Week Four / Semester 2

Today Chris was back from the very exclusive film event 37 South held in Melbourne, in which directors are introduced to like minded producers. And all going well films are made, it is a great opportunity to network with other talented film makers from around Australia. And get your name and face out there to the big fish of the industry in Australia. So good social skills are vital to be able to make successful contacts and pitch your films, and planning and preparation is essential.
Research, research, research!

Chris also spoke about where we go after life at Central Institute of Technology as film makers, how do we get our foot in the door when it's all about track record in this industry. "What have you done, who have you worked for?" "Errr nobody, I was a student." The simple answer was any way you can, you may have to start off working for free for production houses, while they decide whether or not you are worth taking on. You just have to get out there and make yourself known however you can, by quality of work, speed and efficiency, creativity or what ever else makes you stand out from the rest. But it's your work that backs you up, so a great show reel never hurts!

Week Three / Semester 2

 This week I turned up to the lecture expecting to see Chris and totally forgot he was off in Melbourne trying to get his feature film picked up. So this week we had a guest lecturer in Mark Defriest, he is a well known TV director in Australia. He has directed shows from The Flying Doctors, Ocean Girl, Parallax and Ship to Shore (which was one of my childhood favourite shows).

He was a very interesting and down to Earth director, who shared some advice and some of his opinions of the industry in Perth, and Australia. It was a different perspective from a stylistically different director from Chris, and just speaking to another director gives us as a class more scope of what it takes, and what it means to be a director.
He was humble about his abilities as a director, claiming he wasn't a great director but had enough ability to get the job done. He introduced the SWOT analysis to me, and recommended we use it to address our individual strengths and weakness'.

SWOT analysis (alternately SLOT analysis) is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable to achieve that objective. 

Mark then spoke about passion, and to ask ourselves "do we have passion for film making?". And if we are, are we making the most of our time? It gave me a few things to think about, I've always thought myself to be passionate about films & story telling. But am I doing everything possible to get in to the industry at the moment? Hmm a bit of soul searching is needed, especially after applying the SWOT analysis, but this is a good thing...I can address any weakness'.

Week Two / Semester 2

Belated post I know, I know but nothing's more fashionable than a late entry!
OK week was the lecture where I waited outside thinking the two Diploma classes were separate and my class was latter, as it said on the timetables which wasn't the case. Mean while I missed the majority of the lecture, which coincidentally was on our latest assessment "The Chase". In which we have to work in pairs planning and directing a 3-5 minute chase scene which has to include all the following shots: ECU, CU, MCU, MS, LMS, 3/4, FLS, WS. And must utilise various camera positions like: Front, 3/4 Front, Profile, 3/4 Rear and Rear. Also must have the following camera heights: High Angle, Eyeline, OTS, Pan and Tilt.
This may a bit more challenging than the previous assessment by Chris, but seems like it will be a lot of fun...well the production & post stages anyway!
But missing that lecture in which it was explained in detail, and only going off second hand notes has put me behind the 8 ball. And at this late stage have not acquired a partner yet and haven't really thought out how I'm going to do this certainly hasn't helped, time to pull my socks up I guess as time's a ticking.

Week One / Semester 2


Right time to bust off the cobwebs after a few weeks of holidays and get back in to the swing of things, this entry should have been done a couple weeks ago so I'll get started. This week in the lecture we discussed a couple topics which included:

