when appropriate) and ensuring the needs of the cast are being fulfilled. As both director and 1st AD, it is essential that I am always on time, if not a little early, and encourage a working pace that makes sure the shoot is on schedule. By being sure to listen to and observe the crew and cast I hope that I can best complete my role and work to create a film that everyone is proud of and enjoyed/learned from when making it. In terms of appropriate clothing, I will be sure to wear clothes that I can easily move around in, and will not hinder my working in any way.
The planning documents I will need for my combined roles will first, and foremost, be my copy of the script with all of my notes (co-ordinated with the rest of the directors’ own scripts), the script breakdown, shooting schedule, storyboards, call sheets and risk assessment sheets where needed.
The other resources needed for production will lie under the varying departments:
– Camera Department: Camera equipment – i.e. lenses, camera body, lights, clapperboard, shot list, etc
The Camera Department is headed by the DP, and is responsible for the cinematography and lighting of the film – the visual communication.
– Sound Department: Sound equipment – i.e. boom, mic, sound recorder, etc.
The Sound Department is key, as a film can be ruined by bad sound, and in pre-production/production they are in charge of successfully recording the sound and atmos for the film, and then in post-production they record foley and ADR (if needed), and work on resourcing music for the soundtrack.
– Art Department: Costumes, makeup, props – i.e. headset, advert clothing, dirty dishes for the apartment
The Art Department is made up of multiple roles, which work on the visual aspect of the film in production. Costume designers, makeup artists and set designers all work to create a cohesive visual style which fits into the director’s vision and helps to communicate the themes of the narrative.

1.3 Gain feedback on how you performed your role

1.4 Review your technical skills and use of equipment

I am really happy with the feedback I have received, as I feel all the challenges I encountered were acknowledged within the feedback and I am really grateful for the positive feedback given, as I feel all the strengths covered were areas I put a lot of emphasis on in my role as director. Overall, I was quite happy with my carrying out of my responsibilities as director, especially my time keeping skills and communication with my actors and the crew, but I feel I had some issues with staying focused and motivated for the whole shoot, especially at the end of the second shoot day. I think my skills most improved in terms of working with the camera department, and I really enjoyed working through all of the blocking with the DP and the camera operator, as I hadn’t had much chance to do this before. I also improved in terms of my collaborative skills, as I have never worked in such a large creative team. I’ve learnt a lot about what types of shots are required for a cohesive flow and the right cuts after reviewing the footage, and also being aware of how lighting changes from angle to angle. I’ve definitely developed my understanding of lighting, as I hadn’t worked much with artificial lighting before, the process of blocking, and also I didn’t know much about the role of 1st AD and script supervisor and continuity sheets. I would like to further my knowledge surrounding working with all the departments in pre-production, as I feel I didn’t get to work much with the art department or fully oversee the whole pre-production process.

 

Comments

  1. Bex Rose

    Issy this is a very well articulated, detailed explanation of your current interests and skills in film and how you would like to develop these through the Academy. You already have a range of skills that you will be able to employ while working with us at the film academy.
    You have achieved this criteria towards showing your skills development. Great that you have included links to your previous work, I look forward watching the short film you co-directed. Your EPQ sounds really interesting, I’d love to talk to you about it sometime.

    • Issy F

      Thanks very much! I’d love to talk to you about my EPQ, especially when I have further developed my ideas.

  2. Bex Rose

    Well done for sharing your research, reflections and planning for performing your role on set. I have no doubt you will work diligently and make a value contribution to the crew. It would be good to talk to you in tonight’s session about how you and your co-directors want to split the role between yourselves. So far you have done brilliantly at collaborating.

  3. Bex Rose

    Well done for completing your work for section 1 Be able to develop technical skills to meet film production requirements.
    This is an excellent reflection and review of your skills development and how you have gained a technical understanding of filmmaking through the production process. You have achieved this learning outcome to a high level.

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