I want to study Film Production as I’ve always had a passion for storytelling. The idea that you can build a world is amazing and I’d love to gain that ability. I believe the greatest escape is the big screen which has the power to not only take you anywhere but be anyone and experience anything. As I see it, it is more than something that you watch in your spare time, it can be something inspirational and thought provoking. It allows viewers to see what they may not have ever been able to without film. I value how it can challenge social norms, educate and bring people together and that is something great I want to be a part of.
In an art project I created a storyline and props pulling it all together with a photoshoot. I believe this gave me a taste of the production process and all the different components it takes into account when creating a visualised storyline. I also learnt how to effectively edit photos to give my desire and to be consistent with the story I created. Due to my interest in literature and specifically creative writing, I want to be clear and consistent with the stories I create through effectively editing photos which I have learnt to do.
In my personal life I have sought out new experiences to enhance my knowledge about the film industry. An example being visiting a Wes Anderson experience in London, as he is one of my favourite directors I really wanted to get a deeper insight into his unique style. This gave me inspiration to pay closer attention to detail in films I watch to the colouration and camera placement which has a bigger effect then I thought before visiting. Another endeavour in regards to directors was that I went to see the 10 year anniversary screening of Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón where he talked about a lot of his visions for the movie and how it was made. This was interesting as he talked about the technical aspects of how he made the camera move around the actors to make it more realistic as if they were in space.As I have never heard a professional in the field talk about the process so I found it very inspiring.
I love photography and art as it’s how my dad and I connect, how we both see the world.I remember we would go out and take photos together and in recent years I have really found my love for it by manipulating the environment around me or editing to get the effect I want to achieve. As reflected in my A level artwork I like to take inspiration from cinematic settings where the emotion of the piece is reflected through colour and light manipulation as seen in some of my favourite movies eg: Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky and Joker by Todd Phillips. The realist camerawork of Curon being a favourite as it captures the emotion of the scene as if you were standing there. Both films have distinctive styles I find appealing as they are recognisable and original, being a quality I would want in my work.
Something that really draws me to film production is that it is a perfect mix between art and literature, both of which I enjoy outside of school as my passions. I have enjoyed writing stories and poetry, some of which has been put into the school newsletter and the newspaper which I wrote for in the creative writing segment. A favourite poet of mine is Ralf Webb as through his use of abstract metaphor he paints such clear pictures in a sense you can feel how he feels as you read, as if you can live his story through his eyes.
In school I participated in the running of a Panto, this gave me both technical and teamwork skills. Through testing my creativity in my role as costume designer, director and technician I really fell into my role through the help of others in order to learn and be better through trial and error. I learnt how to work lighting and sound in the Panto and in my GCSE Drama lessons where I first became familiar with lighting. I found it refreshing to work with others who I could not only learn from but also help in whatever ways I could.
Amelia Russell 