The director's responsibilities particularly in pre-production.
This was quite interesting to really break down all the work a director has to put in to a project even before shooting a single frame to make it successful. Starting with the script and all the changes and amendments, the characters and all the layers that must be added is mind boggling. All the background research and script breakdown, shot list, storyboards before thinking of getting on a set/location. The director usually is involved in the process of sourcing crew, but not always. Once all Head of Department crew or HODs, are involved multiple pre-production meetings are required so they can get a sense of the director's vision and discuss their approach and add their expertise in their chosen discipline. Trying to workout a suitable schedule with the producer for all stages of production and give the client an estimate for finished product, which can be a lot easier than done considering all the logistical problems that usually can & do happen. One of which can be crew getting ill or injured, a cardinal rule according to Chris is to stay fit and healthy during a shoot. If you get sick to push through it and continue on (especially if it's the director) barring life threatening illness of course. This is where the first AD can be really valuable as it's there job to shield or protect the director from problems, squabbles and conflict so the director can focus on performance.
Casting & rehearsing which comes next, rehearsing with cast over and over, every time progressing and developing performances. Making decisions for shoot locations and starting department tests eg. camera, costume/wardrobe, art, VFX, SFX, and sound etc.

 Taking your opportunities.
In this industry as an aspiring film maker you will learn more from being on set than you will attending lectures, so taking opportunities when they present themselves is crucial. So trying to get on as many as you can will catapult your development and may just get your foot in the door in a very exclusive industry.
The old saying it's not what you know it's who you know is accurate in film and TV. Last semester one of my note-takers Richard Mellick, who is an accomplished Australian actor and voice over artist was starring in an ABC world war two documentary arranged to get me on set as an observer. It was fantastic, the whole time I kept thinking "and these people get paid to do this?". I made sure I talked to as many people in different roles as I could, when they weren't busy of course. They were all very approachable and eager to answer my questions, especially writer/director Steve Westhe who was very easy going and made me feel welcome and took time to explain how things worked. I thought that was invaluable and I'd jump at the chance to get on a proffessional set again any day!

Week Nineteen

OK last week of the semester before mid year holidays, and to be honest it couldn't come soon enough for me. It will be great to recharge the batteries after a few weeks of stress and frantic last minute handing in of assessments involving a few all nighters. The semester has had its highs and lows like anything in  life I suppose, with the directing unit more highs I'm happy to say. The class was quickly one of my favourites, with its later 10:30 am starts (which I still managed to occasionally be late to) and laid back vibe. The main aspect I enjoyed from the lectures was breaking films down and looking deeper than just the visual elements, and seeing the intricacies of directing in more detail than I have seen or noticed till now. It has been a real eye opener for me and I am excited to see just how much more I will learn next semester.

My subjective assessment which I screened this week got quite a few laughs from the rest of class, which was unexpected and entertaining I was told which was satisfying. Although not all of the shots were subjective, which this time I did expect would be the case. Unfortunatelye had to rush the shoot as myself and crew had other commitments on the day so we didn't manage to get all the necessary shots. When I was editing I knew this was the case so I had to use what I had, so it's not a case of me misunderstanding the concept. Anyway check it out and feel free to let me know what you think.

Week Eighteen


This week what have I learned? Hmm that some of my classmates get the POV concept, are rather creative and are up and coming directors in their own right, even at this early stage. Whilst others haven't quite got it yet, and maybe directing isn't their calling...but hey to each their own.

After a screening of the majority of the class' work and some sometimes harsh critiquing from lecturer and students alike, I'm feeling a bit of pressure to succeed where others have not. And with 234 assessments (artistic licence at it's best) all due now, still haven't even shot mine yet. Changed the script as my version was fuelled by delusions of grandeur with it's Tarantino like action sequences and dialogue, back story and even a flashback scene...simplify I tell myself. So hopefully when I screen mine next week in class, they'll have mercy. I'm almost positive a couple of objective shots will have crept in and be rather emphatically pointed out to me, but as long as the majority are subjective and the scene entertains I'll be happy.

So I guess this where the Men get separated from the boys so to speak, in terms of those serious about directing in the course and those who are just going through the motions to pass. Still trying to figure out which applies to me, as much as I love directing and Chris' class (which has taught me more about film in 6 months than all of Certs 2, 3, 4 and the other Diploma units combined. And yes Chris I know you read this but I'm not sucking up to you, just the truth.) I'm still leaning more towards editing and post-production. But contemplating doing two electives next semester, rather than only one which is enough to pass, and continuing on with directing. Time will tell I suppose, well said my piece so I'm done...for now.

