Week No. 2! - Posted on 2015-11-16 by Nicholas Laughlin

I've had two sessions with my mentor and it's been a thrill ride for me ever since I began. I have no photos to share, but I have too much in my head to put in words. It's slow season here in Dayton, OH, but that means it's time to write and learn! We'll be starting a writers group between Shaunn (my mentor) and his other Film Connection student very soon. Before I get to that, I'll talk about my new experience!

This past week, I witnessed my first auditioning process! It was for a real estate commercial and with local actors. I observed my mentor as he fed the actors direction, and change direction between each take that the actors performed. It was a joyful experience to witness the set up with the lights, and proceed to watch the actors perform. I learned quite a bit about what the intentions of an untrained actor are, after watching them try to impress Shaunn. I know now that local actors without any training try to show their range of talent without following the direction fed by the auditioner. It can get somewhat grueling to watch. But all in all, my first experience in the studio was a success!

That being said, there isn't a lot of work in the Dayton area as winter rolls around - So now we focus on reading the crucial material pertaining to both filmmaking and writing. On top of that, we'll begin our writers group which discusses our scripts and ideas. Having our ideas out in the open can provide ample critique and recognition for our screenplays. Also, as we write our scripts, we'll bring in actors to do scene read-throughs to hear what our dialogue sounds like coming from an actual person. Very excited!

I've watched my 12 movies, and there are a select few that stand out to me. Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' was such an intense viewing. I cannot believe I'd never seen it before the last week or so. From watching it, I got a deeper understanding of how Stanley Kubrick changed the essential movie form. The film still had the bare-bone basic concepts of the structure, but it was ultimately a unique structure of its own. I'd never seen a film structured that way before, and it was truely the ultimate Stanley Kubrick experience. I even discussed Kubrick and his work with my mentor. How his formula was unique in almost every fashion. He may not be the prime example to learn from when structuring a script, but he is the perfect example of a filmmaker who bends all the rules.