My Profile

My name is Marzena and I study Postproduction Technologies on a TV Production course at Middlesex University. It is my second year of studying. At this stage of learning I have the opportunity to decide which subjects I will be studying this year. I could choose from: documentary, drama, client led video, entertainment, postproduction, or camera, light and sound. I chose: drama, client led video and postproduction. I chose those three modules because I think they complement each other. They are also related to my interests and what I hope to be doing in my future career.

 I think I can learn a lot from those modules. The drama module interests me particularly as I wanted to develop my screenwriting. I have found those lectures informative. Those lectures raised my confidence in my script writing abilities. My self-belief was raised and I began to trust myself. It was important because I suffer from a lack of confidence.  During my practical exercises I’ve been told that I am an empathic person. This I feel enables me to imagine the complexity of emotions of my characters. It allows me to build a multi-layered story around characters in my scripts.

I am good and patient observer and I like to experience new situations. I enjoy meeting new people, I engage in conversation quickly and I am good at communicating. I also like to work with actors (in a scripted environment). That's the reason why I chose the drama module.

I Chose Middlesex University as it offered the course that would provide the training to become a production assistant. I like to work according to plan and to be in control. At the same time I am creative, and I do like to try different routes and I like to work independently. I’ve chose the client led module because I feel I still need to progress in working with clients whose vision might be more practical than my artistic approach.

To complete those two modules I chose postproduction. This I felt was the biggest challenge as I didn’t know much about editing software. I only knew the basics, such as how to assemble footage to the timeline. Not knowing much about colour grading and volume levels.

Not even enjoying it that much, I’ve decided it will be good for me to overcome my dislikes and spend more time in the editing suite.  When I researched the module I was told it is empowering editing your own projects. And I’ve also been told that the lectures are very interesting and inspiring.

                                                                                                 

After the first lecture I was pleasantly surprised. The Postproduction module turned out to be something more than only editing footage. It was the whole experience of creating a picture, moving emotions, “magic of discovering of something new, something that wasn’t intended, that works for the movie” as Michael Tronick, the editor, says in the movie ”The cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing”. This lecture inspired me to think not only about what does it mean to be an editor but also what does it mean to be the best editor.

Following the lectures I research some books. I’ve found a book by Bobbie O’Steen – who is a writer married to a Hollywood editor, Sam O’Steen. She explains what does it mean to be an editor from her point of view and her own experience. In this book I’ve found the quote:"What does a film editor really do? He decides what you see on the screen and for how long you see it... He will create an impact on the scene and even the entire movie. " Bobbie O'steen “The invisible cut”. This quote change my way of seeing the editor’s role.