Whose Film is it anyway?

If I really considered myself a writer, I wouldn't be writing screenplays. I'd be writing novels
- Quentin Tarantino

Week 3

I had 2 lectures at the beginning of the week, these were really intense and i found that i didn't connect with the lecturers style, so i found this boring. However the important thing to note is that i just need to pass the course and understand how to practically make a film, so i just need to listen to the lecture - boring or exciting it doesn't matter. I need to pass!! The lectures are really important as your required to have 80% attendance, which means that you can only miss 2 lectures out of 12, and i've already missed one, because of my injury. University, is about enabling you to learn for yourself and gain your own understandign of the topic. I know that I need to do more writing, much more!! I have 10 short movies to make by December, so I just got to keep pushing stuff out there and make things happen.

On Tuesday, we were still focused on script writing and discussing 'Our World', which means where your film is based - the setting. I found that people started to defend their stories and their cultural background. The story may not be the best or complete, but you have to defend it, and explain the story as you understand it, especially if your writing about something that you have expereienced or can relate to.

The rest of the week was great, an real eye opener - again!! Nearly all the students were complaining about the lecture and the critiques of our scripts. I can't believe that these people are menat to be academics and not take this personally. The lecturer is just a facilitator, who is explaining a system to us, we just need to understand that system. Because of several reasons including culture, i get the impression that the other students may have a low expectations of me, today that changed - as my script was pulled out and referred to the class as correct!! I couldn't believe it!! But I should have, after all, I just listen to what the lecturer says, take notes and deliver on what he asks. I really am getting into the flow of it all now, to the point that the students are saying that i'm even talkign like a film producer.. Great!! Its not that i feel i'm a producer, but I know about scripts, I've been doing comedy since early 90's. Today I defended what I knew - the class tried to dismiss the background of my script as unrealistic. But my script shows that its the sub culture that make the culture, the 90's were a time that black people were making money. By rights I should have done ths course 10 years ago, but I chose Youth & Community Work, I dont regret the choice as thats what made me financially and personally the man i am today.

This week 've learned that you dont talk about what you know, you write it down and show it. Its about writing it down in the correct form, so that no one can argue the facts if you've written it properly.