Week Seventeen

No lecture this week due to public holiday.

Week Sixteen


Weeks sixteen and we were left to our devices, given class time to work on our second assessment which is shooting either an all subjective or all objective scene. So effectively no lecture, no theory and discussion just go do your thing pretty much.
Now at this point in time planning to attempt (now I'm on record saying attempt) to breakdown the scene and select all subjective character shots, which will be challenging but a little lateral thinking and I think it can be done. Speaking with Chris about how to go about it and also watching previous years work, and learning from their shortfalls I have realised how integral editing is to making it work. I mean as an aspiring film editor I've always known and appreciated great editing, the invisible art as it's sometime known as because great editing is seamless and the viewer never notices it, which is the goal. Chris has being saying "It's all in the way it's edited!", so saying all of the above I'm really looking forward to both the direction and editing aspects of this assessment!

Week Fifteen

Week fifteen's topic is another tricky one, this week we are introduced to Subjective and Objective point of views in film. When you think of point of view or POV for short you think of first person POV or seeing through another person's eyes. But that's not what I'm talking about now, Subjective POV basically means the camera is looking at the character's face whilst the Objective POV means the camera is watching the character doing something. This POV is from a storytelling POV, not a camera POV as normal! I know the naming of these camera techniques is contradictory to what you'd imagine they meant, so why do we have to make it hard for ourselves when naming these things?
Any ways I've had my rant and got it off my chest so I'll continue now.
We learnt about the 180 degree arc around the character and where the best places for the camera to be placed for Subjective and Objective shots sat in the arc and their ranges. Also learnt the rule that if there is no character in the shot, generally it is neutral and shot neither Subjective or Objective points of view.
Here is a great video explaining it really well, might get more of an idea after watching this (only 1 minute long).

Now we are thrown in the deep end as we are given our second assessment from Chris, which if you haven't guessed already is filming a page from a script demonstrating either Subjective or Objective POV's. Our choice which, but one or the other...we can't have both. This will be almost impossible in my opinion but I guess at this stage it's all trial and error, best way to learn I suppose.
So this should be interesting, here is an example on Subjective POV from some of last year's Diploma students, I hope I can at least match the quality.

Week Fourteen


This week the office messed up and so I had no note taker during this lecture, so trying to go on memory alone is tough. Luckily we had a more "hands on" approach (if you'll pardon the pun), we had a work shop with Chris and actress Rhoda Lopez on castings and rehearsals. Probably the most fun I've had in any lecture so far, we actually got to get involved with a professional actress and get an insight in to what goes on in castings, script read throughs and rehearsals in the industry.

Reading through the page from Chris' script we were previously working on, I was pleasantly surprised to see Rhoda's interpretations and the subtle changes on each read through and there impacts on the the other character's (played brilliantly by classmates I must note) interpretations. Hopefully Chris if you read this know that everyone enjoyed the workshop and I noticed the class slowly coming out of it's shell and really getting involved even though it was during a Monday morning lecture...so yeah more of this would be great. But seriously it was a bit of a revelation actually doing a read through, doing it on paper so to speak just doesn't give a realistic representation.
There were lots of subtle nuances I noticed just by watching Rhoda listen to Chris' direction and listening to her explaining her thought process behind her decisions was invaluable. Hard to articulate exactly what I'm talking about, but was great to get away from purely theoretical lectures and start getting in to lectures where we can attempt to put in to practice what we've learned to date.

Hint hint, wink wink.

Week Thirteen



Unfortunately I was absent for this particular lecture as I was unwell, so I can only go on what I was told about the topic of discussion. Apparently Chris introduced us to the concept of a director's statement and what should be in it.

