Diary

Week One -
Being eager to make a start on FMP (Final Major Project) planning it for
months prior, I quickly wrapped up my documentary and made and early start
on FMP by putting together a PowerPoint based on the work I produced last
year (likely expanding on that further and using it more as a base) – especially
since I got graded a distinction on it and more than hope to repeat that again.
Furthermore, I would also be highlighting all my text in red till I've properly
proofread it to both ensure I've re-read it and made sure if I can think of
anything else worth including. In this week I’d get far ahead of what I had
originally thought I would and more slides than the previous year (though this
really worries me as I really fear loss of quality. This could be because I'm
doing a lot of work in my own time).
Week Two -
Having had the week off college (for various reasons) I hadn’t really made
much progress this week, only touching up on slides and watching over ‘Hunt
For The Wilder People’, a film I will be including later in my productresearch
and I would chooseto watch after watching another of the director’s (Taikia
Waititi) films prior to this - ‘JoJo Rabbit’.
Week Three -
This week, I would find myself making a start on corrections on my ‘Pre-
planning’ and ‘proposal’. I would also make a start on productresearch on
‘Hunt for The Wilder People’ and a halfway through ‘Loving Vincent’ wanting
to take care on noting down details (especially since I was now ahead of
schedule). However, this week I would also have to update my website to a less
clustered more navigable format, which would take half of my week up –
though not too bigger issue as I’m both ahead of my schedule and doing my
FMP in general (being stressed over my deadline for filming in April and the
quality of my work).
Week Four-
In this week I would make the jump to making a casting call – making a poster,
promoting the fact of I’m looking for two actors (the protagonist Tom and the
love interest, Amber), I would also give short description of both the
characteristics of said characters and a brief description of the concept. From
this I would email further demand for the audition – a short video in which
they’d preform an extract from the role their auditioning and description of
themselves as person(making sure they’re the right fit for the role). On top of

this, I would complete my proposaland make a strong start on my influences.
Along with a further progressionwith my general research, even starting an
experiment with the c100 – though on its original booking I would forget to
booka memory card and have to deal with the bottomof the tin and would have
to re-book another day as it turned out that card was broken, leaving me without
evidence of my discovering's.
Currently I feel still quite stressed – having to backtrack on work I’ve missed
out (the classes only having just started the FMP). I’m also worried about the
levelled quality work and want to go over it again and test it a previous year’s
distinction standard. For next week I hopeto be done with research on the FMP.
Week Five-
For this week I would receive my first two audition videos – one for Amber and
the other for Tom. In which I found to be exciting though, I worry about the
reliability of the actors – the first person having said they’d get back to me with
the rest of audition tape (the bit telling me about herself,) though have heard no
such thing since I received it on Tuesday, and for the second (knowing them
personally) I would have to remind them to audition, having said for Thursday
and by that night I'd have received nothing. Both may show a lack of investment
in the project. This stress would also be furthered as most of the people who’d
say they would get back to me, either aren’t getting back to me or have asked
for the deadline. Furthermore, in this week I also wouldn’t get the research fully
completed as I wanted, though I would be on top of my work to the point of
being at the same part of the rest of my class (now having my influences, pre-
proposaland my proposalnow being completed) – whilst further still be on my
own schedule. Furthermore, in my personal time (of this week) I would finish
my second draft (of the very early version of the script) - in preparation for
giving it to josh for some notes.
Overall, this week I'm feeling really stressed over casting – whether they’ll get
back to me or they’ll be reliable....
For the following week I’d like to finally complete my main research, only
having to finish my experiments before my pre-production.
Week Six-
This week I would finish the last of my research – all but two more secondary
research I hope to include in the following week – On top of hoping to go back
to my survey in future, at which point I hope for it far more results I can utilise
for my work. In this week I would also finish the colour-grade I’d been

attempting for the past two weeks – using the footage, in three different lighting
settings. Overall, I’m not entirely sure with the colour grade (using a video from
my research, to help me better understand its contents) and may likely have to
do further experimentation in production – though this is alright, as this already
put down on my schedule.
Coming out of this week I don’tfeel as stressed, especially since its half-term
next week, which will allow me to catch up on some of the work I feel like I can
improve, or feel isn’t there. All whilst allowing me to relax a little.
However, casting still seems to be struggling with casting, with the only real
responses I have being people asking for when the deadline is – which may
reflect poorly on their commitment and/or organisation, if they’re leaving it to
last second to audition. (At least I've got the minimal requirement of actors).
Week Seven-
This week (even though it was half-term), I would try and catch up on a couple
thing – such as the secondaryresearch, however with the main being of casting.
Leading up to this point, having struggled, worried and stressed over getting
actors, with basically no responses – only one audition for each, with little sign
of getting any further than that, I would to turn to alternate means and try and
reach out further for actors – using a website I’d discover being used by a
previous (distinction levelled) student. Unlike before I would find a bigger
range of responses - even though most of which would be too far away to really
consider and would get a range of auditions. However, a vast range of these
being far from what I was wanting – both mainly out of line of the character or
weaker, flatter acting and too far to really consider in the first place. Though I
would get huge range of people who’d further say they were connecting with a
lot of characters (based off the short description provided) - showing that I’ve
succeeded in my characters connecting to people and coming across as
relatable. Meanwhile, working on my secondaryresearch, I’d find further
struggle with my secondary – always finding it difficult to focus entirely when
doing research, more so when working with looking at statistics. From my
secondaryresearch, I'd be surprised to find such a high rise and number of
women affected – when compared again men. Especially with male suicide
being far higher than that of women.
Also, I would push ahead and make a good start on my pre-production, with
characters profiles finally being made, each audition being talked broken down,
whilst also breaking down into the process off and a start on music – what
music will I use: where and why?

