VFS Progress Report #1: The First 10 Days

A bit tired.  Five A.M., can't sleep, so figured it was a good time to write. Bob`s outside going through the garbage again.  (At least I think it's Bob.  It probably isn't.  I'll just use Bob from here on as an umbrella pseudonym for whoever's out there at any given time.)

The first two full weeks of class end today.  Went something like this:

Monday, Aug. 22 - Orientation

Thursday, Aug. 25 - Admissions advisor Bronwyn Smith takes Mel and I on a guided tour through VFS's  underground film studios. It's great to see where a lot of the interior shoots take place.  We find each room in alternating states of fully-assembled and nearly-torn-down.  A bird or raccoon hustles across ceiling beams, shooing us out.  We oblige.

Friday, Aug. 26 - We meet a handful of fellow writing students for drinks at the Cambie Pub, a block away from the school.  As usual, it's fun and a little nerve-wracking.  I introduce Mel and myself to Lynn, Ivan, Rachel, Thomas, Kate, Hannah and several others whose names my brain couldn't share space for beer with.  We talk about where we came from, what we`re here for, our favourite movies and TV shows.  It`s a lot of fun.  I feel genuine camaraderie with a group of people I'm meeting for the first time.

Day 1 - IT Orientation.  We learn how to use the school computers and printers, how to access our email and homework assignments, and how to properly break the rules re: eating and drinking in the computer room.  This is followed by Global Day, where we meet previous writing students and current teachers, and learn how to effectively analyze movie plots while planning that evening's drinking schedule.


Day 2 - Copyright lecture. Taught by Ken Ashdown, former VP @ Polygram Group Canada.  Thanks to Ken, more interesting than it should have been and more important than we realized.  Learned a ton in a short time.  Hope I get a chance to nerd out a bit more on this stuff.  (Bonus feature: Ken is the head of the school's Entertainment Business Management program (whose students function as, among other things, producers for student films), so I passed on a CD of my original film score music for his review.  A little personal product placement, in case students were looking for a soundscape or two.  I later passed a copy on to Rodger Cove as well, who in turn passed it on to Wade Fennig.  More to follow!)

Other classes in Term 1:

• Story - 
• Character
• Dialogue
• Style
• Script Format
• Script Structure
• Short Script
• Pitch

She`s a full plate, me hearties!

So far, we've analysed and/or watched snipets of Some Like it Hot, The Verdict, His Girl Friday, About a Boy, The Maltese Falcon, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Gladiator, Braveheart, 500 Days of Summer and Legally Blonde, to name a very few.

In the next few weeks, we'll "have" to study or watch Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Sideways, Napoleon Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project, Juno, Seven, Unforgiven, The Graduate, Good Will Hunting, Clerks, It's a Wonderful Life, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.  That's just term 1.  Oh, the torture.

By October, we'll each be asked to produce outlines for two low-budget feature scripts, an outline for one short script, and pitches for all.  At this stage, keeping all my classes, readings and assignments organized without losing hair is my main objective.  I may be a big geek, but it's been ten years since I last graced a lecture hall.  And here, I'm somehow the "old guy".  Sigh.

Meanwhile, Mel finally got a job.  Executive assistant for Victoria Gold, literally a five-minute walk from our front door and fifteen from VFS.  She was one of two finalists, then took the prize because she's awesome!  (And big sigh of relief!)

Then Ricky came to visit last week and helped us relieve that other anxiety - being so far from the kids.  (Only thing missing, obviously, were Jenni and James, but we'll get them out here before too long!)  Had a great time strolling Robson, visiting Stanley Park and Granville Island, seeing Captain America, going for  swims in the basement.  Was sad to watch him go back home, but so great to have him here.

Ivan the Terrible

And now I'm tired, so I'm going back to bed for one last hour of sleep before getting up to to study the finer points of dialogue, which consists for me right now of grunts at a cat more coherent than I.  Meow.