Production Diary: Week 4 - 20th July 2014

So, the summer holidays are finally upon us. 6 weeks of sun, relaxation and most importantly... school work. Yes, despite the school year officially being over, our year 12 Media coursework still requires us to be hard at work, all through the summer. But oh well, after all - If you put in the hard work, you get the best results.

This week's diary entry is a special one for me, on a personal level - but I am sharing it on here, because it is relevant. But first, let me keep you up to date with the progress of the planning for my short film - "The unfortunate life of James Flint". As mentioned last week, the idea to make a film that has elements of the 1930's came from the inspiration that my friend Ciaran Davis' film gave me - which was brilliant, might I add.

To get into the feel of a 1930's film, I realised that I am going to have to create props and other parts for a set in order to make the film and mise-en-scene convincing. Having studied pictures from Great Grandmother's childhood (She is 101 and going strong), I have identified particular items or props that I will need to either purchase somehow or create. The MAIN items that I need are listed below.

- Old cameras.
- Pictures of 1930's cartoons.
- Plain cotton shirts with strings by neck (Football shirts from the 30's)
- An old football.
- Knitted jumpers.
- Suit jackets.
- Boater shoes.
- Ties.

There are many more items that I am going to be creating, such as old pictures, propaganda posters and many more. I feel that all of the above will make my short film seem a lot more convincing in terms of when it is meant to be set. The use of filming in a strange tone may also add to the effect.

I end this week's post with something that I have been meaning to say.

The end of this school year sees the end of an "era" for me... if you will. This is because next year, I will be moving to a different media class to complete my A2 course. Having spent nearly 5 years in this class, I have grown fond of the people I shared it with and learnt next to every week. But if there is one person that I owe a lot to, and will perhaps "miss" the most, then it's my brilliant teacher Mr Fisher. Since the very end of year 9, Mr Fisher has been my media teacher, as well as film studies for year 11. It is often said that if you enjoy being taught by somebody, then it makes the learning easier. This is 100% true.

I have never been particularly confident in class, or strong with different software... but Mr Fisher managed to help me develop my skills and create several pieces of coursework that I am now extremely proud of. It is hard to believe that I have learnt so much from just one person. The knowledge, logical thinking and experience of Mr Fisher has helped me to become a better student than I ever could have hoped to be - and for that, I thank him. When I look back on my days at school, in many years to come - I will always remember the fun that I had when learning from Mr Fisher.

So this post is mainly a thank you really. A way of showing my appreciation for a teacher who doesn't just teach because he has to... but because he loves to. Thanks once again Sir.

A picture from our year 11 film studies trip to Harry Potter studios. Me (Second on the left), Mr Fisher (Third on the left).