DIRECTOR. SCREENWRITER. STORYTELLER. FILMMAKER.

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Graduated  from University July 2016 with a 2.1  BA Honours, I want to explore the pathway as a screenwriter as I love writing and developing ideas. Alongside my writing, I love to direct short films and show audiences a different intake on life.  

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P R O F E S I O N A L   J O U R N E Y

 

Imagine walking into a movie theatre, the smell of popcorn, the sound of tickets being torn. You sit down with your family and wait for the cinema magic to happen. Film Production, BA Hons is a course that has taught me the mindset of a film maker and allowed me to study the art of film making. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that when you go to the cinema you are removed from your everyday life for a short time. Whether it is a love story, Sci-Fi, crime or fantasy you are transported into another world. Film is a way of connecting with your audience, expressing yourself and taking them on a journey. I’ve always had the desire to tell stories but only with the help of my Film Production course have I had the ability to achieve this dream.  I find this new skill and the promise for the future very exciting. The ideal use of film for storytelling is to “think outside the box” like, Disney and Dreamworks.  When Walt Disney had visions of beautiful stories told with the use of caricatures and not real life actors, people said it couldn’t be done and when he had to mortgage his house and find the money to make Snow White, people laughed but he persevered and succeeded.  He went on to create an empire and inspire film makers for future generations. Dreamworks updated the style of how film was made but Disney have always been a forward thinking industry coming up with new conceptions of film.  From the greats like Snow White to Inside Out, children and adults alike love to go to see these films it is pure escapism and hugely successful.  

  

M Y   B E G I N N I N G

 

Just like Gene Kelly in ‘Singing in The Rain’ I was the wide eyed optimist who moved to London, started University and with an open mind began to focus on the technical side of film. I really showed a personal interest towards a module that we studied about the production theory and practical side of filmmaking. With my interest peaked and my head full of ideas, stories, colour and sounds I began to study the module on the ‘Role of the Producer’.  This was my introduction to the behind the scenes work, how diverse it could become, the huge responsibility when it comes to creating a vision. This person has always got to be aware of the problems that can occur on a production. For example location scouting, focusing on the main issues that can happen on a film set and dealing with them. They have to raise money for small production, sticking to the budget and being in charge of the whole process. I was inspired, blown away, how could one person be all this to so many aspects of one film.   Truly inspired by this and with my creative juices going into overdrive, I carried this role on into my second year.

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F I N D I N G  M Y S E L F

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After spending my first year on producing, I found that it wasn’t where my heart laid.  I wanted to be a DIRECTOR.  This was something I understood from my college days, a more creative and passionate role, concentrating on the storytelling, rather than the ability to make some ones else’s dream materialize.  As well as directing, I also had a privileged opportunity to write, direct, film, edit and produce a short film called 20 Memories.  The film is a short drama that tells a story of two girls, Betty who is dying from an illness and wishes to spend her last moments with her best friend Charlotte. I learnt a lot about myself as a writer, especially with guidance from the course. I had weekly script structure lessons that helped the idea develop, in terms of the characters background history, portraying your theme throughout and structuring the story in the third act structure. For my director’s vision, I learnt about methods of making a strong section in the script that I can also portray through the visuals of my film. The best part about directing is starting with an idea and with months of hard work and dedication you can see it come to fruition and watch it with an audience, keeping them entertained. The lessons learned throughout this process are now embedded in my filmmaking brain and I realise that films are made to be shared ‘for the people, by the people’, whereas before I was making films for my personal gratification.

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AS I CONTINUE

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Reflecting on this made me want to create new film and share it with an audience who have similar interests as me. This put my whole future on perspective. As I am heading, very quickly, into my final year, I want to create a project that can help me get my foot in the door, especially with companies I have always dreamt about working for.  Taking the magnitude of advice on board, I decided to research stories that interested me and ways I can tell the world using my skills with my creativity in film firing our imagination and sense of entertainment. One of my favourite genres of film is folktales. They are stories that originate in popular culture and are passed on by word of mouth over generations. This is perfect for me as a filmmaker because I want to get people psyched and this is a great opportunity for me to do this with my dissertation project. As folktales originated in ancient cultures but survived until the current day, I decided to write an original story in the traditional style, mixing it with my fascination about the solar eclipse and using folktale elements, inspiring and educating children who I intend to be my main audience, and making use of bold and magical illustrations. For this to be accomplished, I knew animation was the perfect medium. I would be able to capture astronomy in its breath taking form and use the traditional art work of folktale. Although, I don’t know a lot about animation and its process, I could use this chance to learn and grow as a filmmaker. My animation is called Story of the Sky that explores the youth of Solar and Lunar, who are twins and both born with great power. When Destiny appears, Lunar is unleashed to dark magic.  Can Solar break this curse and bring the existence of a solar eclipse? Producing and directing this animation has shaped me, inspired me, frustrated and annoyed me but ultimately it has taught me to never give up on my future ideas and if I stay focused it can be accomplished. Cinema has survived many years and is growing and changing and be a contributing factor. I want to be part of this business now and in the future as a film maker I am excited to develop alongside the industry.  Something this good which has lasted this long must be worth investing in and in the future I would like to be there with my name up on the screen. I know this won’t happen straight away but my plan is to enter Story of the Sky into film festivals around the UK, including Encounters and London Short.

 

M Y  F U T U R E

 

For my future plans, the journey is just beginning as I want to write and direct films one day. I am currently developing an idea at the moment and hope with my full potential that I can write and create a full feature length film. Studying at Middlesex University has taught me to push the boundaries and that’s what I am going to pursue throughout my career.