Annual Report. Yangon Film School. Non-profit Association for the Promotion of Young Burmese Film and Video Artists

Transcription

1 Annual Reprt 2011 Yangn Film Schl Nn-prfit Assciatin fr the Prmtin f Yung Burmese Film and Vide Artists

2 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Cntents Page I Summary f Activities in Prject Plan 8 2. Fundraising 10 (i) Cmments 10 (ii) Schl building Schedule, Methdlgy, Tutrs Permits, Participants and Implementatin 11 (i) Wrkshp Venue and YFS Huse Training f Trainers 13 (i) Cmments YFS Management - The Recruitment Prcess Legal Status Secured 14 II The 2011 Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Beginners Wrkshp Ratinale fr the Wrkshp 15 (i) Participants an ethnic mix 16 (ii) Cmments Week One - Initial Training 17 (i) Cmments Weeks Tw and Three 19 (i) Cmments 19 (ii) Cmpletin f Films 21 (iii) Guest Lecture 21 (iv) Benefits fr the Students 21 III Editing Mentrship f Beginners Films Aims and Methdlgy Weeks One and Tw Week Three - Fine Cut, Pst-Prductin and Screening f Final Films Observatins and Recmmendatins 26 IV High Definitin Camera Wrkshp Aims Participants Cntent and Methdlgy Results 28 (i) Recmmendatins 28 V Ways f Seeing: Film Histry and Film Language Aims Methdlgy Cntent Results 30 (i) Recmmendatins 30 VI Intrductin t Editing Dcumentary Aims Participants Curse Structure and Methdlgy Tutrs' Recmmendatins 36

3 2 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 Cntents Page VII Advanced Editing Clinic Aims Curse Structure Participants and Prjects Observatins and Recmmendatins 41 VIII Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk: An Intrductin t Film Analysis Ratinale fr the Curse 42 (i) Participants 42 (ii) Teaching and Wrking Methds Week One Week Tw - Exercises in Film Analysis Observatins and Recmmendatins 46 IX Pst-Prductin and Sund Pre-Mixing Wrkshp Aims and Apprach Participants Curse Cntent and Structure Week One Week Tw Observatins 50 X Flying Mentrships and Pst-Prductin Wrkshp II Flying Mentrships Pst-Prductin Wrkshp II 52 (i) Clur Crrectin 52 (ii) Subtitle Prgramme Title Exchange Pr 52 XI Screenwriting Mentrship in Cmments 54 (i) Beginners' Screenwriting Wrkshp (ii) One-t-One Screenwriting Mentring 55 XII YFS Annual Screening 55 XIII Direct Results f YFS Wrkshps and Activities in Visible Outcmes Benefits fr Target Grup Disseminatin f YFS Films 57 (i) Cmmissined Prjects fr the Develpment Sectr 57 (ii) New Cmmissins 58 (iii) Other Prjects and Partnerships 58 (iv) Independent Prjects by YFS Filmmakers 58 (v) YFS Films at Internatinal Festivals 59 (vi) YFS at Festivals in Myanmar 60 (vii) Myanmar Televisin, Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise 60 (viii) Cperatin with Internatinal Media 61 XIV Cnclusins and the Next Step Assessments and Suggestins Wrkshps in

4 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Cntents Page XV Table 1 Breakdwn f YFS Participants in 2011 by Gender, Ethnicity & Religin 65 XVI Table 2 Summary f Figures fr XVII Appendix YFS Management Needs Assessment 67 XVIII Organigrammes Ptential Target Structure fr YFS 68 Participants, tutrs and trainers f the 2011 Yangn Film Schl s Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Beginners Wrkshp

5 4 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 Annual Reprt I Summary f Activities in 2011 Year seven fr the Yangn Film Schl saw anther busy rund f wrkshps, teaching mdules and mentrships and a new intake f multiethnic participants. In 2011, a ttal f 30 YFS participants (sme als wrking as student trainers) tk part in seven wrkshps, tw teaching mdules and tw mentrships. The beginner-students prduced nine new titles, five f which were inspired by the tpic f Myanmar s different ethnic grups, and ne f which, entitled Sweetie Pie, went n t win Best Dcumentary at the inaugural Wathann Film Festival, an event rganised by YFS graduates and held in Yangn in September Alngside these wrks, three drama screenplays and five fascinating dcumentary wrks-inprgress by mre experienced YFS filmmakers received mentrship frm YFS internatinal tutrs. These films range frm persnal, witty films abut the 2010 electin and the recent changes in the cuntry t the stigma f divrce; the cntrversial Myitsne dam prject t a prtrait, sumptuusly filmed in black-and-white, f a family that creates husehld bjects frm ld tyres. Sai Kng Kham (left) with fellw winners at the inaugural Wathann Film Festival Wathann Film Festival, Yangn YFS films enjyed cntinued ppularity at internatinal film festivals and ther events in 2011, with a remarkable 23 titles screening at 20 different festivals n three cntinents: Eurpe, Asia, Nrth and Suth America. We were delighted that six YFS filmmakers were als able t attend screenings and seminars in venues as diverse as Trnt, Kathmandu, Chiangmai, Las, Vietnam, Munich, Ptsdam and Berlin. Thu Thu Shein and Thaiddhi (centre) participate in panel discussin at the 2012 Berlinale

6 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Demcracy at YFS ne year n During 2011, the first seven-persn YFS Cmmittee wrked successfully with YFS Directr Lindsey Merrisn t identify and interview candidates fr the new multi-ethnic intake. The Cmmittee cntinued t meet regularly t discuss a number f YFS-related issues including student trainers, advcacy, staffing, equipment lans, prductin and crewing f films fr NGOs and ther prjects. Having ascertained the lgistical challenges f gathering seven peple n a regular basis, the Cmmittee decided t reduce the new Cmmittee t five members. Three wmen (Lay Thida, Shin Daewe and Hnin Ei Hlaing) and tw men (Pe Maung Same and Thiha Thwe) were duly vted int ffice in an electin held n 1 Octber 2011 which was rganised slely by YFS members, with regular YFS interpreter Aung Myin Tun acting as bserver. The YFS Cmmittee nw appears cmmitted t taking wnership and respnsibility fr the YFS prject at the end f the transitin perid. Its members have als viced their desire fr greater clarity regarding their rle in the future infrastructure f YFS. At the same time, hwever, members seem tentative abut the Management recruitment and training prgramme scheduled fr Wrking tgether t create this clarity and cnfidence in a Memrandum f Understanding that sets ut the relatinship and mdus perandi fr the schl, its prductin arm and management, will be the first challenge fr Althugh uncertain as t the changes that Myanmar s new gvernment will bring and what this might mean fr the media landscape and YFS, the Cmmittee cncurred with the YFS Directr that it is imprtant fr YFS t abandn its hithert lw-prfile stance and instead advertise its key rle as a training centre and prductin utfit within a burgening media sectr. The Cmmittee agreed t seek ways fr cperating with ther media players, be it ther independent filmmakers, MRTV4, the Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise, r the newly launched Wathann and Art f Freedm Film Festivals, where several YFS films screened in September 2011 and January 2012 respectively. In 2011 the Yangn Film Schl held seven wrkshps and fur mentrships in tw blcks, as fllws: a) A Flying Mentrship tk place frm 20 May t 7 June during which YFS Editing Tutr Regina Bärtschi cmpleted her mentrship f YFS students during the edit f the tw true fictins prjects Bungkus and The Bamb Grve. b) Basic Training was held frm 28 t 30 July. Led by Student Trainers Kyaw My Lwin, Hnin Ei Hlaing, Aung K K and Pe Maung Same, with sme input frm internatinal camera and sund tutrs Lars Barthel and Ivan Hrák, this training was designed t intrduce the new intake t the camera and sund equipment prir t the beginners wrkshp prper. c) This was fllwed frm 1 t 17 August by the The Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Wrkshp, a three-week residential Beginners Wrkshp taught by internatinal tutrs in tandem with YFS students as part f the teach-t-train prgramme. During the wrkshp, six men and six wmen received an intrductin t the technical, aesthetical and ethical aspects f the genre and wrked in teams f three t prduce fur final films n the tpic f Ethnic minrities in Myanmar.

7 6 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 d) Frm 17 t 20 August, YFS cinematgraphy tutr Lars Barthel (Germany) and pstprductin specialist David Smith (UK) held an Advanced HD Camera Wrkshp during which experienced YFS cinematgraphers and talented beginner cinematgraphers were able t test the schl s new HD cameras in varius exercises and cnditins. e) Frm 17 August t 11 September Editing Mentrship f Beginners Films tk place at the wrkshp venue. During this time, internatinal tutrs Melanie Sandfrd (Australia) and David Smith (UK) prvided daily supprt as Student Editrs Hnin Ei Hlaing, Kyaw My Lwin, Thet Su Hlaing, Zaw Win Htwe and Zaw Naing O wrked n the edits f the Beginners final film assignments. The secnd blck f YFS wrkshps began in Octber 2011 and cmprised: f) Ways f Seeing: Histry f Film Frm, a ne-week curse held frm 17 t 21 Octber in which YFS tutr Frances Calvert (UK/Australia) taught 'cineliteracy' and helped students understand the genres and styles shaping wrld cinema. g) A fur-week Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp frm 31 Octber t 25 Nvember led by YFS film editing tutrs Tuula Mehtnen (Finland) and Jessica Ehlebracht (Germany), which aimed t intrduce the new intake f Yangn Film Schl students t editing as a cmplex but fascinating strytelling tl. h) An Editing Clinic fr Advanced Editing Students tk place partly alngside the Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp, mentred by Tuula Mehtnen and Jessica Ehlebracht, cntinuing fr a further fur weeks frm 5 Nvember t 9 December with Tuula during which students received mentrship t find the mst interesting and effective structure fr their smetimes cmplex stries. i) The tw-week Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk: Film Analysis Curse frm 12 t 24 December led by Tuula Mehtnen, aimed t give emerging filmmakers the ability t distinguish between different editing methds in dcumentary and t understand hw editing can be used t build a film s intensity. The curse included classrm teaching and independent analysis in teams. j) A curse n Pst-Prductin and Pre-Mixing frm 30 December 2011 t 13 January 2012 was led by YFS Editing and Pst-Prductin tutr David Smith (UK) fr beginners and experienced students. The curse aimed t instil a sense f prfessinalism in finishing a film s edit technically including credits, subtitles, clur grading, mix preparatin, media management and strage. k) A Flying Mentrship tk place frm 20 February t 27 March 2012 during which YFS Editing Tutr Regina Bärtschi supprted YFS students during the edit f three films cmmissined by Save the Children, lcal NGO Better Life and Malteser Internatinal. She als held a ne-week Wrkshp n Pst-prductin f these films and ne ther title, Puppets withut Brders. l) Onging Mentrship f Screenwriters prjects cnducted via by YFS screenwriting tutr Rachel Mathews cntinued thrughut 2011.

8 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Other activities in 2011: 1) Frm 3 t 5 January, Berlin s Interfilm festival directr Heinz Hermanns held a shrt film presentatin, All Abut Shrts, at the Alliance (nw Institut) Française in Yangn, with supprt frm Gethe Institute Jakarta and Yangn Film Schl. 2) Presentatin f the wrk f the Yangn Film Schl at a cnference entitled New Vices, New Visins: Buddhism, Develpment and Dcumentary Filmmaking in Burma held frm 18 t 20 February at the University f Trnt in Canada. YFS presenters were YFS Prject Directr at the time, Naw Eh Mwee and YFS directr Lindsey Merrisn. Naw Eh Mwee & Burmanlgist Dr Pat Pranke in a snwy Trnt 3) YFS filmmakers Wai Mar Nyunt and Shin Daewe attended the Lifescapes Film Festival in Chiangmai, Thailand t present their films My Psitive Life and A Bright Future. 4) YFS filmmaker Maung Okkar attended the Sehsüchte Student Film Festival in Ptsdam, Germany t present his Charcal By as the festival s pening film. 5) YFS Prject Assistant Helke Madry travelled t Hani and Da Nang in Vietnam frm 9 t 13 June t take part in the Gethe Institute s first AsiaDcNet meeting. 6) YFS filmmaker Pe Maung Same attended the screening f his film Like Father, Like Sn at the secnd Vientianale Film Festival in Las. Maung Okkaris interviewed by German TV in Ptsdam 7) YFS and Gethe Institute Jakarta supprted Burmese filmmaker Min Htin K K Gyi s presentatin f his film Flating Tmates at the Seul Green Film Festival in Suth Krea. 8) During the Beginners wrkshp, Guest speaker Win Tin Win, a dcumentary filmmaker and funder f AV Media, spke t students abut his pineering dcumentary prductin cmpany which in the 1990s set abut recrding life in different parts f Myanmar. 9) Presentatin f the wrk f the Yangn Film Schl film at the Mekng Cuntry Day in Berlin. 10) YFS filmmakers Lay Thida and Khin Khin Hsu travelled frm Yangn and Prague respectively t Berlin t present Just a By and the premiere f the true fictins film The Bamb Grve at the Interfilm Festival frm 15 t 20 Nvember.

9 8 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Breakdwn f YFS Management Activities & Prject Plan January 2011 Octber 2011: During this perid the YFS Directr and Prject Assistant undertk: Preparatin f financial and narrative reprts f 2010 wrkshp Supervisin f subtitling and pst-prductin f 18 films made in 2010 Grant writing and ther fundraising activities including: - Funding missins, visibility actins such as screenings f YFS wrk t ptential clients, festival rganisers, NGOs, dnrs - Creatin f YFS website including details f all films and makers Pre-wrkshp rganisatin including: - Devising curses with internatinal tutrs - Recruitment f participants, tutrs and staff - Wrkshp permit applicatin - Crdinating travel arrangements - Research and purchase f equipment and teaching materials - Cash flw and fund management Crdinatin f the YFS Flying Mentrship Prgramme Submitting YFS films t festivals and crdinating YFS students participatin at internatinal festivals and ther events Creating individual DVDs and prtflis f students wrk Year-rund mentring f individual prjects fr NGOs as well as individual films by YFS students Year-rund mentring f YFS student-managers and prducers in rganisatinal and cntractual aspects f running YFS as a media resurce Establishing cntact with bradcasters, festivals and ther rganisatins t pave the way fr c-prductins, training prgrammes and schlarships 26 April 29 April 2011 YFS Prject Assistant Helke Madry travels t Bnn fr a wrkshp n reprting fr the Eurpean Unin 4 May 12 May 2011 YFS Directr travels t Yangn t lcate new wrkshp venue and interview candidates fr 2011 Beginners wrkshp tgether with YFS Cmmittee 25 July 10 September 2011 YFS Wrkshp Supervisr Helke Madry travels t Yangn t: Supervise the 2011 Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking and Editing Wrkshps and supprt tutrs Prepare the wrkshp venue with students Prepare teaching materials Liaise with the Wrkshp Manager n catering and shuttle service Re-negtiate wrkshp venue/htel rates with htel wner Supervise student trainers in the teach-t-train prgramme Oversee wrk f YFS lcal Accuntant, Prject Directr and Assistants Finalise cntracts with tutrs, YFS staff and student-trainers in the teach-t-train prgramme

10 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt July 29 August, 2011 YFS Directr Lindsey Merrisn travels t Yangn t: Lead 2011 Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Beginners Wrkshp and supervise teach-t-train prgramme fr student-trainers in directing Meet with NGO clients t discuss prgress f cmmissined prjects and acquire new prjects Cnduct meetings with YFS Cmmittee t discuss handver plan, current management issues including recruitment f admin. assistant and f lng-term lcal management, jb descriptins, structure f schl vs. prductin cmpany, crewing f NGO films, prgress f YFS Prductin Fund prjects, ratificatin f schl guidelines, upcming Cmmittee electin, selectin f three candidates fr British Cuncil language curse schlarships 1 September 10 December, 2011 Preparatin in Berlin f Winter Wrkshps fllwed by implementatin f wrkshps in Yangn. Prject Crdinatr Helke Madry supervising in Yangn frm 14 Octber t 8 December 2011; Lindsey Merrisn in Yangn frm 26 Nvember t 10 December 2011 t mnitr prgress f prjects, present Annual Screening and begin Management Recruitment in cnsultatin with YFS Cmmittee 26 Nvember 10 December 2011 Management Training Cach Rusta Mizani accmpanies YFS Directr t Yangn t meet YFS students and Wrkshp Supervisr Helke Madry, assess YFS management and recruitment needs December 2011 May 2012: Supervisin f nline edits and pst-prductin f 14 films prduced in 2011 (includes fine cutting, subtitling, clur crrectin, rights clearance, credits in Burmese and English, sund mix, edit f wrkshp film, prductin f three individual DVDs fr clients, tw wrkshp DVDs, cver design, inlay text; preparatin f six financial and narrative reprts and three audits YFS students Isaac, Hnin Ei Hlaing, Seng Mai, Pe Maung Same& Sai Kng Kham