A director's statement should inform the reader of the director's vision for the project and assist in persuading investors to support it. It should also outline the director's intentions and is the second most important document behind the script of course.

These statements are usually revised, amended and updated due to the ever changing nature of film making. Typically director's in feature films may spend years working on many statements, and as there are no definitive guidelines on writing a director's statement it can vary dramatically between directors and submission requirements. All statements however must discuss certain areas of the film making process no matter what, below is a simplified diagram illustrating this.

Week Twelve

In this week's lecture we talked about how to correctly cast the best possible actors for your project and what you as the director need to consider to achieve this. Acting consists of many subtle nuances and is an art that is very demanding & requires a wide skill, so you need actors that have honed there craft and know exactly what's required of them.
When casting actors for your parts you should look at:

1. Actor's ability.

• Intuitive equipment.
• Skills.
• Physical abilities.
• Heart.

Need to know the actor's history or body of work, know if they have stamina and if they are a risk.



     2. Are they right for the part?

• Actor's experience, character, to fit the circumstance?  
• Is there an immediate connection with the other actors?
• Can they fulfill the physical requirements?

     3. Ability to work with others.

• Are they "yes" people, people who always agree with you and never challenge you and never offer something more. If so then don't hire them, because that's not what you need, need people who at times will question you.
• They should embody characters.
• Should talk concisely about objectives related to the scene.
• Should respect them and earn their respect as it's a two way street.

     4. Should cast the relationship as well as it's role.

• Chemistry between actors important so as they work well together.
• Use the acting fraternity to your advantage - recruit actors that know each other well.
• Different actors equal different approaches.

Just remember "Film is forever!", and as such you must be able to live with your casting decisions at the end of the day. So take a little extra time and thought and make sure to consider the above points before hiring actors, and don't just hire them because they are attractive...make sure they can act!

Week Eleven


After a well needed week off, it was good to get back in to the swing of things so to speak. In this lecture Chris seemed to touch on a few topics such as truth in film making, signals between the director and the actors and why they are so important. We also talked about how a good director will give guidance, and not limit the actors buy being too rigid with direction. By letting the actors interpret the scene themselves and having room to move, they will give you more. And always give the actors a reason why they are doing something, then rather than just going through the motions they will attach the relevant emotion to the performances. This seemingly obvious point I have only just picked up on, I always assumed as a director the more instructions on how you want the performance from an actor the better which is simply not the case.

We then watched some behind the scenes action from the movie "Collateral" and saw some early rehearsal readings with Tom Cruise & Jamie Foxx of the script, then some more advanced rehearsals and the screened scene. I noticed the differences as the actors were fine tuning the performances, and can only imagine how many rehearsals and takes they went through to perfect the character mannerisms to the director's liking. It's all about the practice, preparation and hours and hours of work that has gone in to getting the best possible performances from your actors.

Anyway I think I've waffled on enough already, so I'll leave it at that for today. Till next time.

Week Ten

Due to Easter Monday there was no class today.

Weeks Eight & Nine

 I know this post is about a month belated but I've been flat out with assignments coming from every lecturer at once, all due at the same time. But the film & TV industry is all about deadlines, so I better get used to it I guess.
This week we just continued on with our first assignment in this unit which was the breakdown of one page of script, which was a lot more involved that I imagined. The amount of work involved in pre-production is immense, nothing the viewer ends up seeing on screen is an accident.

Week Seven

Alright, this week's topic might be a bit tricky to go over in too much detail for me seeing as I missed the majority of the lecture due to a fault of my own (yes I admit I over slept, it happens). And it's not ideal trying to explain a new concept like this after waking up and scrambling to get in just in time for the latter end of the lecture minus your morning coffee, but I'll do my best.

Objectives - Relate to the characters motivations to overcome obstacles in the story arcs.
There are different types of objectives, such as:

1. Super Objectives - Lifetime Objective.
2.  Film - Story Objective.
3. Scene Objective.
4. Unit Objective. 

"They are actions that an actor plays in order to achieve an objective that must be put in terms of active verbs."
            Chris.

