The first week of school is done and I have only one thing to say. I am SO GLAD to be back. Actually, I have only one OTHER thing to say: HOLY CRAP, this is going to be a challenging year. After spending my Labour Day weekend labouring over 4 screenplays, learning a monologue (and reading its screenplay) and writing a river story, I’ve determined that this type of work is NOT for the faint of heart. Or the lazy of heart, either. I won’t lie, it gets a little painful 3/4 of the way through, but when all is said and done, I am ecstatic to be doing the work. I spent my entire summer indoors, remember? I’ve been aching for this type of stimulation since July.

I have to say, I’m kind of falling in love (in a purely Platonic way, of course) with the process of gathering absolutes. It can be daunting and sometimes really confusing (ME: Wait, is this relationship-related or moment before?! And what is this, a montage? HOW DO YOU EVEN GET GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES FROM A MONTAGE?!! *rips out hair, runs away screaming*). But when all said and done, I feel closer to the work, knowledgeable and… inspired. My favourite part is recording my initial reactions during the first reading. It’s really interesting to discover and acknowledge the things that make you laugh out loud or make you cringe.

For example, I found an intimate scene in the script I was reading to be REALLY cheesy. I had to ask myself why I had an issue with it, and what my own experiences were like with the events in the scene. I would later come to realize that the way that particular scene was described/played out was integral to the development of a particular character-to-character relationship; in fact, it directly affected the integrity of a real turning point in the script. I now, of course, look at the scene very differently, and I have the added benefit of being conscious to certain ideals/opinions that I never really knew I had. If I’ve learned anything during this process it is to NOT JUDGE a work or a character or an idea. I’ve also learned that script analysis is as much about understanding yourself and how you perceive things, as it is about gathering the facts.

And this is only after week one. Hello, Film and Television year!