11 10 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Fundraising The final budget fr 2011 was 354,956 Eur. Majr funding was received frm the EU, the Gethe Institute Jakarta and the Swedish Internatinal Develpment Agency (SIDA) with smaller cntributins frm the Finnish Assciatin fr Media and Develpment (VIKES), the Friedrich Ebert Fundatin, the Heinrich Bell Fundatin, the Nrwegian Burma Cmmittee and the Czech Ministry f Freign Affairs. In additin t the tw-year funding frm the Eurpean Unin fr the perid , and Finnish dnr Vikes funding fr , the Yangn Film Schl is delighted t have secured three-year funding fr the perid frm its regular dnr, SIDA. Since the cntract with this dnr was nt signed until Nvember 2011 and funding was nt received until December, this created a challenging cash flw situatin which required cnstant and adept reallcatins within the budget as well as sme rescheduling and/r missin f sme f the wrkshps, pstpnement f sme equipment purchases and finally, nn-payment f the YFS Directr s fees fr a perid f six mnths. (i) Cmments Althugh the bid t secure funding fr the schl fr the next three years during its transitin t a lcal entity has been partially successful, a setback has ccurred in that the Gethe Institute Jakarta, a staunch supprter YFS since its inceptin, will as f 2012 n lnger be in a psitin t prvide cre funding. And s, althugh current pledges amunt t apprximately 55% f the budget required t fund the YFS current activities, a gap f apprximately 162,000 Eur needs t be bridged in rder t fully fund the prject in 2012 and in particular the 18-mnth Management Training Prgramme n which the handver is cntingent. (ii) Schl Building Identifying and funding a schl building is nw imperative in rder t cnslidate YFS as a permanent media resurce in Myanmar serving the interests f a wide range f in-cuntry stakehlders and prmting exchange bth in Myanmar and the regin. Yangn basts the largest stck f clnial-style buildings in Asia. The Myanmar Architects' Assciatin has recently singled ut a number f these buildings fr preservatin. We believe that, if renvated, ne f these impressive histrical buildings culd serve as the perfect base fr YFS; the schl must therefre use the mmentum f the current changes in rder t make this visin a reality. The YFS Directr wuld welcme suggestins frm the schl s regular dnrs as t hw funding fr this majr prject culd be secured. 3. Schedule, Methdlgy and Tutrs As a result f the need t make the best use f the six-mnth lease f the new wrkshp venue at the Ruby Htel at Nine Mile Pyay Rad, tw wrkshp semesters f seven and thirteen weeks respectively were held, with a shrt break f fur weeks in between. In this way, the first semester frm 26 July t 10 September cntained the Beginners Wrkshp The Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking fllwed by a shrt HD Camera Wrkshp and Editing Mentrship f Beginners Films and the secnd semester, frm 17 Octber 2011 t 14 January

12 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt , cncentrated n Film Histry, the Intrductin t Editing and Advanced Editing Clinic, Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk Analysis curse and finally Pst-Prductin and Pre-Mixing wrkshps. As ever, the wrkshps were taught via a mixture f classrm teaching, practical exercises, screenings, feedback sessins and individual mentrship, culminating in several shrt exercises and dcumentary films as well as lnger wrksin-prgress. This year, apprximately ne third f the wrkshps were residential. Student-trainer Thi Ha Thwe leads a classrm sessin during the Beginners' Wrkshp The Beginners Wrkshp: The Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking was led by Lindsey Merrisn (UK) with supprt frm cinematgraphy tutr Lars Barthel (Germany), sund tutr Ivan Hrák (Czech Republic) and editrs Melanie Sandfrd (Australia) and David Smith (UK); the Ways f Seeing: Film Histry Curse was taught by Australian filmmaker and lecturer Frances Calvert; the Intrductin t Editing wrkshp and Editing Clinic were led by editrs Jessica Ehlebracht (Germany) and Tuula Mehtnen (Finland); Tuula als taught the Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk: Film Analysis curse. The Pst-Prductin and Pre-Mixing curse was led by British editr and senir pst-prductin lecturer David Smith. Wrkshp Supervisr and Prject Assistant Helke Madry supervised bth wrkshp semesters and cntinued her nging mentrship f YFS prducers and administratrs. YFS students received feedback and prductin advice n all prjects as well as nging tuitin in subtitling frm Lindsey Merrisn. 4. Permits, Participants and Implementatin YFS enjys a gd relatinship with the Ministry f Infrmatin, represented by the fficial cinema industry rganisatin Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise, and particularly with the lcal NGO Myanmar Mtin Picture Organisatin, which acts as a cnduit between these tw departments. In the past, the Ministry has regularly granted annual permits fr YFS wrkshps in spite f the Myanmar gvernment s inherent mistrust f all media activities. In 2011 the situatin in Myanmar six mnths after the General Electin brught new challenges and pprtunities fr YFS. Details f each internatinal tutr all well knwn t the authrities frm previus years were scrutinised afresh by several departments, including the Freign Affairs Plicy Cmmittee. YFS als received the first ever fficial wrkshp visitatin frm a delegatin frm the Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise (MMPE). This visitatin indicates the increasing impact YFS is having n the media landscape in Myanmar as well as the respect accrded YFS as a serius training prgramme. The MMPE plitely suggested that YFS might wish t cnsider allwing five t six members f this gvernment department t attend sme f its wrkshps. Nt wishing

13 12 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 t appear uncperative and nn-inclusive, we agreed t invite tw MMPE emplyees ne f whm, Han Linn Aung, is already a YFS member and the ther, Sai Nyi Nyi, is a newcmer t jin the Film Histry and Film Analysis curses. These additinal steps may have been a result f the YFS request fr a single permit fr six mnths t cver all teaching activities in This permit was duly authrised and the riginal hard cpy was received during the third week f the Beginners Wrkshp. Since it was nt pssible t pstpne the cmmencement f the Beginners Wrkshp in rder t wait fr the permit, tutrs and student trainers were bliged t exercise particular care in their chice f filming lcatins. A high definitin camera wrkshp exercise (albeit with six cameras) cnducted at the stensibly inncuus lcatin f the Shwedagn pagda attracted particular attentin frm the lcal authrities. Hwever, a phne call t the beneficiary s Permit Liaisn Cnsultant succeeded in assuaging their fears. The rest f the wrkshp was cnducted withut further incident. As f 2012, the YFS Permit Manager Pe Maung Same has been entrusted with the task f assessing the new media landscape in rder t ascertain whether there is a cntinued need fr wrkshp permits. If s, YFS will nce again seek a year-lng permit t enable greater flexibility in planning. (i) Wrkshp Venue and YFS Huse After prlnged research and negtiatin, YFS succeeded in securing a new venue fr its wrkshps, the Ruby Htel at 23, Bawga Rad, Nine Mile Pyay Rad in Mayangne Twnship in Yangn. Althugh smewhat further away frm the previus mid-twn venue in Kamaryut Twnship, the new venue is in a quiet lcatin next t a mnastery. It has a reasnably gd supply f electricity, is serviced by a bus rute and is very clse t the airprt and Ocean shpping mall. The htel s three buildings are in gd repair and nicely furnished, althugh the steps and tiled surfaces leading frm ne building t anther were smewhat treacherus during the mnsn and special mats and a rfed area needed t be installed t avid accidents. Current changes in Myanmar, in particular the selling-ff f gvernment prperties t business assciates clse t the gvernment, as well as the influx f an increasing number f internatinal develpment wrkers and gvernment representatives, have led t saring prperty prices. This has affected rental prices in Yangn, which have smetimes risen by as much as 50%. In this climate f fluctuating prices and exchange rates, the mnthly rate f apprximately 5,000 Eur fr the 20-rm Ruby Htel seemed acceptable. Frtunately, we had agreed in 2010 with the wner f the YFS permanent ffice at 51E, U P Tet Rad, Mayangne Tsp., that the mnthly rental price f 1200 USD (900 Eur) fr this prperty wuld remain fixed fr Student-trainer Aung K K (right) with Beginner students in the garden f the Ruby Htel

14 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Training f Trainers The year 2011 saw the cntinuatin f the schl s successful teach-t-train prgramme as regular trainers Pe Maung Same (camera), Kyaw My Lwin (sund), Hnin Ei Hlaing (sund), Shin Daewe, Lay Thida and Thiha Thwe (directing) were jined by new student trainers Aung K K (camera), Zaw Win Htwe (sund) and Eh Mwee (directing). As an added incentive, and in recgnitin f the student trainers' cntributin t wrkshps thus far, YFS intrduced payment f 5,000 MMK fr each sessin be it mrning, afternn r evening t which they cntributed. In additin, YFS student editrs Hnin Ei Hlaing, Zaw Win Htwe and Kyaw My Lwin were asked t edit the beginner s final films. These editrs later als cntributed t the Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp by supervising the new intake f nvice editrs wh had just cmpleted the beginners curse, the Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking. YFS graduate My Min Khin, currently YFS Editing Equipment Manager, is nw training YFS beginner student Khin Myanmar t enable her t be in a psitin t manage media files and maintain editing equipment frm 2013 nwards. (i) Cmments The teach-t-train prgramme is a central aspect f YFS transitin t a lcal-run entity. Invlving mre experienced YFS students as trainers helps them cnslidate their wn knwledge and identify with YFS; it als affrds trainers respect and cnfidence as they transfer real skills t their peers, in their wn language. In 2011, the tutrs decided t appint trainers as mentrs f ne f the fur beginners final film assignments. This enabled trainers t g ut n lcatin and integrate a practical, hands-n apprach int their teaching. I am happy t participate in the teach-t-train prgramme whenever they need us. It s a win-win situatin fr me as well as fr the students because by training thers I can cnfirm what I ve learned and gain mre insight int techniques. Student-trainer fr sund Kyaw My Lwin Kyaw My Lwin demnstrates the bm I lved being a mentr. It was a fantastic experience, a bit like wrking n my wn prject. I really enjyed giving them my suggestins and helping them practically. Student-trainer fr sund, prject mentr Hnin Ei Hlaing 6. YFS Management The Recruitment Prcess At the time f writing, the YFS Cmmittee has appinted the fllwing staff at the YFS huse, many f whm are YFS filmmakers: Prject Directr (Hnin Ei Hlaing), Lcal Accuntant (Ni Mar), Prject Assistant (Ma Phyu Phyu), Permit and Huse Manager (Pe Maung Same), Editing Equipment Manager (My Min Khin) and Camera and Sund Equipment Manager (Mya Darli Aung).

15 14 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 Hwever, as mentined in the 2010 YFS Annual Reprt, there are scilgical prblems in hiring filmmakers as management, since they are ften trn between their administrative tasks and their desire t further their careers as filmmakers. Hence, the installatin f a dedicated Management Team which is nt merely cmpetent but is willing and able t share YFS's visin and carry it frward twards handver in 2015 is crucial t ur sustainability. Such a team must understand the prcesses invlved in filmmaking, but als in funding and running a film schl. At the end f 2011, YFS began identifying its management needs when Management Cach Rusta Mizani, a German natinal f German-Iranian descent, visited YFS Yangn frm 26 Nvember t 10 December t cnduct an assessment (see Appendix XVII). The trip served as a first pint f cntact with lcal peratins and enabled the Cach t familiarise himself with staff and students in Yangn. An intrductry sessin was held with the YFS Cmmittee t present a first verview f the prpsed transitin prcess and discuss immediate next steps. The general timeline and curriculum fr the Media Management Wrkshp t be held in 2012 were als intrduced. At the time f the trip, the recruitment prcess fr new management staff had just begun thrugh annuncements in the mst imprtant lcal media (7 Day News, The Vice, The Myanmar Times) and YFS website. In additin, an infrmatin leaflet was designed t address ptential candidates within the netwrk f YFS Students and assciated rganisatins. In rder t structure and bjectify the recruitment prcess, the Cach and YFS Cmmittee develped a frmal assessment guideline t be fllwed during interviews with applicants fr the new management psitins. Als, a lcal vlunteer was fund t handle incming applicatins, liaise with applicants and schedule interviews. The Cach refined the schedule and structure f the Management Training Prgramme scheduled fr 2012, using an alternate n-site and tele-supprt framewrk based n a successin f milestnes n the way t full transitin. The Cach s visit served t kick-ff the transitin prcess. Since then, applicatins have been received and lng-listed. Interviews are scheduled fr Yangn in April with the participatin f the YFS Cmmittee and guidance frm YFS Management and Cach t select participants fr the Media Management Wrkshp scheduled fr May/June. The final team f new managers will cmmence wrk in June/July Legal Status Secured After tw years f negtiatins and seemingly endless bureaucratic hurdles, YFS has successfully secured legal status in Myanmar and is nw a registered cmpany, knwn as Yangn Film Services. The directrs f this lcal cmpany are YFS Cmmittee Member Shin Daewe and YFS member My Min Khin. This registratin marks a significant step frward twards funding a permanent media resurce and will facilitate handver in the years t cme.

16 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt II The 2011 Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Beginners Wrkshp A three-week wrkshp held by the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm 28 July t 17 August 2011 Wrkshp led by Lindsey Merrisn 1. Ratinale fr the Wrkshp Rushes screening during the Beginners' Wrkshp at the Ruby Htel As with the 2009 editin f the beginners curse, the wrkshp kicked ff with tw days f Basic Training held by Student Trainers Aung K K and Pe Maung Same (camera) and Hnin Ei Hlaing and Kyaw My Lwin (sund) and bserved by internatinal tutrs Lars Barthel (cinematgraphy) and Ivan Hrák (sund). This training serves t acquaint the new intake with the equipment (this was t be the final uting fr the schl s standard digital Panasnic DVX100 cameras) prir t the wrkshp prper. Trainers and tutrs were surprised t nte the grup s fascinatin in technical detail. Impressed with the way Student Trainers acquitted themselves during the training, the internatinal camera and sund tutrs stated that student-trainers culd sn make internatinal tutrs redundant. As with earlier editins f the beginners curses in 2005, 2007 and 2009, the 2011 beginners wrkshp, The Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking, als cmprised a mixture f classrm teaching, film exercises, screenings and discussins, culminating in the prductin f fur final dcumentary film assignments which this year were inspired by the tpic Ethnic minrities in Myanmar. In rder t integrate Student Trainers as fully as pssible int the teaching, wrkshp leader Lindsey Merrisn asked each f the fur directing trainers Lay Thida, Shin Daewe, Eh Mwee and Thiha Thwe t prepare a shrt talk n ne f the key intrductry tpics: What is Dcumentary, Ways f Seeing, the Filmed Cnversatin and Identifying a Prtagnist. In additin, Lay Thida als intrduced the tpic f Ethnic Minrities in Myanmar, during which she highlighted the risk f marginalisatin when using the term minrities, ffering instead the alternative ethnic natinalities r ethnic grups.

17 16 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 (i) Participants an Ethnic Mix A ttal f 50 Myanmar natinals frm different regins, backgrunds and ethnicity fllwed the call fr candidates placed n the YFS website and via wrd-f-muth. These candidates were interviewed by the YFS Directr and YFS Cmmittee fr 12 places n the beginners curse. Participants were aged between 22 and 40 and hailed frm a variety f scial and ethnic backgrunds including Myanmar, Shan, Shan-Kachin, Chin, Karen, Rakhine, Lahu, Mn, and Myanmar-Muslim. They included tw filmmaker-phtgraphers, ne pht-jurnalist, ne fine artist and vide artist, ne sund engineer wrking in radi, tw film editrs, tw members f an interfaith rganisatin, ne member f a develpment rganisatin, ne ethnic cmmunity leader and ne English graduate. With six female and six male participants, gender parity was maintained. Myanmar Muslim Myanmar Buddhist Mn Christian Jue Jue Than Khin Myanmar Thet Su Hlaing A ttal f 20 graduates f previus YFS curses returned t take part in advanced curses and/r participate in the YFS teach-t-train prgramme (nine peple). (ii) Cmments Althugh this was nt the first time that YFS had invlved participants frm different ethnic grups (earlier intakes had included members f the Jinghpaw grup in Kachin State amng thers), in 2011 a particular emphasis was placed n enrlling as diverse an ethnic mix as pssible in rder t meet the schl s self-appinted mandate f inclusivity and pluralism. In earlier editins which had included members f different ethnic grups, a slight undercurrent f prejudice was perceived in sme Myanmar participants vis-à-vis participants frm nrthern Myanmar, whse prnunciatin f Burmese and line f questining during lessns were smetimes the target f derisin. During this year s curse, Myanmar participants and Myanmar student-trainers alike seemed t take a genuine interest in their peers frm different ethnic and religius grups. But whilst the relaxed yet cncentrated atmsphere f the residential wrkshp certainly helped frm bnds, evaluatins revealed that sme f the bnhmie may have veiled deeper sci-cultural differences. One Chin participant cmmented: I ve always suspected that my cmpatrits dn t have much f an idea abut the different ethnic grups in their cuntry. This has been cnfirmed during this wrkshp. It s becme mre bvius t me that peple just tend t pay us lip service but aren t really interested in us and dn t knw much abut us.

