COURSE: W620 FILM BA

Film: Drama, Documentary, History, Theory.

APPLICANT’S NAME:

REFERENCE NUMBER / STUDENT ID:

Please complete the following questionnaire by typing your answers below, in the space provided (do not
use extra pages). The questions are designed to find out more about your interests and there are no
correct answers. Do not enclose practical work – your list should indicate what you will bring to interview,

1. Which films and television programmes have inspired your interest in the subject?
1.a Title: Stand by Me

Why?
The thing that I love the most about ‘Stand by Me’ is how Rob Reiner captures the nostalgia of childhood friendship. This film inspired my
interest in character driven films and made me to want to tell stories about people’s lives and the relationships they have. I really liked that a
narrator was used to tell the story; this made it feel as though he was directly talking to the audience which enhanced my personal connection
with the characters. I was inspired to use this approach in a short film I made, which involved an award winner narrating his story. I also
enjoyed the use of flashbacks as I felt they gave depth to the characters and introduced me to an alternative form of storytelling. Overall,
‘Stand by Me’ has had a significant influence in the way I use characters to create emotional impact in the films I make.

1.b Title: Baby Driver

Why?
What stands out for me about ‘Baby Driver’ is the dedication that was taken to fulfil the vision of Edgar Wright. In particular, how editors
Paul Machliss and Jonathon Amos planned the edits before they even filmed. This is a very different approach to film-making and I admire
how they edited whilst on set to ensure they achieved the perfect shots. More generally, I love how the music is used alongside the edit. The
editors cut to the beat to enhance the audience’s experience as it makes the film punchier and more gripping. This has inspired my interest in
being more experimental in my editing and use of music in my films. I have used this in practice when making a documentary. I edited my
opening montage, cutting to the beat of a fast track to engage the audience from the beginning. Overall, ‘Baby Driver’ has developed my
interest in filmmaking as it has inspired me to use more creative techniques for enhancing a film’s impact.

2. Are there any film or television producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, etc,
whose work you particularly admire?

2.a Name: Francis Ford Coppola

Why? I became interested in Francis Ford Coppola after watching his adaptation of ‘The Outsiders’. I was particularly moved by the
character dynamics and relationships, how he grasped the dysfunctionality of the family, and how he interpreted the emotions from the
novel. I admire Coppola’s off-screen trust in the crew and actors, creatively giving no limits to their performances. As a director he
doesn’t enforce what they must do; he is open to suggestions and there to guide his team. Likewise, he has strong relationships with his
editors, such as Walter Murch who he has worked with on films such as ‘Apocalypse Now’, which in my opinion was a contributing
factor to the success of this film. Additionally, I love the passion Coppola possesses; when he believes in an idea, he will go forward with
it even if that means going against investors and sacrificing the success of the film. For example, hiring Al Pacino as the young son in
‘The Godfather’. To summarise, I admire Coppola because of the relationships he has off screen and those he creates on screen.
2.b Name: Guillermo del Toro

Why?
I was introduced to the work of Guillermo del Toro when studying for my GCSE in film studies. ‘The Devils Backbone’ was the first del
Toro film I watched and I was taken by his visual storytelling, creativity and symbolic interpretation of social and political issues. For
example, using characters to represent different sides of the Spanish Civil War. My admiration grew for del Toro when I began watching
more of his films (outside of my GCSE). I love the nuances within his films for example the use of colour grading to reinforce narrative
themes and his interpretation of monsters being misunderstood creatures. His works have no creative limitations and are completely the films
he wants to make. Additionally, I love the depth to del Toro’s storylines; they go way beyond the surface of what’s being presented to deliver
strong messages about society and who we are as people within it.
3. Which books about film or television have had an influence on you, and why?

3.a Title: Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

Why?
When I first started to make films, I knew virtually nothing about the film making process and I bought ‘Making Movies’ to improve my
knowledge of what was involved. This book is like talking to an experienced friend as Sidney Lumet shares his real-life experiences of
working in the industry. Although his experiences are from the non-digital era of filmmaking, it nevertheless provided me with valuable
advice on how to plan, shoot and edit films. A key insight that has influenced my filmmaking is his notion that directors need to be
committed enough so that their intention is clear. I applied this in my own work with a short film about being kind to others; the message of
the film could have been lost if I hadn’t ensured that my topic research; production planning, shooting and editing aligned with my original
vision. It comes across that despite frustrations in the film-making process, Lumet loved making films and this has influenced me as it has
made me realise that although there will be some lows in film-making, the highs will make it all worthwhile.

