Screen Tools--An Incredible Experience

I had dreamed about coming to New Zealand for years, but actually traveling and studying in this program was an entirely different (and yes, better) experience than what I expected. As an international student in the University of Auckland, even for only four weeks, I was faced with the challenges of living in a city twenty hours away from home by plane. However, Auckland--and New Zealand in general--is one of the safest places I've visited. As a country, it is astoundingly beautiful and welcoming to the traveler. The terrain differs distinctly from north to south, east to west, and there is always more to explore.

As for the program itself, the goals and perspectives of the staff made for a friendly learning environment, which is unique especially within filmmaking. We were encouraged to make mistakes and learn from them, truly "learning by doing," because the goals of the staff were to see us improve, and they believed in us enough to mentor us. I worked as one of two directors in our film groups, and I quickly learned the value of collaboration. Every job within a film or television show exists for a reason, and learning to work with people I had never met before--even as they were figuring out their roles--was a challenging and rewarding experience. By the end of the course each of the two groups had produced two scenes written by our convener John Callen, one scene written by the group, and one full short film created, produced, and edited by the two groups in tandem. However, I think one of the most incredible outcomes of the course was seeing how much we improved in four weeks, going from a clustered group of individuals from all around the world, to a fully-functioning team of filmmakers.

In addition, we had the opportunity to take a few field trips. As a Lord of the Rings fan, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Hobbiton. Wellington satisfied not only my fandom but a lot of my questions about the production and post production process as we visited Park Road Post Production, Weta Workshop, and Roxy Theater. Our impromptu visit to Shortland Street at the end of the course was an absolute treat in watching professionals do on a much larger and faster scale what we were trying to achieve at the university. We also had the opportunity to hear from and converse with Damon Andrews and Rachel Jean, both professionals within the New Zealand television industry, whose insights were extremely helpful. Most of all, we had the opportunity to learn from a professional throughout the four weeks of the course. John Callen is filled with filmmaking knowledge, and he thoroughly believes in the students he teaches. One of my favorite memories is riding the bus up to Hobbiton and sitting next to John, discussing everything from his experiences on The Hobbit trilogy to filmmaking tips to our families.

I would highly recommend this program for filmmakers, creatives, and general students alike. The collaborative lessons, as well as the empowerment gained in travel, has a value that can be applied to any job or field of study. My biggest advice to future participants: seek to learn, not to impress. Ask questions and seek out feedback, even though you will receive plenty during the course. Filmmaking truly teaches a person how to stay calm enough to fix problems and move on quickly, and it is helpful if you stay open enough to mistakes from the beginning. Develop relationships with the other students and staff members--I know I have made some life-long connections during this course, not just for making films but also as friends and mentors.

I would also recommend making real attempts to travel around the country on the few days that you may have off. New Zealand is just as picturesque as... well, the pictures, and I learned valuable lessons in traveling on days off just as much as I did in class. It also allowed me to clear my head in between script meetings, schedule meetings, rehearsals, location filming, studio filming and editing, which I think circled back to help in keeping perspective during those meetings, filming and editing sessions.

Overall, I had an unforgettable and enriching experience while in New Zealand doing Screen Tools, and I hope that my return will not be too far in the future.