18 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt One interesting phenmenn is that many f the sci-cultural prblems that affect the cuntry as a whle are ften reflected in micrcsm during ur wrkshps. This might include: lack f trust, reluctance t express pinins and feelings due t the behaviural cde ah-na-de, an unwillingness t take the initiative r take n respnsibility, inherent divisiveness, and the tendency t frm cliques. Nnetheless, ver the years we have bserved that with each wrkshp participants becme mre cnfident, mre vcal and mre cmmitted t acquiring the prfessinal and life skills that will carry them frward as individuals. What I fund interesting was that we all had different cmments after watching a film because we all cme frm different ethnic and religius backgrunds. I like that very much! Zn Sapai Phyu, wrkshp participant I m very excited abut having made sme new friends frm significant minrities like Lahu, Mn and Muslim. I ve nw gt a friend frm Thanbyuzyat and anther frm Theini. I m delighted abut that. Salai Tial Awi, Chin participant I admire thse frm ther ethnic grups at YFS. They are really gd. Especially the Chin and Lahu students, they speak English s well. War War Hlaing, Muslim wrkshp participant I am a Lahu frm Lashi. After this wrkshp I ll g back and make sme dcumentaries abut the Lahu peple t recrd their way f life. I m als determined t help ther Lahu by sharing the knwledge I ve gained abut dcumentary filming and training them. Wrkshp participant Isaac 2. Week One Initial Training Day One f the Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking curse began with an intrductin: What is Dcumentary? by student-trainer K Thiha supprted by Lindsey. Having screened the witty yet humane Latvian dcumentary prtrait The Egg Lady the evening befre, student-trainer Aung K K screened the film again and prvided a sht-by-sht analysis f camerawrk, framing and cmpsitin. On Day Tw, student-trainer Lay Thida presented the tpic Ways f Seeing and described the dcumentary filmmaker s quest fr truth. During the afternn the participants were put int crews f tw (lts were drawn) fr the Cherry exercise, during which camera-and-sund crews enter a rm and an unknwn situatin and tk turns t film five minutes f a wman named Cherry perfrming certain actins. This exercise enabled tutrs and student-trainers t bserve the beginners and find ut which participants displayed an aptitude fr cinematgraphy, directing r sund recrding. On Day Three, student-trainer Eh Mwee described the ds and dn ts f the Filmed Cnversatin and elabrated n the unique and privileged jurney ne undertakes with an interviewee. Wrkshp leader Lindsey als described the need fr the dcumentary directr t examine their wn past and persnality and asked participants t share a persnal memry. As has ften happened in the past, this sessin nce again gave rise t an unexpectedly emtinal utburst n the part f ne participant, wh used the sessin t talk abut her changing

19 18 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 relatinship with her parents. During the afternn, participants tk turns t interview each ther and the results were screened t the grup and evaluated by tutrs and trainers. Other screenings during this first week included Niclas Humbert and Werner Penzel s cinematic pem Middle f the Mment and Michael Glawgger s Megacities but als a number f films by student trainers: Wai Mar Nyunt s My Psitive Life, Tay Zar Win Tun s Thursday s Child, Shin Daewe s An Untitled Life. Aung K K, Eh Mwee and K Thiha als screened and discussed their YFS-prduced films Beynd the Light, Dreaming in Clur and Far Frm Hme with the grup. These screenings generated much discussin amng the participants particularly with regard t the questin f ethics and hw t make ne s prtagnist feel relaxed and filmmakers clearly enjyed answering questins abut their wrk. Beginner students film the 'Cherry' exercise Day 4 saw three-persn crews (selected by drawing lts) filming five-minute prtraits f a) a yung mnk at the nearby mnastery wh hpes t return t his remte village t teach (A Yung Mnk s Dream); b) a Kayin washerwman wrking at the Ruby Htel wrkshp venue (My Bad By); c) an ld man and his grandsn (Sweetie Pie); d) a yung girl wrking at a garment factry (Factry Girl). On Days 5 and 6 student editrs Kyaw My Lwin, Hnin Ei Hlaing and Zaw Win Htwe began editing these exercises mentred by internatinal tutrs Melanie Sandfrd and David Smith. The end f the first week culminated n Day 6 with an intrductin t the tpic f the final film assignment Ethnic Minrities in Myanmar by Lay Thida and a screening f her film, Unreprted Stry, a shcking tale f dmestic abuse in Shan State edited by Eh Mwee. Participants and filmmakers discussed the imprtance f tackling scial tabs and the filmmakers described hw they wuld like t use this film t prmte wmen s rights in Myanmar. (i) Cmments The tutr and student-trainer grup met regularly during the first week t discuss the prgress f individual students n the beginners curse. This year, Khin Maung Kyaw exhibited the mst assured eye n camera, while Lahu cleric Isaac and perfrmance artist and phtgrapher Seng Mai bth demnstrated gd ptential as cinematgraphers. A phtgrapher and phtjurnalist by trade, Tun Lynn struggled at first with the demands f filming mving targets and at ne pint resrted t setting up shts in an attempt t cntrl the dcumentary situatin. Screenings and discussins in the grup sn revealed hw wden and un-lifelike such an apprach can be. Lessns were duly learned and, by the end f the final filming assignment, all cinematgraphers wrk had begun t take n a mre relaxed and authentic feel. As ever, annuncements f crews and rles within crews fr final films caused disappintment fr sme, but student-trainers and tutrs were able t impress upn teams the need fr a cnstructive wrking relatinship in rder t prduce a gd final film. This year, student-trainers rather than internatinal tutrs were appinted as Mentrs t each crew.

20 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Weeks Tw and Three I ll never frget when the prtagnist s daughter refused t allw us t cntinue filming even thugh her mther had already given us her cnsent. It was a great lss fr us because we d dne all that research and filming and put a lt f energy and hard wrk int the prject. I felt as if I d been drpped frm a great height. I thught I d failed utterly. It s hard t recver frm smething like that. Thet Su Hlaing, directr f The Bag and My Family The secnd week f the beginners wrkshp began with a talk by studenttrainers Shin Daewe and Pe Maung Same n the tpic f Finding a Prtagnist fllwed by a screening f Pe Maung Same s shrt dcumentary Stepping Up abut hw a water pump changed the life f ne farmer in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta. The rest f the week was reserved fr the research and filming f the beginners fur final assignments n the tpic f Ethnic Minrities in Myanmar. While directrs searched fr prtagnists and wrte a shrt treatment abut their chsen subjects, camera-and-sund crews rehearsed their rles by filming the classic film schl dcumentary situatin changing a tyre. Directrs discussed their treatments with Student Mentrs and Lindsey, and Wrkshp Supervisr Helke Madry and mentr Eh Mwee als intrduced Directrs t their dual rle as directr/prductin-managers and shwed them hw t draw up budgets. Student-mentrs Eh Mwee, Shin Daewe, Hnin Ei Hlaing and Pe Maung Same guided their beginner crews thrughut the pre-prductin and filming prcess. Althugh they were nt encuraged t accmpany teams t lcatins, they ften did s; this meant they were able t discver fr themselves hw far they shuld intervene as mentrs in rder t assist their prtégés, learning in the prcess that smetimes allwing students t make mistakes can be mre valuable than helping them avid them. Beginner Student Zn Sapal Phyu utside the Ruby Htel (i) Cmments The task fr Myanmar beginner-directrs Khin Myanmar, Zaw Naing O and Thet Su Hlaing was particularly challenging since they were asked t identify and film prtagnists in ethnic cmmunities abut which they knew almst nthing. Khin Myanmar and her crew f Shan- Kachin cinematgrapher Seng Mai and Shan sund recrdist Sai Kng Kham were at first inspired by their larger-than-life Kachin missinary prtagnist and his rphanage. N sner did they view their ftage hwever, than they began t read between the lines and became aware f the ambivalent nature f what they had captured n film. On paper, the Chin café wner identified by Zaw Naing O and his crew Tun Lynn and Salai Tial Awi seemed t pssess all the ingredients f an interesting prtagnist (single mther and entrepreneur); hwever, the tiny café prved t be an extremely difficult lcatin in which t film (nt helped by the generatr chugging away r the cars shunting in and ut f the garage next

21 20 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 dr); mrever, the lady herself was rather dreary and expressinless n camera. After three days and endless lackluster ftage, they decided t instead cncentrate n anther prtagnist: ne f the café s lively custmers. Filmed at this Chin lady s interesting hme, her tuching stry having t part frm all f her five children wh have sught better lives in ther cuntries sn came t life in all its universality. Wrking n this film has been cmpletely unpredictable and that s what I like abut it. It s like finding ut an answer t smething yu never knew yu cared abut; yu learn smething cmpletely unexpected, abut smething yu knew nthing abut. Khin Myanmar, directr f The Dream I adre dcumentary filmmaking. It s a hundred times much mre pleasurable than set-ups. In dcumentary yu have t cncentrate n capturing the mment. It s very imprtant t wait and watch with extreme patience. Yu need t catch the mment because humans are fascinating, riginal creatures. Seng Mai, cinematgrapher n The Dream Myanmar-Muslim beginner-directr War War Hlaing was mre frtunate since the female Muslim prtagnist f her film was well knwn t her, as was the Muslim cmmunity in which she had grwn up. Nnetheless, she t encuntered difficulties during the sht, since the mre cnservative members f Yangn s Muslim cmmunity wuld nt allw her nn- Muslim cinematgrapher (Khin Maung Kyaw) and female Muslim sund recrdist t film inside the main msque lcated near Sule Pagda; in additin, filming penly dwntwn was still difficult in August 2011 and strategies needed t be fund fr filming several establishing shts f the street and the market where the prtagnist shpped. Studi sht fr Beginners' Film Kran and Karate directed by War War Hlaing Mn filmmaker Thet Su Hlaing was delighted with her nimble-fingered and sft-viced Lahu prtagnist, a lady in her seventies wh was mre than happy t allw the crew t interview her as she created her intricately-patterned traditinal Lahu bags. It came as all the mre f a shck t this nvice directr when the prtagnist s daughter strmed nt the lcatin midsht and called a halt t filming, cmplaining that directr and crew were intent n expliting her mther by presenting her in a bad light. Sadly, all f Thet Su Hlaing s effrts t disarm the situatin were t n avail; she was bliged t search fr anther subject which she duly fund in the shape f tw barding schl girls frm far-ff Puta wh became the fcus f her prtrait My Family. The stry f the bag-making lady des have a happy cda hwever: Thet Su Hlaing decided t use the material she had sht t edit a dialgue-free bservatinal shrt. When she tk The Bag back t shw prtagnist and skeptical daughter bth were delighted with result.

22 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Beginner student Khin Maung Kyaw receives advice frm student-trainer Shin Daewe (ii) Cmpletin f the Films Whilst the Beginners Wrkshp desn t include editing tuitin (this was the fcus f the Intrductin t Editing wrkshp in the secnd semester in 2011), student editrs Zaw Win Htwe, Kyaw My Lwin and Hnin Ei Hlaing were able t cmplete the edits f the beginners films under the aegis f internatinal mentrs during the subsequent Editing Mentrship f Beginners Films (see belw). Thet Su Hlaing was als given the pprtunity t edit the prject she had been bliged t abandn after the prtagnist s daughter refused t allw her t cntinue filming. During the mentrship, pst-prductin lecturer David Smith prvided student editrs and cinematgraphers with a taster wrkshp n the principles f clur grading in preparatin fr a wrkshp he wuld hld later in January (iii) Guest Lecture During the last week f the Beginners wrkshp, veteran Burmese filmmaker and dcumentary pineer U Win Tin Win f AV Media came t the venue t give a talk t wrkshp participants, student-trainers and tutrs abut hw t survive as a dcumentary filmmaker in Myanmar. He als shwed a number f shrt films that he had prduced in lcatins all ver Myanmar during the nineties. Several YFS students (Thiha Thwe, Pe Maung Same, Shin Daewe) had started their filmmaking careers wrking fr this cmpany and it was tuching t see them begin t find their feet a presenters and interviewers. It was als interesting t see hw little rural Myanmar had changed in the past fifteen years. The students were fascinated by Win Tin Win s cntributin t Myanmar dcumentary and YFS purchased DVD cpies f all fifty f his titles fr its library. Guest speaker Win Tin Win with Pe Maung Same & Khin Maung Kyaw during the Beginners' Wrkshp (iv) Benefits fr the Students As the intense three-week Beginners wrkshp drew t a clse, feedback and evaluatins were nce again canvassed frm bth participants and student-mentrs. Here are sme f their cmments:

23 22 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 I m really driven nw. This curse has made me determined t d smething t prmte rights fr ethnic grups, either by writing r by making dcumentaries. Wrkshp participant Salai Tial Awi Thang Befre the wrkshp I didn t even knw what a dcumentary was. When I started watching the dcumentaries in the YFS library, I began t realise that they cntain messages beynd what peple are saying. It has made me see things differently ( ) nw whenever I g ut I ve gt a pair f trained and sharp eyes fr dcumentary. Wrkshp participant War War Hlaing I ve learnt s much abut directing. I thught it wuld be easy t find a lcatin, subject and prtagnist, but I fund ut hw wrng I was when I wrked as a directr myself with my crew and saw hw hard we had t wrk. It s nt enugh t identify a prtagnist; yu have t make them cperate with yu! Thet Su Hlaing, directr f The Bag and My Family This wrkshp has changed s many f my perceptins. ( ) There are s many things I learned but ne thing that struck me was that yu need t get under the skin when yu d an interview. Yu als have t respect yur prtagnist n bth a persnal level and als in the way yu use the camera. Wrkshp participant Isaac When I edit films fr lcal audiences I just put things tgether withut much preparatin r discussin. I ve nw learned the value f gd preparatin in rder t make a film t internatinal standards; this includes writing, research and scial skills. This is what I ve learned frm the wrkshp. Wrkshp participant Zaw Naing O I m ging back t my wrk in the cuntryside. I ve decided t research the peple wh live n my island. If I can save enugh mney t finance a film, I will start filming a dcumentary. I am addicted t dcumentary making nw. Zn Sapai Phyu, sund recrdist My Family I thught dcumentary was just a matter f recrding a persn s daily life, their actins and activities. But nw I knw abut the rle that emtin and expressin has t play. Tun Lynn, cinematgrapher n Empty Nest

24 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Beginner students and student-trainer Hnin Ei Hlaing (centre) n the sht f A Yung Mnk s Dream at a mnastery III Editing Mentrship f Beginners Films A three-week mentrship held by the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm 17 August t 9 September 2011 Reprt by Melanie Sandfrd, YFS Editing Tutr with cmments frm YFS Pst-Prductin Tutr David M. Smith 1. Aims and Methdlgy Whereas in previus years, the beginners first film exercises and final film assignments have always been edited by internatinal editing tutrs, in 2011 the aim was t enable trained YFS editrs t gain mre experience editing a shrt dcumentary prtrait within a given timeframe s that they will eventually be in a psitin t take n all manner f editing tasks and train thers t edit. Editrs were encuraged t wrk independently in their wn edit rms as internatinal Editing Mentrs went frm rm t rm ffering assistance and discussing any prblems that arse thrughut assembly, rugh and fine cut stages. 2. Weeks One and Tw During the 2011 Beginners Wrkshp that preceded the Editing Mentrship, Hnin Ei Hlaing wrked as a student trainer fr sund. She was als Student Mentr f ne f the final film assignments. She had a very difficult task editing Sweetie Pie, ne f the beginners first film exercises; in fact, it wuld have been a challenging film even fr an experienced editr. Initially, she wanted t try ging it alne, s I left her t it, ppping int the editing rm every day t ask if she wanted any help. Eventually she asked me t cme and have a lk at her first rugh cut. This was a rather cnservative edit in the prtrait style and was lng, dull and lifeless. Recgnising this, she admitted: Mel, the heart has gne ut f the material. I agreed and suggested she frget this first rugh cut and start again by putting nt the timeline everything she lved in the rushes. This methd appealed t her and, after sme wrestling with the material, she managed t create what turned ut t be a charmingly

25 24 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 humrus and successful shrt film (which wn Best Dcumentary Award at the first Wathann Film Festival in September 2011). T see hw the same material can either lead t a dull, lifeless piece r make a wnderfully amusing film is a priceless learning experience. Fr the Beginners final films we were ne advanced editr shrt. Zaw Naing O, a directr f ne f these films, was invited t have the chance t learn t edit, wrking n his film, Empty Nest. This was a chance he jumped at. Anther beginner, Thet Hsu Hlaing, sht tw films (the first ne having cme t an abrupt end when the prtagnist s daughter demanded the crew stp filming and leave). Thet Hsu Hlaing managed t find anther prtagnist and sht a secnd film but we ffered her the chance t edit the material she d sht fr The Bag, which she immediately accepted. I set up tw Final Cut Pr wrk statins fr these nvice editrs and we shared the edit rm with ur translatr, Kyaw Se Latt, wh sat wrking with his laptp perched n tp f the fridge. I was ften bliged t interrupt his translatins f transcripts t cmmunicate with Zaw Naing O and Thet Hsu Hlaing, neither f whm spke much English. It was a very busy and prductive rm. Still frm The Bag The Bag, edited by Thet Hsu Hlaing, cntained n dialgue and was mre f an bservatinal md piece. Zaw Naing s film Empty Nest n the ther hand was dialgue-driven; with a prtagnist talking in heavily accented Burmese and als in her native Chin language. We had t get a Chin translatr in t help with sme f her dialgue. Luckily ne f the ther beginner-students, K Awipi, was a native Chin speaker and culd help us. Meanwhile, after finishing the edit f Sweetie Pie, Hnin Ei Hlaing was in an edit rm next dr, trying t cpe with the challenging rushes f beginner-directr Khin Myanmar s final film assignment, The Dream, which Hnin Ei Hlaing had mentred. Since the film s Kachin prtagnist was a rather unemtinal, even unlikeable religius zealt, we spent a lt f time talking abut hw t deal with a prtagnist ne desn t necessarily warm t, and the ethical and emtinal prblems this causes fr a filmmaker. The Jinghpaw prtagnist f The Dream In additin t this prblematic prtagnist, Hnin Ei Hlaing was als cnfrnted with wrking in nt just tw but three languages: Kachin, Burmese and English. Althugh we had asked a translatr t cme t help us with the Kachin dialgue, nne f us were aware f just hw many different languages are spken in Kachin State, and that this particular Kachin translatr didn t speak the Kachin dialect spken in the film (we later managed t find a translatr wh did). Once again, Hnin Ei Hlaing was keen t create the rugh cut withut my help. Fr this reasn I nly visited her edit rm frm time t time t discuss a pssible structure with her and the film s nvice directr, Khin Myanmar, wh I had asked t wrk n a paper edit. This nvice directr was amazed by hw much she was able t learn. Clearly fascinated by the editing

26 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt prcess, she never nce left her editr s side. These tw wmen were tireless wrkers and I believe frmed a firm friendship thrugh their shared experience. Sund recrdist and editr Kyaw My Lwin was a very fcused and cmmitted editr fr Kran and Karate, a film prtraying a yung Myanmar-Muslim wman directed by beginnerdirectr Wai Wai Hlaing. Hwever, he wrked himself int a crner by making the film t tight and t fine, t sn. C-tutr David and I explained that he shuld keep the film brader and fatter at the beginning and nly begin t shrink it dwn nce he had a wrking structure. T his credit, Kyaw My Lwin was able t take this advice n bard and experimented with alternative strylines. It was always ging t be a difficult film t cut. In essence we were cnfrnted with a prtagnist wh was intelligent, attractive and in cntrl f her life. She had a variety f interests and an active scial life. Where is the drama, the human interest in this, we asked urselves? Ultimately, Kyaw My Lwin was able t extract an interesting prtrait f this impressive yung wman; it was hard wrk but bth student directr and editr learnt a lt frm the experience, particularly that it is always a mistake t try t build up a film sht by sht. Student-trainer Kyaw My Lwin shws the edit suite t Beginner students Jue Jue Than & Khin Maung Kyaw Beginner-directr Thet Hsu Hlaing s final film assignment My Family was edited by YFS editr Zaw Win Htwe wh last year surprised everyne with a rather successful piece f petic editing, Rain. C-tutr David and I were initially cncerned as t whether this student wuld be able t finish the film, as he appeared smewhat tentative abut embarking n the edit. When he did begin, his wrk was very strng at times but therwise smewhat erratic, and we fund it difficult t assess his abilities. He seemed t perk up when I sat with him and ffered guidance, but wuld sn revert t a rather safe and linear apprach. He did nt appear t understand the pssibilities ffered by the ftage. In the end the film was a wrkmanlike effrt but ne we tutrs felt did nt fully capture the prtagnists life experiences. I guess we all need a bit f directin smetimes! 3. Week Three Fine Cut, Pst-Prductin and Screenings f Final Films The last week f the Editing Mentrship was incredibly busy fr students as well as c-tutr David and myself. We culd bth see that the films weren t wrking as well as they culd, and were bliged t step in t help student editrs realise the full ptential in their material.

