Yonatan Tiruneh
Being A filmmaker
Unit 1A
Why I applied to the BFI Academy–
As being an aspiring filmmaker, with no connection to the film industry and very minimal knowledge of production processes. I saw the academy program as a good step in creating the network necessary to be a film-maker. I come for a background where my creativity was considered as a hobby and pushed to pursue an academic path. Due to this fact, I haven't had the opportunity to meet people who are as enthusiastic about films and film-making as me.
As I have learned in the industry, you are as good as your network and experiences. The BFI academy was also an opportunity to getting an in-depth understanding of film-making and the process behind it. Also, meet people who I could work with and grow.
I am hoping at the end of this program: I get to participate in a project which I could add to my portfolio, get to meet other like-minded film-makers creating a network and get help or guidance from the program in my future career and projects.
Strength.
I have a unique perspective when it comes to my film-making, more than most people I enjoy the technical aspects. As my academic pursuits in Maths, Physics and computer science make the technical aspects easier to understand. I am also pursuing to know about the newest DSLR and the new features that come with it. Or find out the difference between a prime lens and a zoom lens.
Weaknesses before joining the Academy,
-
Minimal experience making films
-
Understanding film industry jargon
-
Never been on a professional set
-
Haven't been able to understand sound design.
-
Minimal Practical understanding of, ISO, focal length, white balance and etc.
-
I haven't had the opportunity to use film lighting
After the BFI Academy,
-
I had the opportunity to work on a professional film set with industry professionals.
-
I had an understanding of such things as DOP, set call outs and AD.
-
Dr Neil gave the most technical and in-depth talk about sound design.
-
Daniel Alexander using his professional broadcaster camera explained what Iso, focal length, exposure( histogram metadata) and many other features.
-
The director of photography, Chris Kenn gave a talk on lighting using a professional studio at Birmingham city university.
Unit 1B
Being a Filmmaker Part B
Filmmaking sessions
The filmmaking sessions were over three days and one of the best experiences I have ever had. There was no denying that shooting a film is not an easy endeavour as it involves; standing for hours, being organised as a team, coming over creative differences and solving things creatively. But it is an endeavour I enjoyed and it made me understand even tho it is challenging there is nothing I would rather do.
On the first day of shooting, we had a problem when we were shooting the doorway scene with the two zombies. We realised that they don't have makeup on so we can't show them on screen. But the scene wouldn't have the same emotional impact if we can't see our main characters. There was no way we could get the makeup artist down here because it was 9 pm and we can't reshoot because of the time constraints. After a while, we came up with the idea of shooting it in silhouette. I assisted Chris Keen(DOP) to set up the lighting and framing with his instructions. Out of this came out one of the most memorable shot of the movie.
Story Ideas sessions
I found the story Idea sessions to be the most difficult, as I had a direct vision for films I wanted to create. It was hard seeing, after pitching my ideas, it was being dissected and changed. I felt as if I wasn't expressing myself the right way and found it a little frustrating.
After I saw what we came up with at the end, I now highly value other ideas as it brings a new perspective on a project makes a fantastic product.
Masterclasses
I found the Masterclass with Daniel Alexander to be the most enjoyable. This is due to it involved a good ratio theory and practical application. He was able to answer all of our questions and able to elaborate it until we understood the concept. I also attended the masterclass with Chris on lighting which I found the most challenging as I didn't know anything about lighting and there was some complicated theory involved inset lighting. But it was valuable knowledge to gain to improve film production quality. Lastly, Dr Neil gave a very in-depth Masterclass on sound design. He gave us advice on what gear we could acquire on a budget, why sound was one of the most important things in film and even left us a copy of his powerpoint presentation.
Production sessions
Production sessions taught me how important it was to plan every aspect of the filmmaking process. I learnt what the Job was an AD was, with keeping the production in schedule and designing a schedule with the director.
Final reflections
The BFI experience has given me a glimpse into the filmmaking industry and a taste of everything. I have found a real passion for cinematography and cameras. Something which I wish to explore further in upcoming opportunities.