Overall, I’m still very stressed this week. With one of the biggest pushes to
work over half-term being because of my stress level – only when working
would I feel calmer about how much work I was doing.
Week Eight-
This week my casting would end, and I would have to make final decisions on
who would be the two leads in my short-film – ending up with Baillie Dobson
and Ellen Carnazza. However, as expected I would not get many more
applicants – especially from the University of York – reassuring me that
reaching out to further platforms for my casting call was wise – otherwise I’d
lose my best option of Amber and would seriously be lacking in audition.
Though (ironically) I would get two people apply after the close of my casting
call – showing they’re potentially poorcommitment, not to mention one being
from London and the other not even attaching the video (even though specifying
they had, this would again be repeated when I pointed out, leading me to give
up).
Other than auditions I would also make a start on re-drafting my final draft
(based on some further notes I received from someone, whilst considering the
notes also handed me). I would also now document the quotation research –
from the Tv scene of the script, contingency planning/problem solving – talking
over some of the things I’m doing or have done to best avoid problems or get
around them, update the films Instagram too (with a picture of myself –
something I intend to do with the castlater down the line – asking their
permission to check that it’s ok). I would also contact one location I’d found
and really liked the look of, whilst making a start on music permission.
Overall this week has be quite productive and I felt a lot more laid back and on
top of my work, with my biggest concern being with how long the short list is
going to be and on-set organisation – especially since I now have crew that’s
relying on me, as well as a cast.
Week Nine-
I would again, take a more chilled laid-back week – only really having the final
draft of my script to stress about, as I was aiming for it get done by the end of
the week (which I would). One of my biggest stresses of course being the time –
not supported bythe fact I could only edit it at home, as that’s where my
software is. But also, stressed about this being my final draft and wanting to get
it perfect. However, when I sent it, it was well received by my actress who
claimed to love my script and by glad to be on production (backing up her
reliability) But, Baillie would give little response – though again he’d been the

one to request if I could send it a couple weeks earlier (I’m starting to become
worried about his reliability. On top of my script, I would also make a small
start on storyboarding – becauseeven though I did all my writing at home I
would still be doing further research about fixes I could make and notes of the
same regards.
Overall, I feel like a huge amount of stress has been lifted of me since finishing
my screenplay and sending it off.
Week Ten-
With the coronavirus becoming an increasing concern through the UK, it seems
very likely that this could take a huge toll on the filming of my production –
with things such as locations (with different levels of quarantine being
introduced) and actors (with the 80% risk of getting it – meaning they’ll be in
self-quarantine) - which is putting an increasingly high toll on my level of stress
– as it seems almost impossible to plan around as nobodyknows what to expect
and there’s nothing to really compare it to.
Otherwise, this week would be relatively productive, slowly chipping away at
my shotlist and sorting my bestpart of budgeting out – though I do bare
concerns over the catering allowance – it could either be worth adding more to
the budget for food and travel or seeing if there’s any money left over generally
to put towards it. Though (again), with the concerns of coronaon this
production I’m holding onto the money until I see what happens – especially
with so much having the potential to change this project.
Week Eleven-
From this week on (until further notice), I will cease to be doing anything for
my FMP as I have no accesses to software -due to the closure of college and
with my laptop still broken from around the time of my factual project, leaves
my with a slow and outdated home-computer that won’t handle software. Not to
mention the actors all unable to do a quick rushed shootbefore lock-down in the
UK.
Overall, this leaves me extremely stressed and depressed – really having high
hopes for this FMP – both in terms of continuing my line of distinction and
producing a high-level product(-for student capability).
Week Twelve and Thirteen-

These weeks I wouldn’t do anything – already being able to go to my Leeds
(currently my top available University of the time) and the stresses of being
unable to film knocking my mental health.
Week Eleven-
Part way through this week, I would pleasantly be surprised by my top
University (Salford). As they were asking for a Merit, I’d find a newfound
motivation to push myself. However, as I’d never achieved sucha grade
through this past year, I’ll have to achieve the whole grade in this project – as
far as I figure through what I’ve been told about grading.
For the best part of this week I would achieve the cover for the album –
spending a whole day on putting together the piece, some more edits the
following days. With the rest of the week being a mixture of editing together the
lines provided by Baillie (Ellen would also provide hers, but I’d not get as far as
that this week) and I would also record my lines and even some of the audio
description for my experiments. However, I would decide to come back to do
them – after putting together the scenes with just audio for the scenes, then
write lines to be said in-between.
An extra note to make – and one that will really affect my work over the next
couple weeks is my long-term relationship break up. The quarantine lock down
having effect my mental stability and motivation enough. Towards the end of
the week (postbeing told the devastating news) I’d stop production – leading
into next week.
Week Twelve-
Despite what my original hopes may have been for this week, I sadly wouldn’t
get any further than doing a couple touch ups to distract myself from current
situations – though under this break up and being stuck at home affecting my
mental health I’d really struggled with the idea of using the home computer in
the office by myself – only just having my laptop fixed, but all my work on the
home computer. Furthermore, it’s been huge struggle of having to face a
romance story – especially one where some of the characters are based of parts
of my relationship gone (having originally hoped this would give it an overall
realistic and grounded feel to the characters).
Overall, this week’s been a huge struggle mentally for me and I’m hoping that
maybe next week I’ll be able to get the files and transfer them to my laptop so I
don’treally have to work on this in an isolated room – letting my thoughts build
up,

Diary

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