27 26 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 The screening f The Dream at the end f the Editing Mentrship cnfirmed that the film that Hnin Ei Hlaing had created succeeded in making a difficult prtagnist accessible t an audience. By telling the stry f the prtagnist s tyrannical father, she was able t explain at least in part hw his cmplex character had frmed. When Thet Hsu Hlaing shwed The Bag t her prtagnist and her daughter, bth were very pleased and the daughter s fears were cmpletely allayed. The film My Family received a gd receptin frm the c-students at its screening. What shne thrugh was the quiet curage f the main prtagnist and her yunger sister. One f the prtagnists in My Family Althugh the film lacked the cmpelling human dramas f the thers, Kran and Karate was warmly received and reflected in a psitive light the cnfidence and ambitin f the film s Muslim prtagnist. 4. Observatins and Recmmendatins David and I wuld recmmend curtailing rushes screenings during the beginners wrkshp by viewing selected rushes nly and limiting screenings t minutes fr each crew. It is exhausting fr everyne t spend several days watching rushes, especially when they include lng interviews which are nt understd by the tutrs. It is clearly useful t screen rushes but I wuld recmmend editrs cntrl the rushes screenings by selecting representative material fr the grup t assess. This wuld create mre time fr rugh and fine cut screenings f edited films, fr which, sadly, there was barely any time during the 2011 wrkshp. I wuld hwever insist that individual crews and their student mentrs watch all their wn rushes. IV High-Definitin Camera Wrkshp A fur-day wrkshp held by the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm August 2011 Reprt by Lars Barthel, YFS Cinematgraphy Tutr 1. Aims In 2011, YFS purchased tw new HD camera systems: the Panasnic AG-AF 101 and the Sny HXR-NX5. These cameras will nw replace the schl s utmded standard digital mini-dv camcrders. They were als the fcus f the HD camera wrkshp, taught by myself (cinematgraphy tutr Lars Barthel) and by British pst-prductin tutr David Smith. The aim f the wrkshp was t:

28 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt explre the theretical and practical dimensins f the term high-definitin enable participants t familiarise themselves with the new equipment cmpare the tw new cameras with each ther and with the lder mini-dv cameras as well as the DSLR Cann EOS 60D, which we had purchased fr the schl in 2010 and used t sht the true fictins film Bungkus. 2. Participants Sai Kng Kham, Isaac, Khin Maung Kyaw and Seng Mai at the Shwedagn Pagda The ten participants f this curse cmprised f fur wmen, three f whm were graduates f previus YFS curses (ne a directr-prducer-editr and the ther a cinematgrapher) and ne a prmising beginner frm the recently cnducted Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking curse; and six men, tw f whm were graduates f many YFS curses (ne directr, ne cinematgrapher) and fur f whm had displayed ptential as cinematgraphers during the recent Beginners curse. 3. Cntent and Methdlgy Day One: the wrkshp began in the classrm where we examined the menu functins f the new HD cameras. Using the prjectr, we tk a clser lk at the images prduced by the cameras. We als cmpared this image t that prduced by the Panasnic DVX 100 and the Cann EOS 60D. In his Pwer-Pint presentatin What is HD?, David Smith analysed the thery behind high definitin and pinted ut sme cmmn miscnceptins and myths abut HD vide. His talk generated a great deal f interest and questins and served t illustrate hw cmplex the technical aspects f the frmat are, and hw little is knwn abut HD. Days Tw and Three: n these tw days I tk the students ut (smetimes in the midst f a mnsn dwnpur) t a range f cinematic lcatins, including the Shwedagn Pagda, but als ther lcatins within and n the peripheries f Yangn, t test the varius HD systems. We were in particular explring hw t cntrl light, cntrast, clur and fcal lengths. Tutr Lars Barthel with students during the HD Camera Wrkshp

29 28 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 Day Fur: n the last day f the wrkshp the participants used ur panply f cameras t create, in a cntrlled interir, a stunning pening sequence in black-and-white, fr Beginner student War War Hlaing's final film Kran and Karate. The prtagnist f this film, a yung Muslim wman, was invited t a makeshift studi created at the wrkshp venue in rder t film stylized karate scenes. 4. Results The filmed exercises and tests prduced during the HD camera wrkshp were a great surprise t all and very cnvincing. It was mst gratifying t receive cnfirmatin that we had made an excellent chice f new equipment fr the schl. The Sny HD camera s cmfrtable handling and gd reslutin is a rbust replacement fr the standard digital mini-dv cameras. These cameras will nt vertax beginners during basic training and will allw YFS students t make films t internatinally accepted standards. Lars Barthel and camera student Seng Mai (i) Recmmendatins The Panasnic camera has a larger sensr and demands mre technical knw-hw and experience t handle prperly. I wuld suggest that this camera be reserved fr mre experienced YFS cinematgraphers and fr prjects that are visually mre demanding and require higher prductin values. Camera student Isaac with the Cann 60D HD camera YFS shuld purchase a set f prime lenses fr this camera in I wuld als recmmend that a shrt HD wrkshp, with an emphasis n the theretical aspects f the frmat, be integrated int the YFS fundatin curse fr all students. In 2012 this curse culd be taught in tandem with YFS graduates as part f the teacht-train prgramme.

30 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt V Ways f Seeing: Film Histry and Film Language A Yangn Film Schl Wrkshp held in Myanmar frm Octber 2011 Reprt by YFS Film Histry Tutr Frances Calvert 1. Aims The aim f this ne-week curse is t teach 'cineliteracy', i.e. t study films critically s that, by the end f the curse, students are better skilled at watching, describing and explaining hw films wrk. It als aims t give participants a sense f the develpment f film language, technical innvatins, authrship and genres thrughut cinema histry, frm early silent cinema t mdern-day wrks. It's nt enugh t perate the camera, sht images and have ideas. We need t knw what has cme befre. Sme peple might questin the pint f film histry. But it's essential t infrm ur wn wrk. If we learn what ur predecessrs did and hw new trends develped, we'll have a much fuller understanding f ur wn wrk. Shin Daewe, Wrkshp participant Shin Daewe in discussin with Frances 2. Methdlgy This curse was classrm based, included illustrated talks, screenings and hmewrk assignments, and tk place n six cnsecutive days. It was develped with practicing filmmakers in mind, and cncentrated n the practicalities f camera, cmpsitin, editing, sund, etc. Students received a curse utline (phtcpy) tgether with a dssier f stills illustrating many f the tpics cvered in the curse. Film clips illustrating the tpics, film frm, style and themes were screened as apprpriate thrughut. Students used their newly acquired analytical skills t undertake their wn detailed analyses f clips frm films such as Fritz Lang s M eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder and Orsn Welles seminal film wrk Citizen Kane. Their presentatins were assessed by the tutr. 3. Cntent The tpics discussed during this curse included: cinematgraphy: shts, angles, use f clur, light, dark, realism vs. frmalism. mise-en-scène cmpsitin, prxemic space, pen and clsed frms, dminant and subsidiary shapes, use f symbls, metaphrs, emblems, etc.

31 30 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 mvement pans, tilts, swish pans, crane shts, effect f editing classical cutting, histrical develpment f editing, subjective time, thematic mntage. Sviet mntage Pudvkin, Kuleshv, Eisenstein, Dziga Vertv. Sund characteristics f high/lw, sft/lud, fast/slw. Music in drama, vice in dcumentary. 4. Results Students embraced the curse enthusiastically and were nt afraid t ask questins. It was a very intensive curse, packed with infrmatin and illustratins in the frm f stills and clips and naturally geared twards the cann f western film. After a packed day f taking ntes and watching illustrative clips, participants ften asked t watch full-length films. On Day 1 they watched Brian McKenzie's Irning Man and Crab By, set in India, and n Day 4 they watched all f Dziga Vertv's Man with a Mvie Camera. On Day 5 they wrked in grups analysing the marriage breakdwn sequence frm Citizen Kane. Their summing-up f the curse and feedback fllwed with a request fr mre detailed study f the wrk f Russian directr Andrei Tarkvsky (frm a screenwriting student) and sund (frm a sund student). On Day 6, students used everything they had learned t analyse Hana Makhmalbaf's Buddha Cllapsed Out f Shame. Tutr Frances Calvert with participants f the Film Histry Wrkshp (i) Recmmendatins A slwer-paced, tw-week curse wuld allw even mre detailed analysis f clips and stills Screen mre Asian films Mre petic dcumentaries Tarkvsky's films (use f time, symbls, synecdche, emblems, mvement, territrial space) Effect f sund and music in film (ask students t scre their wn sundtracks t silent films e.g. Rain, Pearls and Savages). Cntinue using the translatr, wh is invaluable. Tutr Frances Calvert with lng-term YFS translatr, Aung Myin Tun

32 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Frances led the discussins but there was plenty f rm fr ur wn pinins. Smetimes we disagreed with her and cntrasted ur views with hers as a Western tutr. Her explanatins made things clear that hadn't been clear befre. She helped us identify the aims f the filmmakers. Befre the wrkshp, we just regarded films as entertainment. Frances shuld definitely run this Wrkshp at YFS n a regular basis. Lts f yung peple in Myanmar are interested in filmmaking but there are very few places where they can learn things like this systematically. Film histry is a must. Analysis like this will help us strengthen ur wn wrk and really make it shine. I want everyne wh is interested in filmmaking t take Frances' Wrkshp. It's an essential part f Yangn Film Schl. All qutes frm Shin Daewe, Wrkshp Participant VI Intrductin t Editing Dcumentary A fur-week wrkshp held by the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm 31 Octber t 25 Nvember 2011 Reprt by YFS Editing tutrs Tuula Mehtnen and Jessica Ehlebracht Befre the wrkshp I didn't have a clue abut editing. I thught it wuld be easy. Nw I realise it's really hard! Sai Kng Kham, participant, YFS Editing Wrkshp Aims The aim f the fur-week Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp held by the film editrs Jessica Ehlebracht (Germany) and Tuula Mehtnen (Finland) was t intrduce the new intake f Yangn Film Schl students t the key strytelling element f dcumentary filmmaking: editing. Participants wuld gain a first impressin f the great range f pssibilities, challenges and tasks faced by prfessinal dcumentary film editrs everywhere. Students wh had indicated their interest in specialising in directing, cinematgraphy r prducing wuld develp an understanding f the cmplexity f the film editr s jb and learn hw t cmmunicate and wrk with them; thse wh were thinking f becming film editrs themselves were invited t take a clser lk at this prfessin t discver if they were suited t this rle. Editing tutr Jessica Ehlebracht, translatr Aung Myin Tun and students study the paper edit

33 32 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Participants There were fur female and five male participants in this wrkshp: a female Shan perfrmance artist and phtgrapher (winner f the Yangn Phtgraphy Cmpetitin); a female Muslim car engineer and passinate Red Crss vlunteer; a female Mn film editr making vides fr the Baptist cnventin; a Burmese feature film editr; tw Burmese film labratry wrkers; a Shan sund engineer wrking in Myanmar; a camera persn and phtgrapher frm Mn State making his living by prducing wedding vides; and the daughter f a Burmese feature film editr keen t step int her father s shes. 3. Curse Structure and Methdlgy The wrkshp was taught via a mixture f classrm lectures n the technical and rganisatinal aspects f film editing (the wrkflw, setting up an editing suite, creating a new Final Cut Pr prject, capturing) and hands-n editing exercises, as well as ne-t-ne tutring in the editing rms. It culminated in a number f exercises and lnger assignments and included screenings and discussins f wrk edited by the tutrs alngside useful examples f skilful editing. A film abut the rle f the editr was als screened and the tutrs assessed each student s wrk in individual tutrials. Editing Wrkshp students with tutrs Tuula Mehtnen and Jessica Ehlebracht (back rw) and Wrkshp Supervisr Helke Madry (frnt rw) Week One: in cmparisn t the participants wh had jined the Intrductin t Editing wrkshp in 2010, the batch f students taking part in the curse this time were all new t the dcumentary field and t filmmaking since they had nly just finished the YFS Beginners Wrkshp a few weeks earlier. One gal f the first week and the Intrductin t Editing Curse 2011 was t shw and analyse a variety f strng and creative dcumentaries in rder t braden the participants minds in terms f film language, tpics and ways f shaping stries. The screening f the philsphical shrt dcumentary One Day Tday will be Once (directed by Anca Miruna Lazarescu, edited by Uwe Wrbel), fr example, was meant t shw hw editing is capable f ding much mre than simply recnstructing the cntinuity f an event. Hlding Still (directed and edited by Flrian Riegel) a prtrait which dares t hide the film s prtagnist frm the viewer turned upside dwn the participants cncept f what a prtrait film shuld lk like. I really enjyed the film screenings. The filmmakers were s creative and talented. They gave me new ideas and perspectives. Seeing hw these filmmakers thught and felt emtin made me understand hw I can think and feel emtin in my wn wrk. Yu can learn s much by watching ther peple's films. Thet Su Hlaing, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011

34 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt The secnd fcus f week ne was t intrduce students t the technical side f film editing. In the classrm we lked at the cmpnents f the digital editing suite and their crrect installatin. Students learned the basics f using Apple Macintsh cmputers and the editing sftware Final Cut Pr as well as the steps needed prir t editing, such as lgging, capturing and rganizing filmed ftage. These lectures were cmbined with hands-n exercises in which participants were asked t prepare material n their wn fr the first editing exercise and wrk n their first assembly. The material used fr the first editing exercise was thirty minutes f bservatinal material frm the YFS-prduced film Rice: Twards a Better Future the same ftage used fr the exercises the year befre. This material described tw different plughing methds: ne using buffals and anther using a tractr. After watching the rushes tgether n the big screen, the students were asked t cut a shrt sequence lasting between 2-5 minutes. At first, I was afraid t be in the rm by myself. I felt the same way during the Beginners' wrkshp. But nce I started editing, I lst my fear. I immersed myself in the wrk and frgt everything else. I was determined t finish the exercises. War War Hlaing, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011 In Week Tw, the students wrked n their first editing exercise while the tutrs circulated frm ne editing rm t anther viewing the cuts and giving feedback n cntent and prviding technical input wherever required. It sn transpired that althugh these new students were quick t grasp the technical aspects f editing (and in sme cases were mre cmputer literate than sme members f previus chrts) they lacked experience in strytelling and an ability t read images. In rder t help students unlck their imaginatin we interrupted the exercise fr a day t talk abut strytelling structure and basic editing rules. The main challenge is that editing has t cme frm the heart. It desn't matter hw advanced the technlgy is, the mst imprtant thing is t be true t yur emtins. Sai Nyi Nyi, emplyee at Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise & Wrkshp participant At the end f the week we met in the classrm t screen the results f the first exercise. The students benefitted deeply frm the discussins. Even thugh criticism is smetimes a bitter pill t swallw, the atmsphere in the classrm was cnstructive and cmmitted. Each student learned hw imprtant it is fr an editr t put themselves in the audiences shes and find ut if their strytelling is wrking. Als during week tw we screened the dcumentary The Cutting Edge The Magic f Mvie Editing (directed by Wendy Apple, edited by Daniel Lewenthal and Tim Tbin). In this lively film famus American directrs such as Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantin talk abut their key cllabratrs during the filmmaking prcess their editrs. The film als intrduced the students t the histry f film editing. At the beginning f Week Three we mved n t the secnd editing exercise which was designed t help the students learn hw t edit interviews. The students received 15 minutes f images in which a rice farmer wrships the field spirits and were given a chice f three cnversatins in which the prtagnist talks abut: 1) the traditin f nat wrship, 2) his

35 34 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 family life and 3) his experience f Cyclne Nargis. The students were asked t select ne f the interviews, edit it and use it as vice-ver r n camera t accmpany the scene f the prtagnist making an ffering. I want t learn much mre. I dn't just want t knw abut the cut but als hw t build a sequence and climax, hw t inter-cut. I'm greedy fr knwledge! I'd like t learn abut the rle f clur in editing. Clur, tne, sund, the effect f wide shts. I definitely want t cntinue studying editing. And I'd like t apply my knwledge t the creative wrks I've gt in the pipeline. Seng Mai, artist & participant, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011 Jessica intrduced the students t the paper edit a methd in which the editr cuts up the paper transcript f the interview and shwed participants hw t verlay an edited interview nt a cut sequence and hw t create subtitles. During the rest f the week, the participants wrked n their secnd editing exercise, verseen by the tutrs mingling. This time, since the interview culd be used as a base fr the stryline, mst f the students had less difficulty in finding a way t put their sequence tgether, and sme even tried editing the material in several different ways. When this exercise was screened at the end f the week everyne was astnished at the variety f emtins and meanings which can be expressed by the same ftage. Editing Wrkshp students cllect material fr the paper edit I'm still unclear abut what editing truly is. But I'm beginning t understand the essence and art f it. It's smething I was already wrking twards but it's becme much clearer after meeting the tutrs and benefiting frm their internatinal apprach. Zaw Naing O, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011 The Face f Death a feature length dcumentary edited by wrkshp tutr Tuula Mehtnen (directed by Kiti Lustarinen) was screened and discussed at the end f this week. The students were fascinated by having the pprtunity t talk t the film s editr and had plenty f questins abut Tuula s rle in the creatin f this multilayered wrk; Tuula als talked abut the use f symblism and the ethics invlved in filming peple wh are clse t death.

