The Hidden Reflection

My Production Role 

   For the Hidden, I was the 2nd Assistant Director. One of the main challenges I faced was learning how to have a director role in our film and being able to work over people but also being directed by the Director and 1st AD. I had to learn how to do things like make call sheets and schedules, which took a while to get used to. Along the way, I learned how to make it clear that people needed to change their behavior on set and I adjusted to being somewhat in charge. I actually had to make some important decisions with this film. However, the director yelled at me a couple times for not doing my job even though he did most of the aspects of my job until the last filming days and didn't teach me how to do said parts of my job. On the other hand, some told me that I needed to be more firm in my direction, especially on set. In response to this advice, I heavily enforced the "Quiet on Set" rule, especially when we were behind. I also occasionally had to be boom operator, so I learned a lot about the sound side of the production. Overall, I think I did a fairly good job of keeping people quiet and on task, but we also had those moments where we got to have fun and make memories. 

Time Management 

   In class, I used my time pretty well when I had to make schedules, spreadsheets, and call sheets. When I was done for the day with Hidden work, I worked on creating my website or I started to learn some things in AfterEffects that I could use in future projects. Outside of class, I spent some time watching documentaries and videos about creating and editing documentaries to prepare me for projects that I want to do this summer. 

Strengths and Areas for Improvement

   In e-Communication, I feel that I have lots of skills in communicating my thoughts and ideas and collaborating with others. In terms of leadership, I feel like I really stepped up to the plate this year and took on a role that I wasn't used to and I think I did a pretty good job in this position. I do have a fair amount of technical skills, although I would like to learn a lot more. For areas of improvement, I feel like I need to work on my project management skills. Although I do delegate my time very well, tasks end up taking longer than they should and I get very behind. 

Summary

   On May 9, we premiered The Hidden at a movie theatre. One of my favorite parts about the premiere was being able to eat with the crew and the cast because it felt like one last bonding moment. However, I feel like the premiere could have been a bit more organized because the night kind of felt rushed and that the plan wasn't exactly set in stone. In terms of the process, I liked being on set when we filmed major scenes and seeing how the whole shot would come together. Overall, I learned how to work with others to make something amazing and I really enjoyed the experience. Next year, I would like to be able to choose whether we could do a feature film or not individually because although I loved the experience, it caused a lot of stress and took immense amounts of time and there are other big projects that I would like to do on a more small group basis. To conclude, I will really treasure the experience of working on the feature film this year and it is something I'll never forget. e-Comm this year was a bit of an adjustment, but I had a great time.