Annie Rhiannon

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Those horrible reality television shows

Being at film school is like being on one of those horrible reality television shows. We have votes, and fights, and somebody to record the whole lot for the "making of" documentary we have to submit. You know when you watch Big Brother and think to yourself, "I'd never behave like those imbeciles, especially not on tape". Well, that's what I thought too, until I actually did.

Well, I've had my "creative differences" with people, as we're calling them, especially with one guy who is perplexed as to how I ended up directing when I have trouble just switching the cameras on. Okay, I'm not a technical person, it's true, and it's unlikely that I ever will be, but you know what? THAT'S WHAT THEY PRINT THE MANUALS FOR.

Still, this making-of documentary is something I just don't ever want to watch. Apart from all that "creative difference" stuff, the morning of the shoot saw me running off to the bathroom every time I felt my stomach start to climb out of my mouth, forgetting that I was still hooked up to the microphone.

11 comments:

  1. Oh Annie ... the bathroom thing will make you laugh very hard one day.

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  2. No it won't. I once filmed a pilot for a game show, and went to the lav while miked up. The problem was, I didn't realise, and didn't know that the production people a) heard my various businesses and b) told everyone else in the studio. I didn't understand until much later why my fellow contestants couldn't keep straight faces.

    Bollocks, at least I won the bastard.

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  3. I hope it wasn't Mastermind. I can't imagine Magnus Magnusson laughing at anyone. It must've been Family Fortunes.

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  4. Pah! Ignore those who have no vision.You are the director young lady!

    All this technical stuff is a bit "Other Ranks".Besides there is no shortage of camera monkeys to fiddle with buttons and knobs and such.

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  5. The ratio of assholes to genuine folks on a film set is often very high. Established directors always work with their own crews because they've spent years getting a gang of genuine collaborators together.

    And when you're starting out you'll always have some wanker trying to undermine you. But the good thing is you'll never have to work with him again.

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  6. revolvewire16.11.07

    oh arr, agreed. the guy is only jealous. ignore him, he is trying to undermine the process so he can say 'i said i could do it better'. does he wear a film student leather jacket? give him a wide berth. or better still let him know that you are more personable than him, which is possibly why you have ended up doing it in the first place. and that communication skills and an ability to engage with the actors is more important than a back catalogue of tarantino knowledge.

    it will be fine

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  7. Annie, there is always jealousy in life.
    When I was a girl at art school my composition was placed third in a class of 30 or so, (I was 17 years old). Some of the boys gathered round my drawing board and told me that it was just a lucky fluke that I got so placed.......and I believed them!

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  8. Actually, I think it's genuine frustration in fairness.

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  9. It reminds me of that anchorwoman who went to the loo with her mike on. She was chatting with her assistant about her boyfriend and you could hear everything they were saying. I don't remember the details that well but it was quite funny at the time.

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  10. Well you are having a few teething troubles but even geniuses have to start somewhere. At least your mike wasn't loose and consequently fell down the toilet. You know, just trying to look on the bright side :P

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  11. Ha, yeah, I remember that news anchor. In fairness though wasn't she just talking about how great her BF was? It could have been so much worse.

    Thanks everybody for your kind words.

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