August 2008

The focus for the two sessions in the fourth week has been largely on story and character analysis. From the last session, Lisa had us watch a short film called The Lunch Date, for which we had to write a synopsis. This week, we revisited this short and began to discuss it in light of the “ingredients” of a good story. Pin pointing key elements such as ‘change of dynamic’ and ‘emotional trajectory’ in this analysis were helpful in identifying them yourself when Lisa showcased a few more shorts. From the previous week, we had also been set the task of analysing a random person. This was fascinating in itself; to put down in writing the assumptions we make of someone subconsciously after watching them for five minutes. However, this week, Lisa had asked us to develop on from this and write a background to these new ‘characters’. Sharing these aloud in the group was a lot of fun but also led neatly to a discussion of what makes an engaging character.

On the practical side of things, Lisa provided us with the script of the opening scene of Little Miss Sunshine and we spent some time breaking down the formats, key terms and essential dos and don’ts. The best bit of advice I took from the sessions was to talk through action. Although at times a rather hackneyed piece of advice, the wealth of interpretation that ensued from a viewing of Lynne Ramsay’s short of few words The Gas Man, made the importance of this really hit home.

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Here are some of the many reasons why over 900 students have already chosen to study at the Met Film School...Number of students in 2006 - 306; Number of films made - 135; Percentage of graduates working in the industry - 76%; Number of other UK film schools in a studio - 0; Percentage of tutors also working film industry professionals - 100%