Good Times & Good Lines

Aaargh! Running straight into Unit 140 so my head feels like a game of ‘Kerplunk!’ (I may be losing my marbles!) However, I am really excited about the opportunities that this new module is already offering.

On Monday, we had a script read-through with Weekend Retreat director Brett Harvey and two actors which was a great reality check on the gaffs in our drama scripts but I was pleased because the feedback for my script was generally positive and the listeners laughed so my sense of humour is obviously not as ‘obtuse’ as I thought. (This experience bodes well for unit pitching and production.)

However, much more exciting news in that I pitched a factual entertainment format to TwoFour Productions yesterday and won work experience with the London Development Team!

This is brilliant news; I am delighted and as I am coming around to the idea that ‘TV Development’ might be the ‘end-game’ for this course this is really encouraging and positive. Happy days.

“Fin” - Unit 130

The hand-in has happened, the final screening of ‘Fighting Chance’ was a success and I am really happy with the finished unit. :D

I think the ‘Fighting Chance’ production team were all a joy to work with and considering the ambitious content as well as the time and resources allowed to us the final product is great.

Very steep learning curve and I am just nervously awaiting the results of the Media Law essay, Portfolio and 3 minute Wonder.

Watch 'Fighting Chance' everyone. 1 in 5 children leaving school unable to swim is an appalling statistic.

3 Minute Wonder - Fighting Chance 

Director: Alice Reynolds, Producer: James Harwood, Camera: Michaela Rose, Editor: Melissa Curnow

Formative Screening: terrified, mortified petrified, stupefied!

The editing on our three minute wonder has been progressing well over the past week and the group has been putting in a great many long hours and putting back a lot of sugar (for energy; needs must!) in order to get the best results.

Well, today all that hard work was put to the test in the formative screening with our course tutor, our course-mates and ex-controller of BBC docs Jeremy Gibson scrutinising our work; and I am so happy to say that we passed and did pretty well.

Nothing too brutal or unexpected was said, perhaps, in part because it is so difficult to criticise your colleagues work but I think that everyone liked it.

I have rung our contributor Julie Sammels to ask for a photo of her family before the tragic day at Whitsand Bay and she has agreed to provide one and the main critique was that we needed to ‘pack’ the ‘Whitsand story’ in the programme with some effective music and more close ups to really bring a hefty emotional punch into the story.

All in all not too bad; just need to finish the mountain of other work for Unit 120 & 130 before next Thursday, rewrite a script and think of a concept to pitch to TwoFour on 24th January! The prize for the best pitch is work experience with the TwoFour development team in London; how awesome would that be?!

Off now to continue work on Media Law; the Eastenders programme makers managed to upset a lot of people last New Year’s Eve with the ‘cot-death & baby-snatch storyline.’ Nearly ten-times more people complained than I have words to write in the essay addressing the legal and ethical implications of that episode!

Post-Crimbo edit

After spending the last week of the holidays in and around Penzance working with the fantastic Art Department for Crossday Production's Summer in February; my internal voice was squealing "what about our three minute wonder?!"

Will it be ready in time? Have we done enough editing and is my head going to explode?!

However, I need not have worried because my crew came to the rescue and managed to fit in an edit on Friday to hurry the process along a bit.

So big thank you and much glory to James, Michaela and Melissa for stepping in while I was filing set surveys, researching beach backgrounds and crinkling my nose against the 'crab smell' that now fills the Crossday Art dept. office!

(Miss Rosy Pearce and I went beach-combing on Wednesday to collect 'natural materials' from Penzance sea front to decorate the set.

Well today, we all met for our first group meeting post-holiday and it was a huge success; we have nailed the interview sections and created a fast-paced and 'gnarly' opening sequence to start the three minute wonder.

Production meeting tomorrow but I feel pretty confident because our group has timetabled our sessions and session aims for the next fortnight up until the deadline.

So all we need to pray for now is that the former controller for BBC Docs Jeremy Gibson will like our piece when he views it on Thursday in a Formative screening...Eeek a little bit perturbed!

Summer in February News

Crossday Films Twitter Feed

Seven Stones Media- Jeremy Gibson's Production Company