36 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Week Fur started with a screening f the rushes f the third and final exercise. Making use nce again f 45 minutes f ftage frm the Rice film, we gave students the pprtunity either t edit a tw-minute film abut the prcess f rice transplantatin, r t try t assemble 3.5 hurs f rushes f several scenes (abut a spirit festival, rice grwing and rain) int a free assciative sequence lasting between 5 and 7 minutes. Students were als allwed t make use f music in this exercise and the tpics f imprting and cnverting music, and als cpyright issues, were discussed. Students battled with this large amunt f ftage and wrked hard t cmplete their assignments. Editing tutr Tuula Mehtnen during the Editing Wrkshp Twards the end f the week we held individual tutrials with each student in rder t discuss their prgress thrughut the curse and make suggestins fr their future develpment. The screening and discussin f the final exercises revealed that students had taken n bard the ability t see and analyse each thers cuts fairly well. Tuula and I als emphasised that, amng an editr s many challenges and respnsibilities, they als need t pen their minds t new experiences. The curse was runded ff by a day addressing the tpic f High Defintin (HD) ftage in rder t prepare the students fr the YFS's transitin t the new standard frmat in internatinal filmmaking. The wrkshp was great. I'd like there t be mre s we yung peple can becme prfessinals like the tutrs. I realise we need t put in a lt f wrk and effrt. Sai Nyi Nyi, participant, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011 I really hpe there will be anther editing wrkshp. This ne has given us the fundamentals smething we culdn't have taught urselves. But nw we need t g further. And fr this we need the tutrs t share their knwledge and encuragement. War War Hlaing, participant, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011 Editing is essential fr my future wrk as a filmmaker. It's ne f the items n my 'must-d' list! I've embarked n the study f editing nw and I'm determined t keep at it. Khin Maung Kyaw, camera student & participant, YFS Editing Wrkshp 2011

37 36 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Tutrs' Recmmendatins The Yangn Film Schl needs mre qualified film editrs. YFS is grwing and an increasing number f prjects are being prduced, bth under the aegis f the schl but als independently f YFS curses mre s nw Myanmar seems t be pening up mre rapidly. These prjects deserve t be shaped with creativity and expertise. Film editing cannt be learned vernight; it requires a great deal f dedicatin, cncentratin and passin. Since mst f the YFS students wh tk part in this year s Intrductin t Editing wrkshp were keen t learn mre abut editing, they shuld be given pprtunities t gain mre experience a) as assistant editrs n advanced YFS prjects and b) by taking part in mre wrkshps and lectures presented by film editing prfessinals. In additin, a six-eight week editing wrkshp in 2012 culd give new editrs at YFS the chance t edit a shrt dcumentary themselves with tutrial supprt. A Dcumentary Filmmaking Cmpetitin similar t the ne held at YFS in 2006 culd perhaps prvide the material fr this curse. VII Advanced Editing Clinic A fur-week YFS mentrship held in Yangn, Myanmar frm 5 Nvember t 9 December 2011 Reprt by YFS Editing Tutr Tuula Mehtnen 1. Aims Initially, the 4-week Advanced Editing Clinic was intended as an editing wrkshp fr students wrking n independent prjects full-time at the wrkshp venue. Hwever, since there were nt enugh advanced editrs and prjects t warrant a structured wrkshp, we decided t hld a clinic instead, which invlved students making appintments t screen and discuss their films with the tw mentrs Jessica Ehlebracht (Germany) and Tuula Mehtnen (Finland). As with last year s advanced editing wrkshp, the fcus was nt n finishing the editing during the curse, but n using the time given t experiment with the raw material and find the best way t tell the film s stry in an interesting and engaging manner. Shin Daewe wrks n her dcumentary The Cllectr during the Advanced Editing Clinic 2. Curse Structure The first part f the Advanced Editing Clinic was held every Saturday during the Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp. Students were able t make an appintment with Jessica in rder t shw their material r a cut, r whatever stage their prject was at. This was smething new

38 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt fr the students and it tk quite a while fr them t warm t the idea. But nce they did, we actually ran ut f time at the end t cpe with all their requests fr feedback. After the Intrductin t Editing Wrkshp was ver, Jessica and I cntinued the Clinic ne week tgether, and then I had anther week alne befre hlding the Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk: Film Analysis Curse. Twards the end f the wrkshps the students began t want mre and mre feedback, and s I decided t cntinue the Clinic n Sundays during the Analysis Curse while Analysis students were wrking independently; I even cntinued t prvide mentrship ne week after that curse had ended. This meant that altgether the Editing Clinic was ffered t students fr a ttal f almst five weeks. 3. Participants and Prjects Three students were editing their films at the wrkshp venue at Ruby Htel: Shin Daewe wrked n her wn half-hur dcumentary The Cllectr abut Myanmar s general electin f 2010; Hnin Ei Hlaing had directed and was nw editing a half-hur dcumentary abut a series f internatinal puppet wrkshps and perfrmances entitled Puppets Beynd Brders; Zaw Naing O was wrking n a film that had been cmmissined by the Better Life Organisatin. In the beginning, ther YFS students just came t meet us and tell us what they had been up t in their wn edit suites at hme. This was useful, but gradually they began t understand that it wuld be mre useful if they actually shwed us their edits. The Maw Naing, a painter, vide- and perfrmance artist wh has been a member f YFS fr almst seven years, annunced that he wuld like t screen his finished film The Clinic t us. When he jined YFS in 2005, this filmmaker was rather intrverted and it was a jy t discver hw pen he has since becme, and t bserve hw relaxed he nw is with the beginner students. The film was very tuching and we tutrs nly mentined ne r tw minr details which culd have been changed. The Rad The Maw Naing als screened sme rushes fr a prject entitled The Rad, a hilarius piece f bservatin abut hw the gvernment s SPDP party wrked frantically t fix the pt-hle ridden rad in frnt f YFS screenwriter Dr Aung Min s hme befre the electin. The Maw Naing s cameraman and fellw-artist K Jeu filmed almst every day as the party s wrkfrce slapped large blcks f cement n tp f the rad and then surfaced it. There was a lt f traffic n the rad and many things happened again and again: wmen came t give alms t a rw f mnks; children went t schl; the gvernment s lrry came t pick up rad wrkers; and an ld man went t the tea shp. In the beginning, everything seemed t take place very slwly but, in the end, when the rad was finished, the bikes and cars zipped past at a clip. The speedier traffic meant that the rad had becme much mre dangerus fr pedestrians. Since the cement blcks used were s high (abut 30 cm abve the grund!) accidents were nw unavidable. The film crew were thinking abut using their material as symbl fr K Jeu s buncy persnality as an artist, but I advised them t try first t edit the film as piece f pure bservatin. I tld them I believed they have the ptential t make an uprarius black cmedy and prmised t send them Victr Kssakvsky s film Hush! (Tishe) in which the directr films frm his windw the street where he lives in St. Petersburg.

39 38 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 The Maw Naing, Dr Aung Min and K Jeu make a gd team. They are prductive and independent cineastes, but als very pen t feedback. K Jeu is a visual artist, cmpser and musician. He was cinematgrapher bth n The Clinic and The Rad. He is nt a YFS member and has nt participated in ur beginners curse. His cinematgraphy is therefre nt the best and this has had a sadly detrimental effect n the quality f his filming. This is a pity because the team s ideas are very riginal. Althugh, at almst 46 years f age, K Jeu is utside the YFS primary demgraphic, it wuld be gd if he culd at least participate in sme f the YFS cinematgraphy curses t imprve his wrk. Tyres Editr Kyaw My Lwin is the first-time directr f the dcumentary film Tyres. This film is a partly philsphical wrk abut hw ld tyres are re-used and made int buckets, sandals and ther husehld bjects. The directr made a wise decisin nt t edit this film, which he has entrusted t a fellw editr at YFS, My Min Khin. Directr and editr shwed us the material which included beautifully petic, black-and-white images sht by YFS cinematgraphy graduate Aung K K in which the wrkers mvements became almst musical. The interviews had been sht in clur. Kyaw My Lwin explained his idea fr the film and we sn realized that the wealth f characters and stries he tuched n culd fill a feature-length dcumentary rather than a half-hur film. The editr My Min Khin agreed with us and s, having realized the he had nt created sufficient layers fr a lnger film, Kyaw My Lwin began t think abut hw t refine his subject-matter. Althugh they had nt yet been able t sht everything they needed, we suggested that the editr culd try experimenting with the material and see hw it wuld respnd t different appraches. One idea that was mted was t begin the film with a little animatin sequence shwing a tyre mrphing int little particles and then int smething new. I was cnvinced that directr and editr already had excellent material t wrk with and suggested that such an additin wuld prbably be extraneus, but I left that decisin t them. Anther pssibility wuld be t make the film withut any interviews because the wrk itself was s fascinating t watch. Althugh the material had been sht in three different lcatins, I thught it wuld be better t give the impressin f ne place. Bth Kyaw My Lwin and My Min Khin are much in demand in the Burmese film industry and filming and editing f this prject were therefre spradic. Althugh we saw the pair again fr the screening f a German film abut the cmpser Jhn Cage, they did nt cntact us fr anther feedback sessin, which was a pity. Hwever, I did nt insist n seeing the film again because I believe all YFS students need t learn t develp their wn initiative and take respnsibility fr their wn films. Behind the Screen K Nwai (pictured right) wrks as an editr fr INGO Ppulatin Services Internatinal and has been with YFS since Initially, he was reluctant t shw me his persnal film Behind the Screen because he was cnvinced it was finished. But then he decided t give me a DVD t watch after all.

40 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt The film is a charming blend f excerpts frm ld films, phtgraphs and psters. Hwever, I felt that the stry lacked drama and seemed t withhld infrmatin that wuld make the stry mre pwerful. T me, the cut was a perfect example f ah-na-de the Burmese behaviural cde which invlves ding everything yu can t avid making anybdy feel uncmfrtable. K Nwai s parents were famus Burmese screen actrs in the 1960s wh separated when he was six years ld. K Nwai s mther died in 2007 and his father nw lives with him. The film is astnishingly plite t his father and I felt that it wuld make the film mre accessible and interesting (certainly fr an internatinal audience) if K Nwai revealed why the marriage had brken dwn in the first place. I wrte an t him including extensive feedback and he respnded, prmising t meet me at the weekend with the translatr. During ur sessin, he tld me the whle stry. The translatr and I were almst in tears when he had finished. He said he was nw ready t create additinal vice-ver fr the film and asked me t frmulate questins t which he culd respnd. We recrded this interview-cum-vice-ver in my htel rm, creating a makeshift sund studi between several mattresses. Beginner students Sai Kng Kham and Thargyi helped us with the recrding. K Nwai s cmments were mving and hnest but unfrtunately the nise frm the cnstructin site next dr was s lud that we were bliged t abandn ur recrding sessin. We managed t recrd the interview successfully in an early mrning sessin at 6.30 am the next week (in spite f a cuple f Pekingese dgs which began barking twards the end). Althugh it was painful fr K Nwai t talk abut his childhd experiences a secnd time, he was respnsive t the idea f re-editing the film, this time structuring it arund his wn interview rather than that f his father. Althugh it will be challenging fr K Nwai t re-shape the film (especially since the current versin is well-runded and quite beautiful in parts) and he will have t take it apart t rerder it, I am nnetheless cnfident that he will have a much strnger film in the end, and the whle prcess will have been an invaluable ne fr his career as a filmmaker. The Cllectr Shin Daewe, wh jined YFS in 2006 and is a resurceful directr-prducer, was in a quandary abut the rugh cut f her film The Cllectr. Filmed ver a perid f ne-and-a-half years, this dcumentary lks back n Myanmar s recent histry f struggle and examines the md f rdinary peple befre, during and after the 2010 electin. Staunchly anti-gvernment since yuth, Shin Daewe was finding it very difficult t have faith in the recent plitical changes. We advised her t try t remain pen-minded and explre her wn feelings. Inspired, she began t shift the fcus f her film frm being an bjective chrnicle t a mre persnal recrd. Given the scpe f this film, we als thught it culd be 50 minutes rather than half an hur. Shin Daewe with Beginner students War War Hlaing (left) and Seng Mai (right) Althugh Shin Daewe had nt wanted t edit her wn film, and des nt regard herself as an editr, she has risen t the challenge and her editing skills are imprving. During ur mentring sessins, she quickly began t think f ways f creating a mre symblic level fr the film by intrducing new material, such as images f Yangn s crumbling ld clnial

41 40 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 buildings, cmmuters n the Yangn circle train, and the streets the gvernment party had paved in rder t secure vtes. She als began t wrk n integrating her wn vice-ver int the film. During this prcess I played the part f an average viewer frm the West wh knws very little abut Myanmar s plitical histry and prbably nthing abut the electin. When I asked why there was n material abut hw the gvernment s party SPDP had dne their campaigning, Shin Daewe said that it was simply t dangerus t film them at the time. We discussed the fact that these elements, and als the way the USDA had evlved frm being a natinwide assciatin t a plitical party, needed t be explained. Althugh Shin Daewe is naturally a big fan f Aung San Suu Kyi, we decided that the ppsitin leader s huse arrest and release were well-knwn in the West and that she shuld nt base her film arund such events, but instead try t tease ut ther aspects and players. Fr this reasn, she cnducted an interview with c-funder f the NLD, U Tin O wh, dressed in prisnunifrm blue, discussed his pinins abut the cuntry s current transitin t a mre pen sciety. The River Pe Maung Same jined YFS at its inceptin in 2005, has wrked as a talented cinematgrapher n a number f films and is a patient camera trainer. He has been editing The River, n and ff, fr almst a year. This film charts a jurney made by a grup f pets, jurnalists and envirnmental activists alng the mighty Ayeyarwaddy t the place which, until recently, was t have been the site f the massive Myitsne dam prject. During this bat trip, the filmmakers met peple wh live n r alng the river and whse lives wuld change frever if the dam went ahead, while the passengers reflected n the deeper significance f the river fr the Burmese peple. Althugh Pe Maung Same had edited the film well and the rhythm and pacing were generally gd, the cut I saw cntained t many elements fr a film which was t be abut 30 minutes in length; mrever, the black intertitles interrupted the film s flw. We agreed that, althugh the current versin seemed t have wrked well fr his trusted circle f friends, it wuld prbably nt wrk s well fr an internatinal audience. Pe Maung Same (centre) with Beginner students Seng Mai, War War Hlaing and Sai Kng Kham We discussed limiting the use f textual infrmatin t the beginning and end; cncentrating n the phtgrapher-pet as the main prtagnist and the batman as a supprting character; and cutting tgether a scene in which tw jurnalists talk abut the detrimental effects f the dam n the river s sci-ec-system. We als discussed pst-psitining scenes f gld extractin and timber transprt in rder t enable the viewer t get t knw and lve the river itself first f all. Finally, I suggested that Pe Maung Same shuld cnsider using his wn vice as a pet-narratr t intrduce sme f the film s themes. With these clear ideas in mind, I hpe that he will be able t rerder the film when he has time t g back t this edit in March Puppets withut Brders Anther YFS student wrking full-time at the Ruby Htel wrkshp venue was Hnin Ei Hlaing wh jined YFS in 2006 as an assistant editr, is nw wrking as a sund recrdist, directr and editr, and has made extrardinary leaps frward in her skills. Her editing displays a gd

42 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt eye as well as an ability t find humur in material. The dcumentary Puppets withut Brders fllws a puppet theatre wrkshp in Chiang Mai in Thailand and subsequent perfrmances in Phnm Penh and Yangn. Althugh the film was riginally cnceived as a jint Cambdian-Burmese prject, with Hnin Ei Hlaing c-directing, when the Cambdian cdirectr unexpectedly drpped ut, it mre r less fell t Hnin Ei Hlaing t direct and edit the prject by herself. Althugh I helped Hnin Ei Hlaing t put tgether a preliminary structure n paper, my rle was simply t ask questins, and she rdered the scenes herself. This was such a pleasant surprise and marked the first time at YFS where I was able t wrk as I nrmally d at film schls in Eurpe, i.e. Hnin Ei Hlaing was capable f taking n full respnsibility fr the editing prcess and there was n need fr me t sit with her day after day in the editing rm. I felt the material was quite vibrant and the editing prcess was creative. At ver thirty minutes, the cut was rather lng but I hpe that, with a break, she will be able t return t make a pleasing final versin. Better Life Zaw Naing O is a Burmese editr and talented Beginner at YFS. He was curageus enugh t take up the challenge f editing a 15-minute film which YFS filmmaker Sann Maung Aung (frm the 2009 chrt) had directed fr the NGO Better Life Organisatin, which was funded by Lay Thida, herself a member f YFS since Hnin Ei Hlaing (in blue) with Beginner students during Basic Training The film, sht in Rakhine State, cntains tw different Rakhine dialects. This was a real challenge fr the translatrs wh culd nly prvide rugh translatins f the interviews. Anther prblem was that the mst interesting characters did nt always deliver the infrmatin needed t describe the NGO s prjects. A transgender persn a wman wh dresses and behaves as a man and lives in a lesbian relatinship was identified as ne f the main characters in the film. A fisherman, whse wrk was visually interesting but wh is nt strng enugh t carry the film, was drpped frm the first assembly in favur f tw farmers wh were mre able t describe hw Better Life has been helping t develp the regin after the strm, Giri. The challenge nw is t strike a balance between the fascinating stries f the transgender persn s cming ut and the NGO s successful respnse t Giri. 4. Observatins and Recmmendatins Nw that sme f the mre advanced students are making films f arund thirty minutes in length, I feel that sme may be able t mve twards wrks f ne-hur r mre. I am cnvinced that YFS students are ready fr mre cmplex themes and mre challenging cntent. Students are als much mre independent nw and there is als a larger variety f genres and styles.