For example:

1. He seduces her to get his objective.
2. She inspires him to get her objective.

This helps us directors to communicate more clearly with our actors and scriptwriters. Different words will give different, subtle shades to characters, add textures & give depth to them and the overall story.
I guess the main point I picked was by using this very particular form of communication we give our actors different options as to which direction they take our (the director's) instructions. And that we should explore various other similar possibilities so the actors can change it up so to speak with their expressions, actions, demeanor etc, maybe every few takes or so as they may go somewhere with it we wouldn't have thought of perhaps. Also as someone who has a keen interest in editing I completely agree with this approach as an editor it's better to have more options than not enough, nothing worse than realizing you don't have all the shots needed to construct a cohesive story or what you have is sub-par.

Week Six

This week we were introduced to a screenplay concept completely foreign to me to be honest, Chris taught us about "Scene actions" and "Unit actions" and explained the difference between the two.
A screenplay is made up of many scenes, each with it's own story action (scene action).
A scene is made up of one or more units, each with it's own story action (unit action).

The scenes of a screenplay are usually divided in to smaller, more manageable sections called units which are usually named after either what the characters are doing or wanting. This is done so we don't miss any key points and can explore sub-text.
Units can usually be found where a new action begins and where it ends, Chris referred to these moments as ''beats" which is when there is usually a change in emotion or mood. It defines the action and not the subject matter, I am still trying to wrap my head around it so to speak.
Scene actions and unit actions are psychological actions, NOT physical actions! We use strong verbs to describe them so as actors know how we the director is interpreting the script and there is no confusion as to what we are trying to extract out of them in terms of their performance, we have to be specific. (Usually the unit action is written in pencil on the right hand side of the script as it can change).

The class watched a scene from Ridley Scott's "Gladiator", and this is what we came up with:
Scene story (Psychological) - "Caesar pleads with Maximus for the future of Rome".
Key moments - "Let us sit & talk as men".
Maximus talks about his home.
Caesar "I want you to be protector of Rome"

 During all those key moments or beats, the emotion changed to suit the situation and the actors were entirely convincing and believable which I put down to great screen direction more than being great actors (which they are and it helps I know).

Like I mentioned at the start of this blog, this was the first I had heard of this concept and it's a bit tricky but I think I get it in theory, in practice is another matter all together though. So I may have to do some more research in to it and try applying it in to my scriptwriting as well.

We also briefly covered the archetypal story structure of the hero's journey as apposed to the traditional three act structure. The hero's journey is split in to four or more acts instead of three.

• Orphan - Ventures out alone.
• Wanderer - Obstacles.
• Warrior - Takes action.
• Martyr - Prepared to sacrifice himself.

Christopher Vogler maps it out more precisely here in this diagram of the "Hero's Journey"- http://www.dramatica.com/theory/articles/vogler-plot.html .

So as far as directing goes there's much to think about right now, almost feel like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole...just wonder how far it goes?

Week Five

No class as it was a public holiday, then annual Gronkfest Media Camp 2012 all week.

Week Four

Sorry people I know this post is two weeks late, but I've had a hectic couple of weeks being away in Melbourne for half a week for a rugby competition then only to arrive home absolutely shattered and have to leave for a week of madness for the annual C.I.T. media camp down in Fairbridge (which was a blast, and I got to direct so it was well worth it). So recently assignments have started snowballing a bit, but enough excuses!

In this lecture we went through the first process a director normally goes through when he or she first receives a script, which is generally research & breaking down a script.
This is necessary so they can get down to the core elements of the story such as the underlying themes of each scene & overall theme of the script, the individual characters & their motivations, how the director feels about the story and then decide on the visual elements side of it.

