Questions To Ponder

My portion of Monday's class ended with some thought provoking and relevant questions for each student to seriously consider as s/he makes the choices that will end in the final piece for the semester. As a benefit to everyone, I am posting them here so that you can continue to review them. If that wasn't enough, this will be one of our main focuses this week: focusing your project into a workable piece.

ON TESTING YOUR SUBJECT

1. Do I really want to make a film about this?

2. Is there an area in which I am already knowledgeable and even opinionated?

3. Do I feel a strong & emotional connection to it, more so than any other subject?

4. Can I do justice to the subject?

5. Do I have the motivation to learn more about this subject?

Remember that this topic will have to be something that will need to be researched and refined everyday. We briefly spoke about different ways to collect information, but I strongly want to emphasize the need for each student to begin to always have a journal with them: to take notes and to write down ideas as they come. As you never know when one will come up, it is beneficial that you carry it with you at all times.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF (AND THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK)

1. What is this subject’s significance to me?

2. What do most people - people like myself - already know?

3. What would I - and most people - like to really discover?

4. What is unusual and interesting about it?

5. Where is its specialness really visible?

6. How narrowly (and therefore deeply) can I focus my film’s attention?

7. WHAT CAN I SHOW?

Great class yesterday. I hope that you enjoyed Nanook of the North (Robert Flaherty, 1922) yesterday. It is a seminal piece that every filmmaker must see. I am happy to have been able to show it to you.