Story development for film was an excellent learning experience. My original goals for this course were to develop the skill of character building, improve my understanding of visual storytelling, and to learn tools of pre-visualization (packaging, storyboards, shot lists, and preparing for production).
First, I do feel that I achieved my first goal of developing the skill of character building. Our very first assignment, which was a world and character building exercise, more than helped me develop in that area. I had to dig deep and answer many questions about the character. This exercise taught me to humanize characters and make them more relatable. I also believe I met my other two goals: improving my understanding of visual storytelling, and learning tools of pre-visualization. I also learned about production scripts.
Watching films such as Plan 9 from Outer Space definitely taught me about what not to do during production of a film. The film was so bad that it’s now used as a learning tool for film students such as myself.
I also learned a lot from watching the television show Dogs of Berlin. This gritty crime drama helped me understand the complexities of television production. I learned that when it comes to an hour long drama, the more connections the characters have, the better and more interesting the show will be.
Overall, I do feel this class helped me prepare for my thesis project. Although I am not pitching a short film, I was still able to make a decision about what I want to do for my project, which is to write a television pilot. All the things I learned in this course will be helpful in my journey to becoming a filmmaker.
Armani's Mastery Journal 