My first week at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute has been a great
experience. On my first day I met my classmates who all share the same
passion and interest in film as I do. Though equally zealous, each
student has a unique vision of their film careers. After introductions,
the first lecture was the discussion of the basics of direction and
production. Patrick explained the 180, positive and negative space, wide
shots to close ups, and various other fundamentals. I enjoyed the class
because it gave me a new technical perspective while watching feature
films.
In our second day, which consisted of camera work, we learned how
to operate a video camera. We learned how to focus, zoom, and various
other lighting effects and adjustments. In the afternoon, we became
accustomed to handling the camera and we experimented with camera
settings. It was great to test the camera outside, and to find the
correct lighting adjustments and different angles with respect to the sun.

Wednesday was screenwriting. Alan introduced himself and described his
career as a screenwriter. He taught us how to properly format a script.
Reading a scene for the first time on paper made me enthused to begin my
own script. Next week, I’ll be able to pitch my ideas for a scene. I
think this might be the hardest area for me.

Thursday’s editing course was really cool because we got the chance to get acquainted with Final Cut
Pro. It was my first time using any editing software, and I learned how
to log and capture footage from the camera. I’m really exciting for the
next class where we’ll learn how to compile logged footage into a scene.

On Friday, I was sick and had to miss the acting session. I have really
enjoyed myself in the first week of class. I’ve gotten to meet people who
share my same passion and I’ve learned a great deal every day. I’m
excited to learn more skills and techniques and to shoot my own scene. It
has been one of my best learning experiences.