A little time to reflect...

Here we are again - the end of another week and sitting down ready to document. Well, without further ado...

1st, 2nd & 3rd Feb
Monday - This chilly, bitter and overcast morning felt like the perfect welcome home to Richard - getting back to his roots, from L.A to Glasgae and from sun to sleet - I'm sure he was thrilled.

Anyway, he entered Room 1 on Monday morning to be met by 13 alert and eager faces, ready to learn how to write. I'm sure I speak on behalf of the class when I say that Richard has been truly missed and we were all very excited to have this intense block of screenwriting with him. We began with an outline of the plan for the next three days, one of which included a lesson set for Wednesday morning entitled, 'What we don't like about ourselves" - knowing from past experience (the post-secret lesson), the intensity of some of our screenwriting classes, a feeling of apprehension was shared by a few quick glances between ourselves.

The first two days we focussed on structure and character - doing exercises to demonstrate theory and looking at examples. I found that I got a far better understanding of how most film scripts are structured,and although I was less aware before, I can now see where this applies in the majority of films I watch.

I felt tired at the end of each day, the lessons are structured so that there is not one minute where you can sit back and just listen - it is a fully interactive experience, we are kept on our toes, constantly questioning ourselves and creating new ideas.

Wednesday morning finally arrived - we had been instructed the day before to bring in food and coffee to mellow this inevitably uncomfortable experience. However, I was surprised to find how easily and comfortably we all shared our answers to the question - Perhaps this is an indication of how close we have become as a class - we are able to share, without embarrassment or shame, some of our deepest feelings and worries without worries of judgement. I think this is a result of the kind of course this is that, although we have only known each other since last September, we feel more of a team than I did with anyone at school.

Wednesday afternoon consisted of individual tutorials with Richard to discuss the short film scripts we had written over the Christmas period. I found Richard's advice constructive and I feel I would approach the same story slightly differently now, having had this block of lessons.

4th Feb
On Thursday morning we had an interesting talk from John Yorke, the controller of Drama at the BBC. He took us through how television drama scripts are structured, comparisons between 3 and 5 act structures and the formulas behind writing successful tv drama. It was exciting to have someone so successful and high up in the business to talk to us - talking from real experience - this is one thing I like about the course - the chance to meet and make contacts with real, experienced industry professionals.

On Thurday afternoon we had our History of Cinema class with Andy where we talked about the editing styles of both Russian and German Expressionist cinema. Another interesting class full of info that helps us to contextualise our practical work.

5th Feb
On Friday morning we watched another, and my favourite so far, film from the silent era, and none other than the king of silent cinema, Charles Chaplin in City Lights. Made a few years after the invention of talkies (films with sounds), City Lights was a hilarious, yet sweet and touching film. It follows Chaplin's reoccurring character, the little tramp, as he falls in love with a blind girl and convinces her he is rich by befriending an alcoholic millionnaire. Another 'great' from Chaplin.

On Friday afternoon we had a group tutorial in the Fyfe to discuss our group task - the class has been split in two - one side arguing that television is part of the glue that hold our society together and the other arguing that television is nothing more than a box of lights and wires - I am a member of the latter. We discussed with Andy how we were planning on taking the research forward so that we can then form a presentation to pitch at next week's debate. I enjoy these interactive activities as it lets us share how passionately we feel about certain subjects and simultaneously learn from one other.

TO BE CONTINUED...
Tune in next week to hear another exciting adventure from DFTV1.