BEING WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

It is very rare to come across an individual in the film, TV and movie-making world who holds the basket with all the eggs. It does happen but it's not my intention to focus on some amazing individual who is an expert at camera work, lighting, sound, set design, make-up, prosthetics, model-making scriptwriting etc etc. This industry requires good communication, interaction and great teamwork. They acquire this through people who have come through the ranks from college/university right up to on-set experience.

And this is where I come in because it is the groundwork or the educational side that kick-starts it all. I'm talking about college, university or some other kind of higher educational facility whereby we temporarily hang our coats and begin to learn the craft of film making. It all began for me on the day I walked through the college door for real at the Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD).

Now, bearing in mind that I've been around a while -- well, more than just a while but who cares --  it was still a bit of a culture shock when I realized I was going to be with people more than half my age. However, it was that first day when I first got the idea that everything was going to be ok. One of our first tasks was to go down en block to the pc room and sign in to the campus registry. Yours truly was beginning to struggle with all the little on-screen windows that kept cropping up, as though the programmer had assumed everyone would know what to click next. I needn't have worried. I had three or four helping hands just guiding me along. It was then that I understood the meaning of teamwork.

In my opinion, that first day's experience was the foundation for everything that followed. It's still early days and my techno ability is nowhere near the other guys. However, there are certain areas where I hope my personal skills will help to balance things out. As a writer, I have a fairly good command of the English language. Couple that with a vivid imagination and it soon becomes obvious that I can contribute by being a good story teller. Now that I'm getting a little more experience with camera operating, I can see the final picture as I manage to bring together ideas which manifest into sound and moving image. This is something that I can not do on my own. Nor is it expected of me. On the contrary, it is by combining the talents of certain individuals and moulding them into a team where we witness the final product.

Yes, it's all down to teamwork.

LINKS FOR OTHER RELEVANT BLOGS


Mike's Student Journey -- My home page


Cleveland College of Art and Design