We were given a scene from one of the lecturer's short films which we had already seen, "Kanowna" and asked to each do a simple breakdown of the scene. Easy I thought to myself! But not so simple when it actually came time to do so, even thought I felt I had a good understanding of what was going on and what the director was trying to get across it was very hard to articulate it accurately & it took a lot longer than I anticipated.
There were a few key questions of that particular scene I had to figure out such as, what story was it telling the "A story" (main plot) or the "B story" (sub plot)? What's happening, the characters motivations & relationships, theme, feeling, specifics and look for any symbolism in the visuals. And every scene should have a beginning, middle and end. So knowing the inciting incident and how the mood changes from it had to be considered .
For the scene from "Kanowna" the key questions were where was it set, when was it set, what cultures were involved, relationship between the two characters and what sort of troopers were the two men?

By the end of it all my script was covered handwritten, scribbled notes, underlinings and it looked like an absolute mess. Which is funny because another lecturer said the messier the better, as it shows that you've gone through it, made changes, did some deliberating over it and had broke it down. And the better you as the director know the story, the better you can communicate with the actors and crew as to what you want from them! So I guess that is the main thing I took out of that lecture, so now on to the next.

Week Three

 This week we were shown a couple great West Australian short films, the first was "The Lost Thing" an animated film by Shaun Tan which won an Oscar for best short film in 2011. A touching story about noticing the little things in life. A social commentary on how we as a society get caught up in drudgery of life; or in other words get lost in the so called rat race and lose perspective in life. The class came up with "Loss of innocence leads to a shallow existence" as our thematic statement for the film.
The narration likened it to somebody reading you a fable, or a children's fairytale thus being universal as the magic of the film can relate to everyone's "inner child". Though it may have broken the "never write voice-over" script writing rule, it somehow works! An absolutely beautiful story and well animated film well worthy of it's Academy Award in my opinion, well worth a look.

The second short film we watched was our own Chris Richards-Scully's "Kanowna", a Western set in the gold fields of Western Australia during the gold rush. It is based on a true story, about choices, justice and a clashing of cultures. Straight away I could see the influence most notably of another Australian Western film, "The Proposition" and also the set design of HBO'S television series "Deadwood", both of which I'm a huge fan of. Though Chris also mentioned "The Assassination of Jesse James" which was visually stunning, although I found the story dull and drawn out.
"Kanowna" was said to be the closest thing to Chris' voice that he has done to date, and the first short film he has written himself since his time in college. He is currently work shopping the script for a full feature film in the near future and I am really exited for this prospect, as I think there is not enough Australian Westerns being made for my liking and this one has some real potential in my humble opinion.

So this week we were asked the question "why do we get involved in making short films?".
Well what are short films good for you may ask? Short films are great for building relationships, networking with other like minded individuals. You've got to keep making films even with no budgets otherwise you're yesterdays news! You have to get your name out there and it can lead to other things.
Why do make short films? The main point is tell a story, or make a point! But there are many more reasons, such as budget, short story or lack of content, necessity like time constraints, less crew required, can be entered in festival circuits, can be more experimental, fun...etc, etc.
Mostly it's a stepping stone so you can gain experience, knowledge in film making and get recognition in your chosen field and hopefully move on to bigger and better things!

Well that's my take on it anyway. Same place, same time next week I guess?

Week Two

Second week in and this time having to attend the lecture without my note taker due to a mix up, so it will be challenging to retain all the information from memory alone but I'll do my best.
This week Chris screened a couple short Australian films "Bound" & "Splintered" and we had to come up with a thematic statement best describing the themes.
"Bound" was about a young immigrant man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, racial stereotyping the main theme. "Racial stereotyping becomes prejudice" was the statement we chose.
Whilst "Splintered" was about two mates who's misplaced loyalties are tested, redemption is the key theme whilst loyalty is the secondary theme. "Selfless loyalty becomes redemption" was our statement for this short.

