Ashlee and Sonya's FilmLab Blog

After the Dust has Settled

ashleensonyafilmlab — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:50:21 +0000

So the lab part of FilmLab is over and all us labsters have shuffled back to the ‘real’ world. Stephen told me to not think about the script for 10 days. This was very hard, it took me at least 5 days to stop the story from invading my head space. Now I’m supposed to be back thinking about it again, but the ideas seem to be hiding from me. Not fussed about it tho, confident the story will find its own feet to stand on.

Looking forward to catching-up with everyone on the 10th and seeing how we are all traveling.

it is the end!

ashleensonyafilmlab — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:53:06 +0000

Wow. Three weeks. Countless hours singing, painting, discussing, creating, discarding, creating again, discarding again, refining, growing, laughing, eating, learning, listening, questioning, struggling, soaring, nail-biting, grizzling, coffee-drinking, table-tennising, walking, talking, crying, agreeing, arguing, connecting, sharing, opening, stretching, understanding, awakening, conflicting, fighting, hugging, commiserating, thinking, writing, filming, editing, recording, burning, watching, critiquing, deliberating, encouraging, loving, analysing, tripping, sketching, trying, failing, trying again, and this is just the beginning.

Film Lab.

Sonya.

Beg of Week 3

ashleensonyafilmlab — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:15:40 +0000

I am … learning

I feel … tired but lucky

I want … to be the best I can be – and I’ve barely scratched the surface

I need … to focus on the task

After 2 days away it always takes a bit to get back into it. We all seemed a bit flat in the singing this morning. It always takes a bit of guts to prepare to get out of your comfort zone again and stretch stretch stretch. But we have finally come to the point of being allowed to think about story and plot so its been fun kicking ideas around with Ashlee today. At the moment our film has taken an absurdist twist with bizarre characters and even more out-there situations. See what tomorrow brings!!

Week 3 Day 1 – beginning of the end

ashleensonyafilmlab — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:59:40 +0000

Was wiped out after the presentations last week, had come so far and yet still no story/plot – aarrrggg! its messing with my head.

Was an effort to get into the day this morning then Paddy swung that around in one sentence. Not gonna tell ya what he said but suffice to say that it changed my whole outlook, not only on my day but also on the film. Still no written story but its starting to sound like something I’d actually want to watch. Yay!

It’s been a strange old ride this one, and tomorrow I may even get the chance to write something down. double Yay, exclamation mark.

I didn’t step one foot into the ‘Art Room’ today, I got a case of ‘craft’ burnout. Off to warmdown now.

Ashlee

End of Week 2

ashleensonyafilmlab — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:12:10 +0000

How can I summarise what happens in a week? So much happens on the surface, in terms of a constant stream of activities, but even more happens below the surface, within our own creative development. The highlight of the day was definitely Stephen/Paddy/Peter’s send up of Film Lab.

Week 2 Day 4 – bouncing off the art room walls

ashleensonyafilmlab — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:19:06 +0000

Today started with SAFC staff and us labsters singing in the new day. Paddy was a tough task master and actually wrangled a pretty respectable version of ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ out of us.

Stephen gave a great lecture on the protaganist/antagonist relationship. Then it was back to the art room where Peter had to listen to my frustrated rantings about the bottomless pit of development hell that was engulfing my every pore. (not in a self obsessed over dramatic way…well maybe a little)

I then drank a nice warm beverage and got on with the final touches for tomorrow’s presentation, see pic below

it will all make sense tomorrow (hopefully)

Ended the day watching the low-budget film ‘Mum and Dad’ at the Mercury. Not much to say about it except that I was very happy when the credits eventually started to roll.

Ashlee

Beginning of Day 9

ashleensonyafilmlab — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:15:32 +0000

Where has the time gone? My assignment seemed simple enough – make a 90 second film about Film Lab. Thankfully its not due tomorrow, its taken me 4 days to work out how to get the camera talking to the computer – lol! What would seem so simple to anyone else has sure taken me out of my comfort zone, yikes, embarrassing! Andrada has been a godsend, patiently answering all my tech questions. Now I still have to make the film!

Only 6 days of film lab to go, but I don’t want to focus on the end – I need to just focus on the present and make the most of the moment. Gotta get back to work, talk to ya later

Sonya x

ashlee blogging

Week 2 Day 3 – hump day

ashleensonyafilmlab — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:11:56 +0000

Today started with the challenge to sight read some music on my cornet in front of everyone, that was the easy part of the day.

We watched the film ‘butterfly kiss’ which was confronting and created much lunch-time discussion. I didn’t really dig it and its not a film I’d want to watch again but it defiantly had an impact.

I then returned to my second home the art room to explore character, yet again. Peter asked some difficult question for which I had no answer. Vesley joined me in the room to work on his project and it was nice to have some company for a change.

By the end of the day I had moved forward despite myself. I mad a visual representation of a sub-character that is integral to the initiating event, see pic below

the plot thickens

Obviously I’m still struggling to not think in terms of plot! But I have resisted the urge to write anything down, Yay for me.

Ashlee

Day 7

ashleensonyafilmlab — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:18:48 +0000

Ashlee has been sent to the art room to create this week, and she is creating vivid art pieces to explore the characters of our film. Its wonderful to listen to her talk about her characters through the artwork.

I’m having a few tech difficulties which I hope to iron out very soon so I can get on with my 90 second film lab “infomercial” (term coined by Paddy, lol!). Hugh and I had to analyse some films today. He had Sexy Beast and I had Annie Hall. It was good to get past the superficial “yeah it was pretty entertaining” and realise that good films don’t just happen by accident; there is always a lot of thought put into them; much more than meets the eye.

Sonya x

Week 2 Day 2 – the search for character continues

ashleensonyafilmlab — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:16:53 +0000

Today has been fun, liking my new home in the art room. Chose to explore the grandmother character today, see pic below

boundaries and defenses - not your usual granny

Stephens lecture on structure and time was thought provoking. Had a good chat with him about my characters. Still not allowed to do any writing yet, which I’m getting used to now and am actually kinda enjoying the freedom that it is creating in my head.

Gonna keep focused on character development tomorrow and try to keep away from plot.

Ashlee