In my Studio video recording class the advanced students alternate weeks in charge of production. This week was mine. I decided to do my trailer trash comedic soap opera “The Other Side of the Tracks” for our script. We did three short scenes and I had to block out camera shots and actor movements. I really don’t like to direct, writing is my thing, but it went really smoothly. We managed to get all three scenes recorded in one take each and (for the first time this semester, I might add with only a little bit of a brag) finished in time to watch what we recorded and leave early. And this is in spite of having a really complicated lighting plan to cover all three scenes, three different settings, and the beginning students doing more complicated camera movements and floor directing for me. What we watched turned out nice, people laughed even though they had just seen it rehearsed and performed a dozen times in the studio, and you didn’t notice too much that we don’t have real sets (though the marriage proposal in front of the garbage can and the clothesline bearing a bra and a alligator head certainly worked).

I shouldn’t have to direct again this semester until my final project, which is fine because I have two commercials and an 8 minute movie to plan, film and edit for electronic movie making. My music video is due on Wednesday and it is no where near done. I had planned on editing at home with my Vegas Movie making software, but my computer can’t handle it, so I only have a few hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before class to finish.

Oh, and since my Audio class teacher was at a Yo-yo competition to watch his son compete (no, not kidding) on the only day we have this class on every week he gave us a ton of homework and I still have to make a sound recording to add to a project we will do next week. 

I wish there was just a degree for scriptwriting. I don’t want to direct or edit. It really make me stressed out because I feel so inept at it all. Just filming enough footage for a four minute music video was so hard, I dread doing an 8 minute film. I am not even sure I can get anyone to be in it for me, so its difficult to know what to write for it. I know what I would like to write for the movie, if I can find anyone to act for me. I have a couple people I can ask, one even wanted to be an actress for awhile, she might enjoy spending a day acting again.

Ah well, time to practice my guitar for guitar class. The chords are torture to get my left hand to do, but the picking and tableture is fun.

Okay, all signed up for next semester classes. I had thought they would consist entirely of mass comm classes, but realized one class is an advanced I will be taking the prereq for, and another that I don’t want to take I may not have to because I took a different class a few years ago. Anyways, that all means that I am taking three mass classes, another drawing class and beginning guitar.

I am going to double check that I can still get my AA without that other class and talk to a counselor. I want an AA this time, not just an AS. I’ll have plenty of units (24 required, I’ll have close to thirty mass comm units by the end of next semester) but are they the right ones?

Finally, my media writing class has moved onto scripts. Our first script is for a radio show, two pages including a commercial break. I’ve been developing a podcast idea, and I think I shall use that show for the assignment. I am very excited.

Also I am nervous. For my studio video class I have to create, write and direct an 8 minute show. I already know what I want to do, its the directing and timing I am worried about. As I watch other people doing their shows I can see that timing is the real problem. One guy was sure his script read at 8 minutes, but in run through was about 12. Another needed the talent to improvise for about a minute. Most of the students in the class are not actors so that is iffy. I just want it to turn out really good. It is due on November 3.

I am visiting an arts college on the fifth to see if they have a scriptwriting degree. So far, scriptwriting only comes as part of a larger degree and you have to do the filming and directing stuff. I don’t want to do that. I only want to create and write the content, not film it myself. I can probably do it all, but it gets in the way of writing, there is so much I have to put together beyond the script for the third.

Ah well, its not awful, and I am writing a script.