Interview FILM and TV

"Hope is NOT a Strategy"
- Donald Trump

"A Strategy is meeting your Opponent on YOUR ground of choosing"
- Napoleon Bonaparte

"A PLAN is a Dream with a Deadline"
- Steven Covley

These quotes made me decide that I will plan my Interview with the Film & TV department next Wednesday carefully, in order to increase my rate of success. Please follow me whilst going through the advise provided to me by this department:

• Interview
  
  
  
  • Be selective
    
    
    
    • PERSPECTIVE
      
      
      
      • Remember, no matter what you've heard or read, your work doesn't stand alone. When they review your portfolio, the memory of your films and photographs will be only part of what you leave behind. Just as packaging plays an increasingly important role in product marketing, you are as integral to your presentation as your images.
        
      
      
    • PREPARATION
      
      
      
      • Before contacting the department, find out what type of art they show. Look at the work of the artists they represent and make sure that your films and photographs will fit into the department's profile and positioning.
        
      • Inquire about the department's current reviewing procedures and comply with the review methods requested. The best way to do this is to ask the department. Methods of review vary. It is important to follow the department's review procedure, especially on your first review. Request a special review only as a last resort, only if you are absolutely unable to comply with the standard review process.
        
      • Find out the name and position of the person reviewing artists' portfolios and write down his or her name with correct spelling. [Noé Mendelle, Programme Leader] This is important for future visits and correspondence with the department. If you expect the reviewers to remember who you are, have the same courtesy and remember them.

Noé Mendelle (in full Noémie)	Head of Film & TV, Reader in Visual Communication, Director Scottish Documentary Institute
Research Interests	I am particularly interested in aspects of narrative and new directions within the documentary format. Particular research themes include women, migration and stories of transgression. Since the 1980s I have produced and directed over 30 films, mainly for British and French television, widely distributed at international festivals and award winners. I also develop documentary networks across countries and continents: "Bridging the Gap" (Scotland); "Constructing Reality" (Europe); "Africadoc" (Portuguese and French speaking African countries).
Outputs:	"Solange...Com Saudades" "Fellini, I"m a born liar" "Eastern Fling" "Turkish Delight"
Contact Details	edinburgh college of art Art & Design 79 Grassmarket Edinburgh EH1 2HU
CV (PDF)	Not available
Campus Location (PDF)	Not available
In addition	The Rest is Silence, Executive Producer: Noé Mendelle, Director: Andrew Henderson [Edinburgh International Film Festival, Industry Screening 2005] Synopsis: The Rest is Silence follows the journey of an anonymous, unclaimed body through its progress from discovery to cremation. The film's focus is not on the body, but on those who guide it through the necessary procedures and the rituals leading to its interment. The progression to a silent state of the person who is now a corpse and for whom all this work is carried out, is the core of the film. Without sensationalising, the film documents events through a series of significant moments that are revealing and poignant. Format: Digital Duration: 10 minutes Budget: GBP 16,000
About eca Film & TV	BA (Hons) courses in film/TV and animation. Postgraduate diploma/masters degree courses available. Studio and post production facilities available July to October including unique views of Edinburgh Castle as a backdrop.
Other Schools	Edinburgh's Telford College Napier University Stevenson College University of Edinburgh

• Prepare your portfolio appropriately
  
  
  
  • Selection of best visual work
    
    
    
    • which you feel represents
      
      
      
      • your personality
        
      • and creative abilities
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  
  
• EDITING YOUR ARTWORK
  
  
  
  • Your portfolio must be well-edited, and you may not be the best judge of your own work. Since it is often difficult to be objective about your own films and photographs, you might have someone you respect view and critique your portfolio prior to showing it to the department. [Ask Daniel] This will ensure that the work you show is your strongest work.
    
  • Limit the number of films and photographs you are showing to no more than twenty prints. You might even consider as few as ten prints. The main objective of your first visit is just to introduce your work to the department. Make the experience of looking at your work as pleasant and positive as possible so that you can come back.
    
  • Present only one thematically unified or otherwise cohesive body of work. If you have more than one body of work to show, show your strongest work first and trust that your success will allow you to present your work again.
    
  
  
• PORTFOLIO DESIGN
  
  
  
  • Your films and photographs must be presented in a professional manner. Choose only finished prints for your portfolio. Never show work prints or unspotted prints. Always show your best work. Plan your portfolio carefully. A good portfolio should have continuity and provide viewers with a clear idea as to what your vision is. It should be organized by subjects or different (photographic) styles. Horizontal and vertical images, as well as different size prints should be organized and grouped separately. Black and white images and color images should also be grouped separately for easier viewing.
    
  • Your work should be presented in an appropriate portfolio case or shipping case. If you are presenting your work to the department, it is best to use a case specifically designed for fine art film or photography.
    
  • Your window overmats should be well cut, with clean straight lines, and look as good as possible.
    
  
  
  

• If you have any short films,
  
  
  
  • ideas for films
    
    
    
    • or short scripts
      
      
      
      • bring a copy
        
      • and be prepared to talk about it.
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  
  
• INTRODUCTION AND PRESENTATION
  
  
  
  • Start off on a positive note, make a complimentary comment about the department or the artworks on display. Thank the reviewer for taking the time to look at your work. Briefly introduce yourself and your movie or photographic history. Keep it short, because your work is more important at this stage.
    
  • Assume that the person looking at your work is a professional. Don't insist on white gloves or make a fuss about the handling of your work. If you are overly concerned, handle the work for the reviewer. Always keep in mind that you want to make it as easy as possible for the reviewer, so that you will be welcomed back again.
    
  • Don't interfere with normal business that might be going on during the portfolio review. Never interrupt a sales effort or impede a possible sale. Before you begin your presentation, let the reviewer know that you understand the importance of normal business, and that you will not mind an interruption if something comes up.
    
  • Listen carefully and don't hesitate to take notes if necessary. Try to identify the reviewers favorite films or photographs. You might want to show them again on another visit.
    
  • Keep your questions to a minimum. Try to eliminate negative responses from the reviewer, and always avoid questions that can be answered with a "no." Your main purpose in showing your portfolio is to have the department become familiar with your work.
    
  • If you have arranged for a thirty-minute appointment, time your presentation so that you will be ready to walk out the door in thirty minutes or less. Stretching your appointment, unless the reviewer requests it, will do you more harm than good.
    
  • Be on time for your appointment. Timing is one very important for a successful portfolio review.
    
  
  
• COMMON SENSE
  
  
  
  • Be friendly, positive, polite, and courteous. Avoid being rude or inconsiderate. Keep in mind that you are asking a decision maker to help you. Through your words and actions, indicate that you place great value on that person's time and opinions. Are you making his or her job easier or more difficult? Have you visited the department before? Do you know anything about current programs, new directions, or the history of the department? [Research !!!: Brochures, CV, Film Productions, etc] You should learn as much as possible about the department before your review. Show them that you know and care about what they are doing. Remember that when asking a department to work with you, you are asking it to care about you, and invest time in you. You are also asking it to be your business partner.
    
  • To become a successful professional artist takes more than good artwork. To succeed, you must understand the business of art, create a good portfolio, and master your portfolio presentation. You can and will become a successful visual artist if you have good timing, some luck, and the desire to become successful.