OK, I realise Creative Beginnings was like, a fortnight ago, but this is the first chance I've had to sit down at a computer for any great length of time, in between uni and getting the life-force systematically squeezed out of me by my Job. Thank you horrid groutish flu, for granting me the gift of time!
So here is a wee reflection on my first few weeks at the RSAMD (or the aRSeMD as my friend Jess calls it, because she goes to the art school which we refer to as GaySA... immature, yes, but we like to think we're funny and NO ONE can take that from us...!).
Initially, I was rather disappointed to find out we weren't going to be playing with cameras or unleashing my as-yet-untapped cinematography skillz (...aye right...) right away after the round the clock inductions, relentless form-filling and general social swirl of Fresher's Week. I say social swirl, I went out a grand total of twice since my work didn't realise that I couldn't go to uni full time AND work full time. Even worse was the discovery that we were going to be split up from our classes and put into groups with other first years.
I realise the point of Creative Beginnings was to introduce us to other disciplines and help form relationships across the school and yadeyadeya... still, I couldn't help feeling like I was 11 years old again at youth theatre, being made to 'be the colour red', or whatever. It seemed a bit anticlimatic considering I've been on edge waiting to start this course since I got my acceptance letter in many months ago. All I wanted to do was get right into my DFTV course, not kid on to be an inanimate object. No harm to them, but the CB group leaders reminded me of CBBC presenters on crack. Don't get me wrong, it's a good idea an'all, and once the course is in full swing I'll probably be praying for a return to simpler times of reflecting on WHERE I AM NOW.
I did like the taking photographs, and the installation at the end was actually quite an emotional experience. We had to write a fear, what we could bring, an unansweres question and a hope on the floor with chalk. It was a surprise and a reassurance that alot of people shared the same anxieties as me, and that I wasn't alone. I also liked writing a letter to ourselves which were sealed along with our photographs, which we will get back at graduation. I do have a sneaking suspicion this will be more cringe-worthy to read in 3 years than anything but what the hell, I'll just be glad to have made it that far.
Since the course started properly it's been ticking along nicely. I was originally shocked to find out we were going to be in all day, 5 days a week, but in all honesty even this isn't enough time! I found it difficult getting right into things like Screenwriting, especially since it's been so long since I did any kind of creative writing. 2 years of studying English at uni actually put me off reading anything other than pamphlets and cereal boxes, Heaven knows the effect it had on quashing my writing abilities. Over the last couple of weeks though, I've found myself getting right back into it again, and hopefully in time my imagination might actually start coming back... It's a bit like a leaky tap at the moment, and my writings and scribblings have gone from writing mini-books as a kid, to short stories, to poems, to Lists. This is where I'm currently stuck but I'm excited about having enthusiasm for the subject again- hopefully this will feed into my writing itself!
The only practical film-making I've done recently was a video art module in college, where me and Jess made a 12-minute film (everyone else's was about 3/4 minutes) of completely static camera, no lighting whatsoever, a script made up of 5 segments which were mostly written a half hour before filming, and editing which I finished in an afternoon (we were waaaaay behind schedule) on a computer which crashed every 10 minutes whenever someone connected to the internet. We were pretty proud of it, and showed it at our end of year exhibition, but I was a bit apprehensive about going into Tech Fundamentals with only this minor knowledge on my side. Plus, I'd only used Adobe Premier editing software before, which doesn't seem to be a favourite at the Academy! Right now I'm having trouble fumbling around trying to even assemble a tripod, but if we're getting it hammered into us then I guess even I will pick it up eventually!
Anyhoo, the first few weeks here at the RSAMD have gone by really quickly. It's been alot to take in, and is so unlike anything I've ever done before. I never thought I'd get excited about getting up and going to uni so early but what d'ya know, I'm actually getting used to the early rises. It makes all the difference when you go somewhere you ACTUALLY want to be.
That's all from me for now, I'm getting square eyes from looking at the screen and I keep having to go and fix all my spelling mistakes because I am a fairly terrible typist. Ciao for now! Ahaha...
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