1.What is your role / contribution to the film in the production phase?
As the director on set, I am required to hold onto the vision of my film as changes are required to be made. Communicating to talents and make them feel comfortable before the lens is what optimise the talent’s performance.
2.What have you learnt in the production phase?
This is the phase where confusion and anger manifest. Anger to myself and my trust. The error of preproduction is clearly exposed here, and also exposed the fact that people did not read and check through the paper work. Things that clearly do not work out and can be prevented long ago happened and we allowed it to happen. People is a resource on set, but when not utilised, a hindrance. People on set should be pro active and constantly see what help is needed and not be ordered around. No doubt the industry works slightly different, but for a student film, everyone is involved in the pre-production and thus people should be on the same frequency to increase efficiency.
I also clearly understand the kind of DP whom I prefer to work with – one who talks to me, rather than one whom I talk to. I find myself always too preoccupied with the talents and often neglects the camera. I need, and lucky enough to have one for my AFP2, a DP who is capable of pulling me back and maintain the balance of the project.
The break of hierarchy problem continue to surface during the production. Many decisions were made without the notice of the producer. All decisions made and or unmade are to be informed to the producer as we do not have the luxury of checking who is in charge of what. Confusion is definitely destructive to the production.