3.b Title: In the Blink of an Eye

Why?
As part of my diploma in Creative Media Production I was given the opportunity to specialise in editing, and Walter Murch’s ‘In the Blink
of an Eye’ has been an invaluable tool to support this. It taught me that editing is the core of the film, with the power to change the narrative,
emotions, and relationship dynamics. Although there are lots of insights he shares in his book, the one that stands out for me is ‘The Rule of
Six’. This is because it explains the most important elements to consider when editing; for example, emotion and story progression. I applied
this notion in a short film I made about schizophrenia. I edited the footage to bring together a series of reaction shots in order to convey the
emotions I wanted the audience to feel whilst at the same time, progressing the story. The book also reinforced what I’d learned from Francis
Ford Coppola, that for a film to be successful, the editor needs to work collaboratively with the Director. This is something I have started to
put into practice when working on group projects and will continue to do so in the future.

4. On the practical side of the course, by the time students reach the 2nd year, we encourage
specialisation in one or more of the following:

(a) Screenwriting; (b) Producing;

(c) Cinematography; (d) Directing;

(e) Editing; (f) Production Design

(g) Sound (h) Other (please specify)

Which are you likely to choose (in order of preference)?

1st: Directing 2nd: Editing 3rd: Screenwriting

5. Half of the course is devoted to the critical and theoretical study of film and television. In no
more than 300 words:

EITHER

5. a) With reference either to the short drama ‘A Human Vice’ or the short documentary ‘Chequered
Flags of Our Fathers’, discuss the creative and practical choices made by the filmmakers; how
successful or unsuccessful are these choices in creating and conveying meaning?

‘A Human Vice’ is available at https://vimeo.com/145126864 , password: harrow

‘Chequered Flags’ is available at http://vimeo.com/16936744 , password: harrow

OR
(only if you can’t access these films online)

5. b) Defend television as an art form.

‘A Human Vice’ engages the audience from the outset as the narrative is structured to bring us straight into the action
with a shooting scene. Visual story-telling is a successful creative choice at this point as it focuses the audience’s
attention.

The film is also successful in differentiating between Heaven and Earth. Heaven is portrayed as a hard, business-
focused environment using an industrial location with robotic, emotionless characters as well as unsaturated blue-toned
colour grading. Earth on the other hand is portrayed as a more welcoming environment using natural locations; more
emotional characters and warmer, brighter colour grading. This is an interesting creative choice as it is counter intuitive
to what you imagine of Heaven and Earth and is successful at challenging the audience’s views on them. Practically,
this also worked because it enabled the audience to see clearly who was from heaven and who was from earth, meaning
we could more easily follow the storyline. This was reinforced by the mise en scene e.g. make-up and costume. An
effective practical choice was the red arm band on those from Heaven as it implied a militant society. Having such a
stark contrast between Heaven and Earth also helps to convey that Alan is a bit of a misfit in Heaven as he takes on
some of the characteristics of the humans e.g. more dishevelled appearance.

Less successful is the scene were Alan shoots Edgar and Danielle (15:31) as there was not enough tension to create
meaning from the hit of the arrow. Creatively the scene could have had longer duration shots; an intense sound score
and camera angles that reinforced the emotions of the characters to make it better.

The creative choice of how Heaven and Earth were depicted was successful in showing that love cannot be a numbers
game.
 6. Have you been involved in making films, videos, writing scripts, treatments, short stories, etc? Do you have a portfolio of your
photography or art? Please list them in the table below, indicating whether you will be able to bring the work to an interview.

Date Running Viewing Brief Description Your Exact Will this be included
Made Time Title Format (you may include a link, but your work is Contribution in your interview
(If applicable) unlikely to be viewed until your interview) portfolio?

7. Have you previously applied to this course? YES / NO

If yes, when did you apply, and how have you strengthened your application?

** Please note**: If you are invited for interview, you will need to bring a portfolio of your work for your interviewer to see. Be selective, as
tutors look for quality, not quantity. Please bear in mind that we often find that applicants’ personal work to be as (or more) interesting
than their ‘A’ level coursework. Guidelines to help you prepare your portfolio will be sent with the email inviting you for interview.