Going to university is one of those life events which you look forward to throughout your school years. You daydreamed about falling asleep in lectures, about making the best of friends and possibly even the love of your life. You think it’ll be easy. After all, how hard can writing a load of essays be? When you’re a film student at Edge Hill University – essays are the least of your problems…
Some people may think that to make a film you simply just create a script and then go straight into production – but those of us who are film students know that this is not the case! At Edge Hill University, whichever stage of production you are involved in, time is limited and you will be staying up all night to do your work!
Casting can be one of the most daunting parts of a production. Finding somebody who is talented and trustworthy can be difficult. Actors are prone to cancel last minute. As a filmmaker, trusting actors is necessary but hard. Most of us have had experiences where we have almost had a mental breakdown on a shoot when an actor cancels!
When studying film at Edge Hill University, most of your assignments are group based. Therefore, there is always somebody who will irritate you. Maybe it’s a know-it-all-one who is always shouting down your ideas. The do-nothing-one who hates to actually do work but will take full credit for yours. The drunk-one who turns up late and hungover practically every day.
As a film student, you lack sleep and motivation, energy drinks and coffee are your best friends. Especially when you have a 9am lecture – you will need a hot coffee to keep your eyes open while your lecturer covers the same topics taught in your other modules.
At Edge Hill University, when you are planning a production, as film students, we are taught to risk assess every location we use. This can be a painful and incredibly boring process. Though, the more you do it, the more you get used to it – it becomes a habit, you risk assess situations in your everyday life.
When you go on to your second and third year, you spend more and more time with your laptop. It is the most important object in your entire life. At times, it can feel like your best friend – your only friend! Without it, you would be screwed!
Some people believe that studying film doesn’t involve a lot of reading – it does, a lot! To get a storyline completely right, a lot of research has to be put in. The theoretical side of film is just as important as the practical side.
At Edge Hill University, continuity is key. We study it, we practice it, we try to get it right. As film students, we are trained to notice continuity errors. This can be a blessing when it comes to your own work but a curse when it comes to professional films – as a film student, you notice every mistake!
Yes, this one is weird! In my first year, one of our assignments was to go out into town and listen to peoples conversations. Apparently, this helps to evoke ideas and get the creative juices flowing. Although this was so weird and stalker-like, it really worked!
Being a film student and an aspiring filmmaker means you have very little money. You are expected to work for free and have your own equipment. Which is problematic when you are a student and living off instant noodles.
Edge Hill University often have people from the industry come in to give talks about how to make it as a filmmaker. Although these talks are meant to be enlightening, you sometimes go away feeling like a ton of bricks have just fell on you as time and time again you are told ‘the film industry is a competitive market’ – you go away and apply for anything you can find and get knocked back, again and again. You get used to seeing ‘unfortunately you have not been successful…’ in your inbox.
To every other person, watching a horror film is exciting and terrifying, some people may even struggle to sleep at night. To a film student, we watch the film and look straight through the lens – into the set, into the script. We know how horror is filmed, we know when something is going to make us jump
You are involved in six different modules throughout the academic year, each one may involve group work – which involves a Facebook or Whatsapp group chat. Most of the time they are full of memes and everybody panicking over deadlines.
HD Video files can take up a lot of storage. In our first year, we are told to invest in an external hard drive, though most of us put it off as they can be quite expensive. Though it is not avoidable forever.
Every filmmaker dreams of one day having their own production company, one as big as Paramount of Warner Brothers. But, we have to start off small with no budget, a free logo maker and a Facebook page.
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