Creativity Works: Content Production Week#2 round-up

Our whirlwind second week of Creativity Works: Content Production saw a host of exciting industry talks and workshops as the group began settling into a routine. After ruminating with Swim Dem’s brief for a week, we witnessed sparks fly as we shared our ideas with one another, as well as our mentors Chantal and Rosie.

Monday

We began the week with a self-study day, at the end of which we shared our treatments with Rosie and Chantal. I could see the seeds of creativity sprout as we all took our unique perspectives to interpreting the brief. This moment of sharing held a lot of potential to learn from one another. We began that process on Tuesday!

Tuesday

At the Good Growth Hub, we had a full day of workshops with our mentors. Primarily focused on editing in Premiere Pro, we began with familiarising ourselves with cinematography and shoot prep. Here, we learned about different shot types, aspect ratios, lighting, and more.

At the end of this session, Rosie and Chantal gave us a few minutes to shoot a five-second video that shows something about ourselves. Though it was a rainy day, many of us chose to shoot near the canal. All afternoon, we edited our videos and shared them with one another. For some, it was their first time using Premiere Pro, while others had familiarity and tips to share around. We had so much fun!

Wednesday

On Wednesday morning, we attended an industry talk with Nnena Nwakodo & Hector Dockrill about crafting original treatments. At this conceptual level, Nnena gave the advice of ‘substance over style’ – a tip I will carry with me for a long time! In the afternoon, we were joined by Rosie Woods from Uncommon, who gave the lowdown on call sheets, crews & budgets. Seeing Rosie’s budget gave me an insight into the industry I had not yet seen.

Thursday

We each met with Chantal or Rosie for about thirty minutes on Thursday, where we discussed our planned treatment, shot lists, and shoot schedule. This was all in preparation for our upcoming shoot days, which we will schedule on our own during self-study days. For me, it was super helpful to be in conversation with Chantal and Rosie about our conceptual ideas for the brief. Their questions pushed my thoughts in a direction that felt actionable as I begin filming.

Friday

Friday was primarily a self-study day. At midday, however, we had an encouraging session with Ayumi Konno, who motivated us to embrace a growth mindset. Ayumi steered us toward reframing our understanding of failure as well as seeing creativity as dynamic and changing.

As we begin filming next week, I know that we’ll already be applying all the valuable information and resources we’ve gathered through industry talks in the past two weeks. I’m personally really looking forward to seeing everyone’s edits!