Project Evaluation
What worked?
While working my way towards the idea of Condemned was a difficult process, once I got the idea locked down I was able to just work on it without too many drawbacks. The idea started out very open and just needed focussing as time went on with each draft.
Writing the script was definitely the highlight of this project thus far, the sixth and final draft has come a long way since the first draft which was relatively unfocussed and very dialogue heavy. Despite the tight time restrictions set upon myself, I was able to churn out each and every script before the following feedback session with Simon meaning I could get frequent updates on the script.
Casting was another highlight as managing the large number of applicants did not prove to be as difficult a task as I had anticipated. Most were very responsive, some getting back to me within minutes of contact. I made sure that each and every message I sent to them was articulate and easy to read making organising audition dates or preparing taped auditions well in advance all that much easier in the long run (even if typing out each message took a long time). Only a small handful dropped out, and what I am particularly happy with is that I managed to keep the majority of the Stephen's interested (a worry as only 5/6 had applied).
What didn't work?
I spent a lot of my time writing out each draft for the script and keeping actors interested which distracted me from my other responsibilities as a producer.
The locations for example was an area I hadn't even looked into in much depth until the last couple of weeks meaning I may not have gotten the best locations for the David, Stephen and Nick's houses. The prison never got back to me about filming permission meaning I had to make a last minute change of location of the exterior of the County Hall (which itself is right next to the prison), a change suggested by the Kent Film Office who had warned me that gaining permission to film at the prison would prove to be a difficult task.
While the shooting schedule turned out okay and is nice and easy to read, this is another aspect of producing that I have had to push back to the last moments in order to get everything else secure.
What did I learn?
Over the course of this unit, I have learned a lot about story telling, script writing, organisation and working as a team.
The first idea we drafted up got red lighted at the pitching stage and leading up to it we found a number of different holes in our story. The first idea was set around a dinner party and the logistics of making it work over the span of 15 minutes or more was simply unfeasible. The story would have been far too dialogue heavy to work and the locations would have been far too restricting.
I have drastically improved on my script writing ability since the start of this unit and have learned a lot about the importance of dialogue, action, scene structuring and how to make it all work together to form a cohesive story that's just as engaging as it is visual. There are certainly qualities in my writing that will still need improving but I am particularly happy with what I have learned the progress that followed.
What could I develop?
On a more positive note, I could definitely use the progress I have made thus far to further develop my skills as a screenwriter. This has become a field in film / television that has really grown on me since the start of this unit and is something that I am interested in developing further.
Elsewhere, my organisational skills are in definite need of addressing. As I've already mentioned, I put a lot of my focus into such small section of the unit that some of the other important aspects of producing got pushed back until the final moments of the term. I made plans and trackers to keep everything on track and organised but referring back to them was a habit I never got myself into.