What is a theme, and how does it help a film?
This week we explored the idea of what exactly Theme is in film, and how it helps us better tell stories...simple right?
A theme is the overall message or argument that a film maker is trying to portray to the audience, all films have themes as they are about something (simply put). Themes are fundamental and are normally implied rather than categorically stated, as that would simply just be lazy story telling. The differences between narrative & theme can be compared to the Semantic & Syntactic approach to film genre. Themes can be compared to a "Syntactic" approach as it's more relevant to the deeper aspects and  focusing on the abstract meaning. Whilst the narrative can be compared to a "Semantic" approach as it's more relevant to the specific action/dialogue in the script. If that makes sense?
It is used in film to convey a message, every director is trying to tell you something! Through the use of tools such as visceral imagery & symbolism for example, the theme keeps the communiqué with the viewer consistent.

So how does it help a film you ask? 
Well in my opinion I'd simply say by making clear what the lesson of the story is, the viewer is prompted how to react.
It gives the audience an insight in to how the director is feeling and how he or she is influencing you to feel. Another byproduct of this is it produces depth to the world the writer created when he/she first wrote the script, and adds multiple layers to the story arcs, characters etc.
Chris advised us that as directors, figuring out at a early stage what our thematic statement was would make the film making process go a lot smoother if we already had a theme to link it all together. The stronger the statement the bigger the theme.


We also deliberated the meaning of a moral premise, so what is it?
 A moral premise is a one sentence description of the physical and psychological arcs of the movie.
Vice leads to defeat, but virtue leads to success. For example, for "The Matrix" the class came up with "ambiguity leads to slavery, but faith leads to freedom".
The stronger you as a director make your statement the better you, as a director, will understand your film and it's themes!

By the way worth having a look in to the Aurora short film festival (above).

Till next week...bye for now.

Week One

"Directing is a lifetime pursuit; subjectivity changes as the message you wish to portray to audiences changes."
                 Chris Richards-Scully.           

My lecturer for directing; Chris Richards-Scully, suggested all the Diploma students start a blog to discuss our take on the lecture and what we thought he was on about. So here goes I guess, I've never blogged before in my life so bare with me folks!
This week was mostly an introduction between lecturer and students, interesting to note Chris is a former CIT student himself from the mid nineties, and how much times have changed and how much more resources we have at our disposal according to him these days.
Chris went on to discuss with us the qualities that a good director should have, the first thing that came to mind when he ask this was COMMUNICATION. After all if a director can't convey his or her vision to the cast and crew then what's the point? I read "Great filmmakers must have excellent communication skills. They must be able to clearly articulate what their production goals are and be able to work with all team members to accomplish that goal." I couldn't have put it better, although there are many other qualities needed to be successful as a director in this cut throat industry such as:

• DECISIVENESS
• CONFIDENCE
• CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 
• PEOPLE SKILLS
• PATIENT
• CALM
• APPROACHABLE
• CREATIVE
• VISIONARY
• PROBLEM SOLVER
• PEOPLE SKILLS
• TIME MANAGER
• STAMINA
• FOCUSED 
• ADAPTABLE
• LEADERSHIP

The list could go on forever, but I think you get the picture. If you want to look in to it further on the Film Schools website there is a page outlining their top 10 qualities for a great filmmaker, worth a look. Here's the link  http://www.filmschools.com/articles/film-top-10.html .
It was interesting to hear Chris commenting about not all the "great" directors having some of the mentioned qualities, but they make it work some how. Although working with someone like that may challenging, so I guess the message here is to start thinking about which of those qualities we may have and which ones perhaps aren't our strong suite and working on how we can improve on them in our quests as young budding filmmakers.
All in all I came away from the first lecture excited and enthused about the year ahead, despite feeling a little overwhelmed by the hectic workload and ensuing madness involved with film making. I left a little more open minded to the idea of becoming a director, rather than an editor or writer. So I guess only time will tell? Till next week, watch this space...