43 42 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 One interesting phenmenn this year was the desire viced by sme students t create Burmese and internatinal versins f their films. In rder t change the bad editing habits that have becme prevalent in Burmese filmmaking utside f YFS, it is imprtant t train mre editrs ver a lnger perid f time. If pssible, it wuld be very valuable t create a ne r tw-year training curse just fr editrs. Anther recmmendatin is t plan the pst-prductin wrkflw in advance s a student editr and editing tutr are nt bked befre the prject has been prperly prepared, and all transcripts and translatins have been cmpleted. Hpefully this situatin will be rectified when the planned Management Training cmmences. Editing Tutr Tuula Mehtnen with students The Maw Naing, Seng Mai and an EDL (Editing Decisin List) VIII Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk: An Intrductin t Film Analysis A tw-week wrkshp held by the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm December 2011 Reprt by YFS Editing Tutr Tuula Mehtnen 1. Ratinale fr the Curse This curse was designed t make the students mre aware f the viewing experience when watching a film and t help them gain an insight int the basics f classical film dramaturgy, with a particular emphasis n the dcumentary. The curse was als intended t prvide a windw n different dcumentary film genres and different kinds f filmic expressin. (i) Participants There were twelve participants in the Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk analysis curse: eight beginners and fur advanced students. This prved t be a gd number f students t facilitate discussin. Fur f the participants were wmen and eight were men. Three f the

44 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt participants were mre advanced students wh had taken part in the Hw Films Wrk: Fictin Analysis Curse in the previus year. The beginners were frm different ethnic and prfessinal backgrunds: ne f the female participants was an engineer and a Muslim; anther was a film editr and Mn; anther a Burmese English graduate; and anther a Shan- Kachin phtgrapher and perfrmance artist. The male participants included a Mn videgrapher; tw Burmese cinematgraphers; a Burmese dctr-writer; a Burmese pet and screenwriter; a Shan sund engineer wrking fr Mandalay FM radi; a member f the Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise staff (wh had nt attended any YFS curses befre); and a Shan-Burmese writer, filmmaker and perfrmance artist. YFS students in the 'Hw Dcumentary Films Wrk' classrm at the Ruby Htel I felt that the films YFS Beginner students had made during the Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Wrkshp during the summer had given them a gd grunding and quickly helped them t acquire a similar grasp f analysis t the thers. I nticed a marked difference between YFS-trained students and the ne participant wh was attending the curse withut any previus YFS training. (ii) Teaching and Wrking Methds The curse was taught in a classrm and cntained a mixture f lectures, screenings, shtby-sht viewings, grup wrk, discussins, preparatin f assignments and, finally, independent presentatins. The curse was taught in tw six-day weeks plus ne extra day. During the first three days f the first week the emphasis was n lectures and sample films. The three films t be analysed were screened at the end f the week; each film was screened twice during the curse f ne day. One half f the secnd week was devted t intensive grup wrk and the ther half t each grup s presentatins.

45 44 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Week One The curse began with several lectures n the emtins and hw t create pprtunities fr identificatin in a film. In rder t make the thery mre accessible The Bamb Grve, a shrt true fictin film made by YFS students in 2010, was screened t the students. The students were asked t discuss in grups their wn identificatin prcess while viewing. Students were als asked t find ther stry slutins based n this experience. The Bamb Grve is a stry f a yung dctr wh cmes frm Yangn t wrk in a remte delta area. The main prtagnist is an actr but all the ther characters are real peple frm the grve. It was surprising that almst all the students identified nt with the main prtagnist, the yung dctr, but with the ld man whm the dctr tries t persuade t g t Yangn t receive treatment fr his cancer. All the students wanted t give mre space in the stry t the ld man. A gd discussin abut the imprtance f plausibility and authenticity f a film s characters ensued and participants sn realised hw strng the perfrmances f nnprfessinals can be. Tw dcumentary film milestnes, the Maysles Brthers Salesmen (1968 USA) and Errll Mrris The Thin Blue Line (1988 USA) were screened and the cinematic elements f these films were decnstructed n the timeline by the tutr. Salesman is a wnderful example f pure bservatinal cinema whereas in The Thin Blue Line events are staged like a fictin film and make a remarkable cntributin t the film s intensity. The structure f the editing f bth films is very classical; they prvided gd examples f structural alternatives and we came back t them many times during the curse. It s rather difficult t find versins f these classical dcumentary films with English subtitles. I had almst given up n The Thin Blue Line when I suddenly fund a subtitled versin in the YFS's wn film library. There is a lt f talking in these films and this is always a challenge fr Burmese students. I felt that they nly really understd them when I went thrugh them a secnd time. It was als clear bth fr me and the translatr Aung Min Tun that Salesman was much easier t understand, althugh the language is actually much mre difficult than in The Thin Blue Line. I surmised frm this that it is easier fr students t understand actin rather than ncamera interviews, since, if they didn t understand every wrd, they were at least able t grasp the gist frm what was happening. Students Lu San and Khin Maung Kyaw get t grips with a film analysis exercise After the first screening f these tw films and a general analysis f the emtinal cntent f bth films, we screened and discussed each f the films the students were t analyse during the next week. After this, we came back t analyse Salesman and The Thin Blue Line in mre detail. I fund this apprach useful fr the students and it yielded mre examples fr the lectures abut different levels f meaning.

46 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Week Tw Exercises in Film Analysis During the secnd week students analysed fur different films in grups f tw r three. The films analysed were: The Stry f the Weeping Camel by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Flrni (2003, Germany) Wall, by Simne Bittn (2004 France, Israel) 9 Star Htel by Id Haar (2007 Israel) The Gleaners and I by AgnésVarda (2002 France) Because there was ne cinematgrapher n the curse (Aung K K), I included an extra film, Three Rms f Melanchlia by Pirj Hnkasal (2004, Finland) fr him and a yunger camera student, Khin Maung Kyaw. I asked sund student Sai Kng Kham t jin them in rder t analyse the use f cinematgraphy and sund in this dcumentary. They cmprised the fifth grup. The ther fur grups were frmed freely, but I insisted that the mre experienced YFS students shuld jin different grups. This was a gd slutin because these students, especially Dr Aung Min, were able t help the beginners. The ral grup presentatins were held at the end f the curse. The Stry f the Weeping Camel and 9 Star Htel are bservatinal films and it was quite easy fr the students t analyse and identify meaning, plt pints and structure in them. The frmer was analyzed by Dr Aung Min, War War and Zaw Naing O and the latter by Thet Hsu Hlaing and Khin Myanmar. The Gleaners and I is a persnal film essay and students wh are als perfrmance artists, The Maw Naing and Seng Mai, selected it fr their presentatin. They were very astute in identifying the diverse material used by Agnés Varda in this film; hwever, verbalising the meaning f the varius elements prved mre challenging. Wall is a petic film abut building the wall in Israel and it was really difficult fr Lu San and Sai Nye Nye t get beynd what was happening in each scene. Althugh we repeatedly tld Lu San, wh is a pet himself, that we had seen the film, we knw what is happening in it, tell us smething else yu have discvered abut it, he was nt able t g beynd recunting the events. The tw cinematgraphers and sund recrdist Sai Kng Kham wrked their way meticulusly thrugh the Three Rms f Melanchlia, which is a very lng film, and analysed every single image, all the camera angles and gave a cmpetent descriptin f hw sund is used in this film. Zaw Naing O, War War Hlaing, tutr Tuula Mehtnen and Aung Min with their EDL (Edit Decisin List) After these grup presentatins, I gave several shrt talks n different dcumentary genres using Eric Barnuw s and Bill Nichl s appraches. I cncluded by discussing Jn Brstin s apprach t defining three different ways t lk at a film.

47 46 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Observatins and Recmmendatins In cmparisn t my students in Finland, Burmese students seem t have n qualms abut taking t the stage. Hwever, speakers need t d a lt mre t make their presentatins interesting fr thers! I als feel that it may have been t much t listen t the analyses f five films in such a shrt space f time. Fr the beginners n this curse, feature film analysis wuld perhaps have been easier, but I als think it is a gd idea t change the tpic every time perhaps we culd lk at cmedy next time. We culd als begin t use lder students as c-teachers and they culd begin t lead beginners analysis curses in tandem with internatinal tutrs. IX Pst-Prductin and Sund Pre-Mixing Wrkshp A tw-week wrkshp at the Yangn Film Schl in Myanmar frm 30 December 2011 t 13 January 2012 Reprt by YFS Pst-Prductin Tutr David M. Smith 1. Aims and Apprach Building n an intrductry mdule ffered t participants f the Beginners Wrkshp in summer, 2011, the aim f this Pst-Prductin and Sund Pre-Mix Wrkshp was t instill mre prfessinalism at the clsing stages f an edit. In particular, participants were encuraged t take charge, becme able t deal effectively with directrs and internatinal prducers, develp mre efficient subtitling strategies and wrk twards getting a cut lcked. Technical skills t be taught included nline editing, clur grading and sund pre-mixing. Pst-Prductin tutr David M. Smith The teaching was classrm based. The rm was rganized with eight Mac wrkstatins and all teaching materials were made available t each wrkstatin. Initially the teaching was based upn shw and g training methds t establish a cmmn level f student experience. Participants were given practical exercises that were cmpleted as I circulated amngst them and ffered supprt. 2. Participants The ten places n this wrkshp were pen t all YFS students. Participants included fur wmen, ne f whm, sund recrdist, editr and directr, Hnin Ei Hlaing, was a graduate f several years f YFS curses and three f whm (Khin Myanmar, War War Hlaing and Seng Mai) had recently cmpleted YFS curses in dcumentary, editing, film histry and analysis.

48 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt The five men n the curse included YFS graduates cinematgrapher and editr Pe Maung Same, editr-directr and NGO wrker Aung Nwai Htway (aka K Nwai) and three students wh had recently cmpleted YFS curses in dcumentary, editing, film histry and analysis: Zaw Naing O, Khin Maung Kyaw and Sai Kn Kham. David takes the students thrugh the principles f pst-prductin n the YFS's Apple Macs 3. Curse Cntent and Structure This tw-week curse intrduced students t the fllwing pst-prductin tasks: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Editing lcking the cut wrking with directrs and prducers subtitle techniques sund editing mixing in FCP On-line and Clur grading the rle f the n-line editr media management and exprting fr n-line, clur grading and pre- mixing the art and science f clur crrectin Apple Clr in detail Sund Design the rle f the sund designer imprting sessin data intrductin t Prtls 101 sund editing in Prtls rganising tracks fr the Mix cmpressin, reverb and equalising the mix exprting the mix Media Management rganising prject assets int ne lcatin flder rganisatin archiving a prject

49 48 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Week One Pst- Prductin students War War Hlaing, Khin Myanmar and Hnin Ei Hlaing (i) Editing We started ff with Final Cut Pr. I tk the students thrugh parts f the Apple Certified curse t ensure everyne was at the same level. We cvered advanced editing techniques including duble system, i.e. separately sht picture and sund. This was cmbined with drama editing techniques such as synching up, take selectin, rehearsing takes, pacing, rhythm and perfrmance. We wrked using a shrt dramatic scene frm Kramer vs. Kramer. After the initial assembly, students were encuraged t cnsider the finer pints f sht selectin, analyse perfrmance and learn abut revealing emtin and develping rhythm. The students appeared t really enjy this, as mst had never edited any drama material befre. It is a very different discipline t dcumentary editing, ne that ffers different challenges based n maintaining cntinuity and getting the mst ut f an actr s perfrmance. We returned t this material later in the curse when we wrked n audi pstprductin. (ii) Wrkflw We then mved n t advanced HD wrkflw, lking firstly at the technical backgrund including reslutin and bit rates. It is imprtant t be technically crrect right frm the beginning f this prcess. After this we began an HD wrkflw exercise. The aim here was t establish a cmplete HD wrkflw frm shting right up t DVD prductin. We called this exercise the One Minute Feature Film. Students develped an initial cncept and develped the script. We sht a sequence using bth the Cann and Sny HD cameras. We were able t include multi-camera editing int the exercise (live switching between the synched camera clips). The students then ingested the ftage using the crrect settings and they all edited the sequence. We then used this sequence in later lessns.

50 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt (iii) Lcking the Cut We discussed as a grup the challenges editrs face in maintaining frward mmentum in film editing. One f the prblems YFS has faced in the past is finishing films. This may be in part due t a general lack f cnfidence, but it is definitely nt helped by an exaggerated deference t internatinal tutrs. We discussed ntins f taking charge by assuming respnsibility fr the film, as well as strategies fr dealing with directrs and the cnflicting messages f cntributrs, clleagues, mentrs and tutrs. In shrt, I encuraged students t get t knw their material, listen, believe in themselves, be curageus and trust their instincts. Students create images f themselves (and have sme fun) during the Pst-Prductin wrkshp We als discussed the rle f the n-line editr, clurist and audi mixer. The purpse f these rles is t take a lcked cut frward t a finessed and plished finished film. This includes maintaining clur and sund cntinuity, technical crrectness and graphical sensibility. The n-line editr s rle is bth creative and technical and depends a great deal n attentin t detail. (iv) Clur Grading I split this int tw areas: clur grading in FCP and using the specialist applicatin 'Apple Clr'. Mst f the students cncentrated n FCP as they fund Apple Clur a bit t much f a challenge. We started with a general lk at the art and science f this specialisatin why clur grade, what can be achieved, the stages and the wrkflw. I wuld cnsider mst f the beginner students t be very cmfrtable with using FCP fr grading and that this way f wrking is sufficient fr mst YFS utput. All students attended sessins n advanced grading using Apple Clr and s are aware f its capabilities and hw the wrkflw is rganised. 5. Week Tw (i) Graphics In week tw, we went int the fundamentals f cnstructing mtin graphics in FCP including the principles f fill/key/backgrund in the cnstructin and design f graphics. We als cvered key framing, animatin and timing, as well as the basics f text design in Phtshp and hw t imprt them int FCP. I tk the participants thrugh end rller ptins such as Apple Mtin r FCP. (ii) Subtitles One f the majr issues affecting all the films that cme thrugh the Yangn Film Schl is translatin and subtitling. This frms a huge part f the wrkflw and has a tendency t slw

51 50 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 dwn the develpment f films. One utility that has prved useful in the latter stages f pstprductin is Title Exchange Pr. With this applicatin it is pssible t exprt draft subtitles t be edited in a text editr. One student, K Nwai, prved t be prficient at making DVDs with user selectable subtitle tracks using TEP. (iii) Sund I had intended t cver Prtls fr audi pst. Hwever, I made the judgment that intrducing Prtls wuld simply be t much fr the beginner students unless they had a particular interest in sund pst-prductin. This needs t be cvered in a dedicated Sund Design curse. Khin Maung Kyaw wrks n editing sund during the Pst-Prductin wrkshp Fr this reasn, this curse was nly able t prvide an intrductin t this cmplex part f the pst-prductin prcess fr which I decided t cncentrate n the tls available in FCP. I intrduced the participants t the varius stages f sund editing including track-laying, sub-frame editing, cpying and pasting atms, replacing takes, cleanup and level adjustments. We als cvered prcessing including equalisatin, cmpressin and reverb, and the difference between manual and autmated mixing. (iv) DVD Prductin T cnclude, we tk a lk at the making f DVDs and Blu-rays including simple menudriven designs. The teaching was based n the 'DVD Ckbk' handut. (v) Curse Materials All curse materials, clips, audi, graphics, prjects, tutrial vides etc and all presentatins, dcuments and handbks were left n YFS drive Observatins January 2012 was a very exciting time t be teaching in Myanmar. During the wrkshp the Art f Freedm Film Festival tk place an extrardinary event, which brught part f Yangn t a standstill when Aung San Suu Kyi attended the final awards ceremny. Our students were understandably very excited by this and althugh they were careful nt t express t much ptimism, it was clearly inspiring fr them t see penly critical and satirical films in a public setting. I was frtunate t be able t attend the awards ceremny even thugh I did nt have a ticket and smehw bundled in with the students. This meant I was able t see the films and experience the event with them. YFS student Zaw Naing O was even interviewed by the BBC, as can be seen at the fllwing link:

