A Screen Media Capstone Project by Florabella Films
EVERYTHING KEPT
Reflection
My name is Billy Moar and I worked with my group “Florabella Films” to produce a short film titled Everything Kept. This psychological drama was the culmination of not just a year of Capstone classes, but the entire Screen Media course, one that has been a primary focus of my life for the last 3 years.
1st Semester - Development
I had a range of roles within our project over the course of this year, being a key part of my group throughout pre-production, production and post-production. Coming into semester, the only role I was certain I wanted to be was the Director of Photography. Throughout my time in this course, on top of various experiences outside of university, I have developed a talent and love for camera work and visual storytelling. I figured this subject would be a great opportunity to utilise and showcase all that I’ve learned so far in my young career. Additionally, I was the Co-Producer, along with Sevan Dermelkonian, worked as a camera operator on set, and contributed heavily to the creative process in both the writing and editing stages of production.
Capstone was a bit of a change of scenery for me. I had developed throughout the course so far mostly with the same group, however due to a multitude of reasons, I decided to work with a crew that I had less experience with. This was primarily due to the personal connection I had forged with Sevan, Stacey, Levi, Ruu and Dean in prior years of classes. Having a background of familiarity with Sevan and Levi was especially beneficial, as through our Indonesia Study Tour, we had spent over 4 weeks working together filming two documentaries, which gave me the confidence to not only trust this group, but also to feel confident and comfortable in expressing myself.
The development of this project took many forms, as we bounced between many ideas, genres and styles. I knew early on that this wasn’t going to be my primary creative vision, but that I could help serve as a backbone and guiding voice for every step along the way. Levi quickly took on the role as Director and Lead Writer, with myself and Ruu helping co-write whilst sticking to Levi’s main vision. Instantly I recognised the chemistry and passion that we had as a group, whilst also noticing our biggest flaw was our communication when we weren’t able to be in the same room. That’s when I realised my immediate value would come as a producer, using my experience and temperament to ensure everyone was on the same page, actively communicating as much as possible. At the same time, as Levi came closer to finalising the script, I began working with Stacey on the visual style of the project. At this point I had the opportunity to contribute in both my primary roles, as when the first semester was wrapping up, we lined up multiple test shoots and table reads to get a better understanding of the project and boost team morale heading into production. This gave me a lot of confidence in how production would go, showcasing everyone’s ability to focus, collaborate and compromise as we worked together for the first time.
2nd Semester - Production
Coming into the second semester, we were a bit behind schedule. Due to a number of external factors, the script was taking longer than anticipated to finish, which led to the underdevelopment of several key components such as shotlists and storyboards. If I had to choose the lowest point of our year, it would probably be this part, as the communication across the group wasn’t what it could have been. Sevan and I worked hard at this time to keep everyone in the loop and keep the energy high. I also helped Levi in many writing sessions, doing my best to contribute to their vision as they unravelled a complex web of ideas, concepts and characters that they had been brainstorming throughout the year.
Eventually Levi was able to finish the script and finalise a version we were all happy with, leading to production - the part of the process I had the most confidence in. I know what myself and my team was capable of in this regard, however, leading up to the shoot, circumstances were less than ideal. Unfortunately, I fell incredibly ill with a fever several days before the shoot, leaving me in an awful state on set in which I had to focus on staying awake and standing up on top of helping lead the set and achieve our creative vision. This was incredibly challenging for me, though I have to thank my team for being massively supportive as I pushed through, as I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.
The initial 2 days on set went very well, all things considered. I primarily worked with Levi and Stacey throughout the shoots, and I can’t speak enough to their professionalism and commitment to the team. Levi did an excellent job in commanding the set and having a clear, concise vision. It was a great experience watching them come into their own as a leader, and after a whole year of development, it was very special to see the story come to life in such a fantastic way. Stacey worked with me in the camera department, helping as a camera operator and gaffer, and was crucial on set. Her reliability, willingness to help out in whatever way possible, and technical expertise with the equipment made my life so much easier, and allowed me to have the space to think and strategise whilst being in such a compromised state. Working with these 2 in particular was a great experience, but the rest of the crew was absolutely brilliant as well. Sevan, whilst also battling sickness, was reliable, effective and helped provide a calming presence on set. I’ve worked with him so many times I don’t even need to know where he is to know he’s doing a good job. Dean and Ruu were on the go the entirety of the two days. Bouncing around from job to job, they did whatever was required, whether it be continuity, production design, costume design, helping with lights or blocking, they helped out in every way they could.
This led to editing, which was fairly stressful, but still a relatively smooth process. The delayed timeline along with one day of reshooting meant we didn’t finish the picture lock until the week of the due date, but we came together as a group and found great pride in what we had produced once it was completed. At this time, our composer sent in his final works, and I spent a lot of time with Ruu helping her work on the edit, providing my perspective on various parts of the cut and finally finishing it off with colour grading. I think she did a fantastic job with the edit. Additionally, the extra day of shooting provided us with a plethora of promotional material that I helped capture with Levi and Sevan.
Final Reflections
It feels surreal to say this process is done now, but I can’t help but be proud of everyone involved. Above all it was such a great opportunity for growth and learning, not just in technical experience, but with leadership, organisation and relationships.
If I had to critique the final outcome, I would say the delayed timeline rushed various creative elements that could have been fleshed out more, whether it be the script or the shotlist. I take personal responsibility for my part in this, as I was occupied managing a hectic flurry of university shoots, such as the Visual Music Energies event at the Opera House, that took away my time in the weeks before the shoot. This, along with an unfortunately timed sickness led to a fair bit of improvising on the day, though I don’t think it affected the quality of our project dramatically.
Overall, individually and collectively I am incredibly proud of what was accomplished. Being so close to the creative core whilst not being the driver gave me a great understanding of a different form of leadership. I put a lot of effort into my relationships with every core member in our group, and I really took pride in being reliable and a strong backbone. I was proud of the cinematography, I think the film looks great and has a distinct visual style that follows Levi’s vision. I had my faults, mostly in time management, and keeping up to date navigating an overwhelming workload, but I can safely say I did the best I could.
I learnt a lot about resilience, and the importance of having a genuinely good group of people around you. I’ve discovered that this industry is all about problem solving, it's not about if it goes wrong, but rather when, and what you do when that happens. But this is a team sport, and when shit hits the fan, I know that I want to have this group around me, as I know whatever happens, we will always pull through.
This process has been incredibly exciting, challenging, euphoric, horrific, and satisfying all at once. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, and even more eager to see where we will all go from here.
