3.1 Teamwork

Teamwork is essential when working on a film production as without it, no film can be made as no single person can fulfil anywhere near the amount of roles or do the amount of work required to make a film. It is particularly important in terms of collaboration with departments, which is coordinated by the heads of departments, producer and director – e.g. the camera department must collaborate with the art department to ensure a cohesive style and look for the whole of the film, and this should be guided by the vision of the director. Bad teamwork can lead to many difficulties, including technical issues in production, a disjointed and stylistically mismatched film, varying efforts and tasks being missed out or repeated.

3.2 Qualities needed to work well with others

Good timekeeping: When in the directorial role, I made sure to coordinate with the producer to ensure we were always on schedule and tried to keep the pace of shooting as efficient and on track as possible.

Being reliable: I tried to be aware of everyone on set, and available for any crew or cast if they needed to discuss anything related to production, as well as ensuring I was where I was most needed at all times.

Teamwork: It was key to me throughout the whole of pre-production and the shoot that everyone’s views were taken into consideration, and ensure everyone was on board with the same vision of the film and all working towards achieving it.

Sharing ideas: I was involved within the writing process, and came up with the original conflict as well as the notion that the two main characters would not have access to the incubus, but whilst I am happy that some of my ideas were taken on, I was accepting of having to let go of some of my ideas to make space for any of my co-writer’s ideas that worked better with the narrative.

Safe working: I completed a risk assessment form before starting production, and was careful to watch out for any hazards whilst on set.

3.3 Working collaboratively on your film production

I made sure to negotiate between each department, and worked closely with the camera operator, Charlotte, on my scenes to shot list and block out each scene prior to the shoot days, and then adjusted according to any set or blocking changes on the day. We struggled a lot to figure out the best shots for the flat scene, particularly the wide, due to the different height levels of the group sat on the floor and the two boys walking into the doorway as they enter the scene. Eventually, we moved the group 90 degrees and found all the shots fell into place, and I think we worked well together to come up with this solution and re-block the scene to make it work. In terms of improvement, I think I could focus on evenly dividing my focus where appropriate, as I didn’t get to spend much time with the art department, and help facilitate effective communication between departments.