52 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt The grup dynamics in ur wrkspace were very gd. In these teaching situatins, students ften learn as much frm each ther as frm the tutrs. Language difficulties were dealt with n the spt with gd humur and nt a little amusement as I ccasinally slipped int idim and jargn. It was interesting t see hw different students respnded t the different tpics we cvered: War War Hlaing was bviusly fascinated by the drama editing exercises especially the One Minute Feature Film. She arrived early and left late and experimented with different versins. Seng Mai and Khin Myanmar initially fund the curse very challenging but, thrugh hard wrk and the help f their clleagues, ended up achieving mre than they expected. Zaw Naing O, Khin Maung Kyaw and Sai Kn Kham all fund the mtin graphics and cmpsiting sectins very exciting and were sn putting tgether quite cmplex title sequences. Hnin Ei Hlaing cntinues t develp apace and shne in the clur grading, cmpleting the first pass clur grade n her wn film prject Puppets withut Brders. I think YFS shuld treat her as the 'g t gal' fr this kind f wrk. She is a talent very smart and fcused with a gd eye. When it came t DVD authring, I was pleased with the wrk dne by K Nwai and wuld recmmend him as the g t guy fr this part f the filmmaking prcess. He even managed t find the technique fr multiple subtitle tracks n a DVD s I was able t learn frm him t! X Flying Mentrships & Pst-Prductin Wrkshp II A Yangn Film Schl Mentrship & Wrkshp held in Yangn, Myanmar in February and March Flying Mentrships Once again, the YFS Flying Mentrship prgramme prved an invaluable asset as students struggled t meet deadlines and respnd t the smetimes challenging briefs f NGO clients. Having travelled t Yangn in May/June 2011 t rund ff her mentrship f the edit f tw true fictins films Bungkus and The Bamb Grve, YFS Editing tutr Regina Bärtschi returned t Yangn in February/March 2012 t mentr the edits f fur film cmmissins. Here are her cmments: A still frm A Step Frward filmed in Rakhine State fr lcal NGO Better Life Organizatin A Step Frward (fr Better Life) aims t shw the impact that Better Life Organisatin s prgrammes are having n peple in Rakhine State. Beginner-editr Zaw Naing O s rugh cut did nt clarify the changes fr each f the film s prtagnists, nr why Better Life had chsen t wrk in this regin. Hence, the film was re-structured and an intrductry text and archive phtgraphs were added describing the effects f the strm Giri which prmpted the NGO t intervene. In Puppets withut Brders, which the editr Hnin Ei Hlaing als c-directed, the challenge was t create an atmspheric film which als des justice t the diversity f appraches t puppetry and perfrmance as well as t the individual prtagnists.

53 52 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 The prject fr Malteser Internatinal, Mre than a Tree, required editr My Min Khin t distil in just three weeks frm arund five hurs f material a ten-minute film abut hw mangrves can help cmbat the adverse effects f climate change. 2. Pst-Prductin Wrkshp II During her mentrship f these cmmissined films, Regina Bärtschi cnducted a ne-week wrkshp in pstprductin with seven students wrking n cmmissins: Aung K K, Hnin Ei Hlaing, Khin Myanmar, Zaw Naing O, My Min Khin, War War Hlaing and Lay Thida. The fcus f this wrkshp was t cncentrate n tw main areas f pstprductin: a) clur crrectin and b) subtitling. (i) Clur Crrectin 'Flying Mentr' Regina Bärtschi with Pst- Prductin Wrkshp II students in February 2012 Regina supervised as editr Hnin Ei Hlaing and the prject s cinematgrapher Aung K K wrked their way meticulusly sht-by-sht thrugh the clur crrectin f the Save the Children prject in rder t give it a hmgenus lk that reflected cnditins during the sht. This was t mark Hnin Ei Hlaing s first autnmus grade fllwing David Smith s pstprductin wrkshp in January and represented a useful pprtunity fr her t practice her new-fund skills. (ii) Subtitle Prgramme Title Exchange Pr Regina als intrduced students wrking n prjects fr Better Life, Save the Children and Malteser t the subtitle sftware Title Exchange Pr. This prgramme makes it pssible t imprt and exprt lists f time-cded subtitles int Final Cut editing sftware and reduces the time invlved in labriusly typing up lists f subtitles int anther frmat such as Excel; it als narrws the margin f errr when crrecting subtitles. In additin, the prgramme allws subtitles t be exprted t the DVD in such a way that it allws the viewer t select a language, r watch the film withut subtitles. This will allw YFS t prduce multi-language versins f films.

54 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt XI Screenwriting Mentrship in 2011 Reprt by YFS Screenwriting and Directing Tutr Rachel Mathews During 2011, Rachel Mathews mentred varius YFS screenwriters and directrs via frm Eurpe. These included: Aung Min A Mnk (c-written with the prject's directr, The Maw Naing) A Mnk is a feature length screenplay based n Zawana The Nvice, a shrt script develped and written by Aung Min during the first YFS Screenwriting Wrkshp in Nvember/December Aung Min and YFS filmmaking student The Maw Naing began t develp the feature length versin f this stry whilst studying at the FAMU Film Schl in Prague in Hwever, they requested and have been granted cntinued mentrship frm YFS thrughut Tutr Rachel Mathews has given these students detailed nline feedback n the treatment and tw drafts f the screenplay which Aung Min and The Maw Naing are currently finalising in Yangn. Lcatin scuting and casting has already begun and the film is set t be sht in the Delta regin f Myanmar in June Anna Biak Tha Mawi Bungkus Anna always intended t write Bungkus made int a shrt film during the True Fictins II wrkshp in winter 2010 as a feature length screenplay set in her hme village in Chin State. The plitical situatin meant it wuld have been impssible fr YFS t sht a film f this stry there. Hwever, recent develpments in Myanmar mean it might be pssible t film in the regin sn. Rachel Mathews has mentred via Anna's preparatins fr the lnger versin f this stry which is currently at treatment stage. Anna is als planning t write a secnd screenplay based n the life f her Uncle, a famus Chin general wh fught against the Burmese gvernment. Rachel will mentr bth these prject nline thrughut Traditinal Chin weaving which will feature in the full-length screenplay f Bungkus As well as the sustained supprt f Aung Min and Anna tw writers wh have been identified as the strngest screenwriters in the YFS chrt Rachel Mathews has undertaken the fllwing script mentring wrk: Linn Ti O Untitled Prject Linn Ti O is an accmplished writer wh wrte the shrt screenplay, Like A Bubble In Water, during the 2007 YFS Screenwriting Wrkshp. Tw versins f this script were filmed and fur versins edited during the first True Fictins Wrkshp in Caring fr his ill father has

55 54 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 since led t a hiatus in Linn Ti O's writing career. Hwever, tutr Rachel Mathews remade cntact him in Nvember He is currently wrking n an utline fr a new shrt screenplay, set in the Delta where he is nw living. Rachel will deliver feedback via nce the first draft has been delivered, hpefully in Spring Thi Ha Thwe A Twist f Fate Thi Ha was ne f the three winners f the YFS Pitching Cmpetitin in Nvember 2009 with an utline fr a shrt fictin screenplay, 'A Twist f Fate'. Rachel Mathews has mentred the develpment and writing f this script thrughut via a mix f face-t-face tutrials (in Winter, 2010) and cntact. Unfrtunately, Thi Ha's full-time jb as a jurnalist has delayed the filming f this prject. It is hped he will find the time t finalise the script and sht the film in Summer Lay Thida The Lst Girl At the 2009 Pitching Cmpetitin, Lay Thida pitched a pignant true stry abut a teenage girl in Yangn wh develped kidney disease and, realising she was ging t die, pretended t her family she was getting better. Lay Thida intended t make a dcumentary f this stry. Hwever, fllwing feedback and further research, she has decided it will wrk best as a 'True Fictins' type film. Rachel Mathews is currently mentring Lay Thida t turn this real-life material int a fictinal stry. 1. Cmments Lay Thida leading a seminar during the Beginners' Wrkshp Althugh gd prgress has been made with Aung Min and his directr, The Maw Naing, and with Anna Biak Tha Mawi via nline mentring, ther YFS screenwriters and directrs have nt respnded s well t this frm f tutring. This may be chiefly because Aung Min and Anna (alngside Lin Ti O, whse family prblems have interrupted his writing career) wuld appear t be the nly true writers YFS has s far fund t wrk with. Sme ther screenwriting students have written prmising drafts f shrt scripts but have failed t demnstrate the lng-term cmmitment demanded by this discipline. Students such as Thi Ha, Okkar and Lay Thida wuld appear t be mre suited t directing and prductin than t writing. They are wrking n scripts chiefly because YFS is lacking a pl f writers they can draw upn at this stage in the schl's develpment. Fr this reasn, we have decided t run the fllwing Wrkshps in Summer 2012: (i) Beginners' Screenwriting Wrkshp This wrkshp will be designed specifically t create a number f 'True Fictins' type scripts i.e. fictinal scripts based n true stries which can be sht n lcatin in r near Yangn with nn-actrs. Fllwing this wrkshp, the mst prmising scripts will be develped via nline mentring with the aim f 2-4 f these prjects being ready fr prductin during the True Fictins III wrkshp prpsed fr This Wrkshp will be fr writers new t YFS and will be tutred by Rachel Mathews. The writers will be mentred by Aung Min and if he is able t leave his family fr the duratin f the wrkshp Lin Ti O.

56 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt (ii) One-t-One Screenwriting Mentring Whilst she is in Yangn in 2012, Rachel will rganise a series f face-t-face meetings with writers and directrs already wrking n prjects e.g. Aung Min and The Maw Naing, Anna Biak Tha Mawi, Thi Ha, Lu San, Lin Ti O, Okkar, Lay Thida. The aim f this mentring is t push frward the prjects currently being develped, and get sme f the scripts ready fr prductin in late 2012/2013. XII YFS Annual Screening On Sunday, 4 December 2011, the Yangn Film Schl held its utdr Annual Screening at a new venue, the Huse f Memries, n U Wisara Rad in Kamaryut Twnship. The event, which was pened this year by Mme Vernique Lrenz, Head f Operatins at the EU Delegatin in Bangkk, attracted a diverse audience f diplmats and members f the internatinal develpment cmmunity, but als lcal capacity building and civil sciety rganisatins and NGOs, jurnalists, media wrkers, filmmakers, artists and writers, as well as sme f the films' prtagnists. The prtagnist f Kran and Karate The screening kicked ff with tw f the fur final film assignments made by nvice directrs during the 2011 Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Wrkshp: Zaw Naing O s Empty Nest, abut a Chin wman living in Yangn wh srely misses her children (all but ne f whm nw live abrad) and War War Hlaing s Kran and Karate which prtrays the life f a yung Myanmar-Muslim wman in Yangn. The first part f the prgramme was runded ff by Wathann award-winner Sweetie Pie, which was Shan directr Sai Kng Kham s first film exercise. The filmmakers f all the beginners films were intrduced n stage befre the break, during which they mingled with guests and discussed their wrk. Student-trainer Aung K K (left) with Beginner Students during the Basic Training Wrkshp The screenings after the interval were reserved fr three wrks by mre experienced YFS students: On Hliday, Shin Daewe s deeply felt bservatin f visitrs t the Ananda pagda festival in Bagan; and Unreprted Stry, a hard-hitting tale f dmestic abuse in Shan State by Lay Thida and editr Eh Mwee, wh came n stage after the film t discuss sme f the issues raised by this shrt

57 56 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 dcumentary and talk abut hw they thught the film might be used t raise awareness and encurage wmen s grups t lbby fr wmen s rights. The last film f the evening was The Bamb Grve, a true fictins film prduced by YFS in 2010, which tells the stry f a yung dctr frm Yangn wh finds himself caught between deep-seated lcal traditins in the Kayin village where he has been assigned and his cmmitment t prviding treatment fr his patients, cme what may. Afterwards the film crew came n stage and talked abut the challenges f filming n lcatin in a Kayin village with little r n electricity and the rewards f wrking with a nn-prfessinal but enthusiastic cast f lcals. Althugh Q & A sessins were nly intrduced at YFS tw years ag, students are becming increasingly cnfident and mre articulate abut their wrk. Like all filmmakers, they relish the pprtunity t hear what audiences think abut their films. The Burmese traditinally cme t public events early and leave punctually, many members f the audience chse t stay n after the screening t mix with filmmakers and ther guests and cntinue discussing the films. XIII Direct Results f YFS Wrkshps and Activities in Visible utcmes In 2011, YFS participants tk part in, prduced r are develping: a) Tw residential wrkshps b) Five nn-residential wrkshps c) One Clinic -style wrkshp d) Tw Flying Mentrship e) Tw nging distance learning mdules (screenwriting and prductin) f) Nine shrt dcumentaries and exercises, five f which fcus n tpics inspired by Myanmar s diverse ethnicities g) Fur cmmissined films in 2011/12, three made fr the NGOs Save the Children, Better Life Organisatin and Malteser Internatinal and ne, Puppets Withut Brders, made fr the Gethe Institute Jakarta abut a crss-brder wrkshp Thailand which gathered creatrs f puppet theatre frm Asia and Eurpe The films marked in bld, as well as tw shrt films abut the 2011 YFS wrkshps which include cmments frm bth participants and tutrs will be available n tw Yangn Film Schl DVD cllectins: Different Vices: Yangn Film Schl Wrkshps in 2011, and Stries frm Myanmar 2011: Films made fr Develpment Organisatins by students f the Yangn Film Schl. Bth DVDs will be released in May 2011.

58 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Benefits fr Target Grup Students wrk with different ethnic grups in Myanmar and learn t vercme prejudice Members f marginalised ethnic and religius grups are invlved in a creative activity that delivers slid skills and helps them gain cnfidence Students are expsed t a variety f cinematic styles and are able t develp their wn individual identities as filmmakers Beginner students Seng Mai & Khin Maung Kyaw share a jke at the Ruby Htel Unique pprtunity t live and wrk alngside industry prfessinals frm all ver the wrld in a relaxed but structured atmsphere in which cultural barriers melt Participants acquire media skills that are becming increasingly desirable in a grwing marketplace at hme and abrad Psitive psychlgical effects as participants take pride in their abilities, assume respnsibility and acquire a deeper understanding f themselves, their immediate envirnment and the wrld at large. 3. Disseminatin f YFS Films (i) Cmmissined Prjects fr the Develpment Sectr In 2011, several NGOs apprached the schl s prductin arm Yangn Film Services t prduce films abut their activities: YFS Cmmittee member and NGO wrker Lay Thida asked YFS t create a shrt film abut her NGO Better Life s respnse t cyclne Giri in Kyauk Phyu in Rakhine State; Save the Children asked YFS t make a dcumentary abut behaviural change in a village tract in Deedu Gne in the delta; and, at the beginning f 2012, Malteser Internatinal cmmissined YFS t prduce a dcumentary Mre than a Tree abut their disaster preventin activities in Kyae Taw village tract in Rakhine State. A yung prtagnist frm Let's Get n the Bus filmed fr Save the Children in Deedugne Twnship in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta As with ther Yangn Film Services prductins, the YFS Cmmittee and Directr were careful t cnsider as many YFS members ld and new as pssible when crewing. They cntinued their plicy, begun in 2010, f invlving beginners frm the latest intake as trainees and/r

59 58 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 junir directrs. In this way, Khin Myanmar was assigned as Junir Directr n Mre than a Tree and cnducted interviews with prtagnists n behalf f Malteser representative Philipp Dana. The film was edited by My Min Khin f the 2005 chrt. The Better Life prject was directed by a crew frm the 2009 intake with Sann Maw Aung directing, Kyaw K K n camera and Mya Darli Aung n sund, and edited by Zaw Naing O frm the 2011 intake. The Save the Children prject was directed by Maung Okkar frm the 2009 intake, filmed by Aung K K frm 2005 chrt and edited by Hnin Ei Hlaing wh jined YFS in In September, Bram Steenhuizen f MTV Exit apprached YFS fr a crew fr an MTV website prject abut human trafficking entitled Enslaved. YFS crew Aung K K, Lay Thida and Hnin Ei Hlaing accmpanied Bram t a lcatin in the delta and als cnducted interviews n his behalf. (ii) New Cmmissins Amng cmmissins currently under discussin are: (iii) A dcumentary fr Pye Pin abut thirty clnial era buildings that have been recmmended fr preservatin by the Myanmar Architects' Assciatin. A dcusap idea in cllabratin with Ppulatin Services Internatinal abut best vs. wrst practice at a rural clinic. A dcumentary fr INGO Geneva Call abut land mines in Kachin State A prject fr lcal NGO Tampadipa Institute aimed at reducing steretypes and discriminatin against ethnic grups in Myanmar Other Prjects and Partnerships Thanks t cntinued spnsrship frm The British Cuncil, in 2011 three YFS students were awarded schlarships t take part in six mnths f British Cuncil English-language classes in Yangn. YFS Directr Lindsey Merrisn is nw n the Advisry Bard f the Wathann Film Festival which was funded in Yangn by YFS filmmakers in September YFS has been apprached by the internatinal rganisatin The Search fr Cmmn Grund t prvide a) ten ne-day wrkshps aimed at develping media skills amng yung peple f different ethnic rigins and b) a vide dialgue between members f remte cmmunities (iv) Independent Prjects by YFS filmmakers, the YFS Prductin Fund YFS filmmakers cntinue t develp their wn prjects, with and withut YFS input. In 2011 Wai Mar Nyunt, wh returned t Myanmar in June 2010 having cmpleted a nine-mnth curse in Multimedia at FAMU, cntinued filming her prject (with the wrking title 7/11) abut the Electin and its aftermath. She is cllabrating n the prject with fellw YFSstudent Pe Maung Same. In June 2011, The Maw Naing and YFS screenwriter Dr Aung Min travelled t FAMU t develp their screenplay A Mnk fr which they als received mentrship frm YFS Screenwriting Tutr Rachel Mathews (see abve). This feature length drama will g int prductin in June 2012.

60 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Shin Daewe cntinued wrk n her wn electin film The Cllectr; she is als prducer f YFS Prductin Fund prject Tyres, directed by Kyaw My Lwin. Anther Prductin Fund prject is Aung Nwai Htway s persnal film, Behind the Screen which is in its final stages f cmpletin at the time f writing. Inaugurated in 2009, the YFS Prductin Fund aims t supprt the prductin f independent prjects and at the same time familiarise YFS students with internatinal pitching and acquisitin prcesses, encurage them t create budgets and cntracts and handle film prductins accrding t industry nrms and best practice. (v) Yangn Film Schl Films at Internatinal Film Festivals In January 2011, The Maw Naing s Again and Again was screened in Nrway at the Srlandet Art Museum during the Rving Eye Exhibitin Landscapes f Cncern'. In February, Lindsey Merrisn and Eh Mwee travelled t Trnt in Canada t take part in the New Vices, New Visins: Buddhism, Develpment and Dcumentary Filmmaking in Burma sympsium at the University f Trnt where they screened six YFS films, met filmmakers frm Canada and Tibet and cmpared varius mdels f participatry vide. Eh Mwee (secnd right) with ther filmmakers at the Trnt sympsium Maung Okkar s Charcal By cntinued t prve smething f a festival darling, ding the runds f festivals in Regensburg (Germany), Ls Angeles (tgether with Nyi Lynn Seck s Killing Time), Sehsüchte Student Film Festival in Ptsdam-Babelsberg (see pic), the M&Friese Children s Shrt Film Festival in Hamburg, Palm Springs, USA, the Traumzeit Festival in Duisburg, the Up-and-Cming Film Festival in Hanver, Lag Film Festival in Italy, Signe de Nuit in Paris (with Burmese Butterfly, A Millin Threads, An Untitled Life, Life Father, Like Sn, A Bright Future), Asian Cnnectin in Lyn (with Hey, Girl! and An Untitled Life) and Vivé Rencntre Cinema in Grisny, France. In additin, YFS films My Psitive Life, A Bright Future, Our Frests, Our Future and Stigmatize This! screened at the Lifescapes Festival in Chiangmai in Thailand; Like Father, Like Sn and A Millin Threads screened at the secnd Vientianale in Las in the presence f Pe Maung Same; Beynd the Light and Happy Days went t a festival in Brazil; A Millin Threads went t Lndn s Open City Festival and screened again (alng with Peace f Mind, An Untitled Life, Life Father, Like Sn, and Killing Time) at French student film festival FIDE; An Untitled Life

61 60 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 went t Bulgarian festival In the Palace; in Berlin Stepping Up, Rice Twards a Better Future, A Piece f Eden and Beynd the Light were presented at the Mekng Cuntry Day and, finally, in Nvember Interfilm Internatinal Film Festival screened Lay Thida s Just a By and hsted the premiere f YFS true fictin film The Bamb Grve directed by Khin Khin Hsu. Alngside the abve YFS titles, YFS has been helping t disseminate independent Burmese filmmaker Min Htin K K Gyi s film abut envirnmental change in Inle Lake in nrthern Myanmar, Flating Tmates. Thanks t supprt frm YFS, he was able t present his film in persn at festivals in Seul, Krea and Vientiane, Las. This title als screened at festivals in Berlin, Lyn and Lag in Italy. Khin Khin Hsu und Lay Thida at the Interfilm Festival, Berlin (vi) YFS at Festivals in Myanmar The Yangn Film Schl is delighted at the inauguratin f the first tw independent Burmese-run film festivals in Myanmar. Funded by YFS students Thu Thu Shein and Thaiddhi amng thers, the Wathann Film Festival tk place at Mahar Sanni Thukha Mnastery in Tarmwe Twnship in Yangn frm September, The event, which shwed uncensred versins f bth lcal and internatinal wrks and marked a watershed in Myanmar s media histry, shwcased tw YFS titles: Sweetie Pie (Dir. Sai Kng Kham) and Burmese Butterfly, a film by Hnin Ei Hlaing abut Myanmar s emergent gay cmmunity. YFS beginner-student and first-time directr Sai Kng Kham received Best Dcumentary Award fr Sweetie Pie frm an internatinal jury that included Myanmar Mtin Picture Assciatin President U Myint Thein Pe and the Institut Française s Fabrice Etienne. This charming shrt began life as a filming exercise and was nly cmpleted tw weeks befre the festival began. YFS als screened Maung Okkar s kick-bxing film The Game and true fictins film The Bamb Grve at the inaugural Art f Freedm Film Festival in January; this festival was rganised by celebrated Burmese cmedian Zarganar and filmmaker Min Htin K K Gyi, with whm YFS als met in rder t discuss pssible ways f cperating. (vii) Myanmar Televisin, Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise In a further bid t make inrads with MRTV as an utlet and als c-prducer f YFS cntent, YFS Directr Lindsey Merrisn, Wrkshp Supervisr Helke Madry, Management Cach Rusta Mizani and Permit Manager Pe Maung Same paid a visit t the cuntry s nly quasi-private bradcaster MRTV4 t discuss pssible ways f cperating. In particular, YFS mted the idea f a regular 15-minute televisin slt devted t dcumentary films made by Myanmar filmmakers. Still unsure f censrship develpments and hw the new media law wuld affect his prgramming plicy, the bradcaster s CEO, Khin Maung Htay was hwever reluctant t take up the idea, citing the need t play safe by bradcasting inncuus in-huse prductins and utsurced entertainment prgrammes. He did hwever cite the need t train a new generatin f bradcasters, and explained his plans fr a Media Develpment

62 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt Centre n the current MRTV4 site, with supprt frm Deutsche Welle Academy and Krea s Educatinal Bradcasting Services. Cperatin with YFS tutrs and pssibly lcal YFS trainers at this level wuld be welcmed. Althugh MRTV4 culd nt immediately cmmit t YFS prgramme cntent, YFS wuld be able t submit films t MRTV s new Channel 7 prgramme due t be launched in Anther suggestin was fr YFS t apprach anther quasi-private venture, Myanmar Internatinal Channel. Althugh the meeting did nt bring much in the way f cncrete results, CEO Khin Maung Htay did spend almst tw hurs with us, which gives sme indicatin f YFS reputatin within Myanmar s media landscape. Filming Kran and Karate MRTV may have been tentative, but the gvernment s film department, Myanmar Mtin Picture Enterprise, seemed nly t willing t cperate with YFS. Bestwing his first site visit n YFS, the department s Technical Directr U Win Htu and five clleagues tured the wrkshp venue. After briefly bserving the HD camera wrkshp and editing prcess (shaking hands with all the male students and ignring all the female participants), U Win Htu asked abut the schl s histry and training prgramme. Explaining that Infrmatin Minister Kyaw Hsan had urged the department t imprve the quality f Myanmar filmmaking, he asked if YFS wuld train 5-6 MMPE emplyees. Reminding him that YFS had included MMPE emplyees n its curses n at least fur ccasins, YFS Directr Lindsey Merrisn cnfirmed that the schl wuld always be willing t interview any prspective candidates. She emphasised that recruitment, thugh inclusive in terms f ethnicity and ecnmic means, wuld remain selective and aptitude-based. (viii) Cperatin with Internatinal Media Myanmar s thaw in the wake f the 2010 electins has led t a steady stream f visitatins frm members f the internatinal media. As a result, YFS is being apprached by an increasing number f visiting jurnalists, filmmakers and/r prductin cmpanies. Amng the prjects fr which YFS has been asked t prvide researchers, fixers and crew members are: A BBC televisin series n the wrld s great railways is develping a 2-3 part dcumentary series n Myanmar s railways in which YFS will be invlved during the research, filming and editing. An Asian rad mvie fr Franc- German channels rbb/arte. YFS will be invlved in the filming f the Myanmar leg f this pan-asian trip. Camera Tutr Lars Barthel and students watch playback during the Beginners' Wrkshp

63 62 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 A three-part dcumentary fr Franc-German bradcasters SWR/arte abut the peple wh live n and arund the Ayeyarwaddy river. A televisin drama entitled Dream Htel fr the German channel ARD. YFS will assist in casting prtagnists. The YFS Cmmittee is als currently cnsidering an ffer frm the exiled bradcaster Demcratic Vice f Burma (DVB) t bradcast YFS films. XIV Cnclusins and the Next Step YFS trainings cntinue t deliver slid media skills t a yung generatin f independent filmmakers and screenwriters in Myanmar. The gender parity and diversity f the new intake in 2011 reflects the schl s cmmitment t training peple f different ethnic backgrunds and underrepresented grups as well as t empwering wmen in the media. The YFS teach-t-train prgramme serves t create capacity fr filmmakers as bth prpnents and multipliers f filmmaking skills. In terms f cntent, the 2011 curses met the nging demand t learn mre abut strytelling (editing, film histry and analysis). Curses als gave mre experienced students the pprtunity t wrk independently, wrking twards established gals (paper cut, assembly, rugh cut) and receive feedback during peridical mentrship sessins. The upgrade t HD (cameras, editing laptps) and the ability t use and integrate this equipment int new wrkflws will ensure the schl keeps abreast f internatinal nrms and remains cmpetitive as a prducer f films bth at hme and abrad. The year 2011 brught fur new cmmissins (nw in pst-prductin) t YFS frm surces inside and utside the cuntry. Such prjects serve t encurage participatin and exchange and implement change in Myanmar. The re-electin f a five-persn YFS Cmmittee in mid-2011 encurages the target grup t take wnership. The call fr recruits (in December) fr a media management training prgramme in 2012 paves the way fr handver f the prject t lcals in 2015, as des YFS s newly acquired legal status as a registered cmpany in Myanmar. As the cuntry pens up and untld pprtunities begin t manifest themselves, it is clear that YFS has a rle t play in this transitin. Hwever, nly by finding and funding a permanent site fr bth schl and prductin utfit will it be pssible fr YFS t meet these challenging new demands, and maintain its credentials as a rbust capacity building prject and prducer f quality audi-visual utput. 1. Assessments and Suggestins The fcus n ethnic minrities helped t make curses and cntent mre inclusive but mre needs t be achieved t reach a greater diversity f applicants and sustain their invlvement.

64 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt A Burmese-language versin f the YFS website will hpefully attract a wider range f applicants including returnees frm Burma s exiled cmmunities. YFS students have created an nline Media Netwrk f filmmakers via which YFS curses will be advertised and infrmatin will be exchanged. The Gethe Institute s EU-funded AsiaDcNet, f which YFS is a partner, will als prvide mre pprtunities fr exchange between Myanmar filmmakers and their clleagues in the regin. Annual intake f beginners cmmences in 2012; this will ensure greater inclusivity and help t create new capacity as lder students cncentrate n ther prjects. Since classrm teaching f Creative Prductin lacks a practical dimensin, prductin will in future be taught n-site and via mentrship n a case by case basis. This will help filmmakers establish parameters fr best practice as the cuntry begins t pen up. Tw planned mdules f Screenwriting and Pitching were pstpned t 2012 t enable students t develp ideas. Screenwriting mentrship f prjects being develped by experienced writer-directrs was nnetheless cnducted via during 2011, and a Screenwriting curse is planned fr In 2012 a Memrandum f Understanding will be drafted t clarify the rle and functin f the five-member YFS Cmmittee and its relatinship t YFS Management. In 2012 the Management Recruitment and Training prgramme will begin the prcess f transitin t a lcal-run entity. HD Camera sht at the Shwedagn Pagda 2. Wrkshps in 2012 An Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking Wrkshp fr six wmen and six men is scheduled fr the first half f The tpic will be Wmen in Myanmar. Recruitment will take place in Yangn in May/June 2012 with YFS Cmmittee members and the YFS Directr cnducting jint interviews. The secnd half f 2012 will be devted nce again t Editing with curses

65 64 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 fr beginners and mre advanced editrs as well as a mdule devted t pst-prductin. Curses analysing dcumentary editing and the histry f film frm are als scheduled. Wrkshps will be runded ff at the end f the year by further tuitin in Sund Design. Film Prductin will be taught in mdules by the YFS Directr and Wrkshp Supervisr based n students nging individual prjects; the YFS Directr will cntinue t advise the YFS Cmmittee n all management and ther issues with a view t handing ver as much f the decisin-making as pssible t the Cmmittee. Funds permitting, in 2012 YFS wrkshps will fcus n the fllwing: Beginners Wrkshp: the Art f Dcumentary Filmmaking taught by student trainers wrking under tutrs supervisin Beginners' Screenwriting Wrkshp Film Analysis the Dcumentary Edit Editing and Pst-Prductin Sund design and mixing Histry f Film Frm Film Prductin Mentrships: Creativity and Cmmerce Flying Mentrships f NGO cmmissins and students individual prjects Lindsey Merrisn, YFS Directr, Berlin, April 2012

66 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt XV 1. Beginners' Dcumentary TABLE 1 - Breakdwn f YFS Participants in 2011 by Gender, Ethnicity & Religin Wrkshp Dates Participants Participant Breakdwn Gender Ethnicity Religin Jined YFS 26 July t 12 6 F 5 Buddhist Aug M 5 Christian (20 days) 2 Islam 2. Beginners' Editing 17 Aug t 11 Sept 2011 (22 days) 7 4 F 3 M 3 Myanmar 2 Myanmar-Muslim 2 Mn 1 Lahu 1 Shan 1 Chin 1 Kayin-Malay-Myanmar 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 4 Myanmar 1 Myanmar-Muslim 1 Mn 1 Rakhine 5 Buddhist 1 Christian 1 Islam Advanced HD Camera 17 Aug t 20 Aug 2011 (4 days) 4. Film Histry 17 Oct t 22 Oct 2011 (6 days) 5. Intrductin t Editing 6. Advanced Editing 31 Oct t 25 Nv 2011 (20 days) 5 Nv t 9 Dec + 28 t 30 Dec 2011 (33 days) 7. Film Analysis 12 Dec t 24 Dec 2011 (12 days) 8. Pst- Prductin 30 Dec 2011 t 13 Jan 2012 (13 days) 10 6 M 4 F 11 6 M 5 F 9 5 M 4 F 10 5 F 5 M 13 8 M 5 F 9 5 M 4 F 4 Myanmar 1 Mn 1 Lahu 1 Shan 1 Rakhine 1 Sin-Burmese 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 5 Myanmar 1 Myanmar-Muslim 1 Mn 1 Shan 1 Chin 1 Sin-Burmese 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 4 Myanmar 2 Mn 1 Myanmar-Muslim 1 Shan 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 4 Myanmar 2 Rakhine 2 Shan 1 Mn 1 Sin-Burmese 6 Myanmar 2 Mn 2 Shan 1 Kachin 1 Myanmar-Muslim 1 Sin-Burmese 5 Myanmar 1 Myanmar-Muslim 1 Shan 1 Rakhine 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 8 Buddhist 2 Christian 8 Buddhist 2 Christian 1 Islam 7 Buddhist 1 Christian 1 Islam 9 Buddhist 1 Christian 11 Buddhist 1 Christian 1 Islam 7 Buddhist 1 Christian 1 Islam

67 66 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011 XVI TABLE 2 - Summary f Figures fr 2011 Ttal Training Days Ttal Peple Trained Male 12 Female Gender Ethnicity Religin Jined YFS 10 ethnicities, cmprising: 15 Myanmar 3 Shan 2 Chin 2 Mn 2 Myanmar-Muslim 2 Rakhine 1 Kayin-Malay-Myanmar 1 Lahu 1 Shan-Kachin-Chinese 1 Sin-Burmese 3 religins, cmprising: 22 Buddhist 6 Christian 2 Islam

68 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt XVII Yangn Film Schl Management Needs Assessment In a first needs assessment, the fllwing fcus areas were identified as requiring attentin in the transitin prcess: Transparency Making the transitin prcess transparent t all stakehlders and inclusive f the current student bdy, Steering Cmmittee and administrative staff Develpment f guidelines fr the interactin between Steering Cmmittee, student bdy, new lcal management and current Berlin-based management (during and after the transitin) Develpment f cmmn gals/a visin fr the transitin and milestnes fr the prcess Making the transitin prgramme financially viable and sustainable even with unfreseen needs fr adaptatin: what are the main csts drivers, surces f finance and the mst csteffective structure fr the prcess? Human resurces Descriptin f jb prfiles Develpment f the future rganizatinal chart Capacity building: Assessment f existing skill levels and individual needs Structuring the recruitment prcess t ensure the attractin f suited management staff Ensuring that the new management steps int psitins f respnsibility and accuntability right frm the start in rder t strengthen engagement with YFS and enriching individual jbs. Establishment f a reliable and tailred caching framewrk. Current administrative prcesses and divisin f labur Understanding the current prcesses, their aims, peratinal structure and ptential shrtcmings Develpment f a target prcess structure t fit future needs Identificatin f the current lcal dependencies n verseas management structures Identificatin f extrinsic (e.g. legal, financial) and intrinsic (e.g. adversity t change) barriers t the transitin prcess YFS Strategy Understanding the YFS Business Case : surces f finance nw and in future SWOT analysis: identificatin f Strengths, Weaknesses, Opprtunities and Threats in the cntext f a rapidly changing sci-plitical and media-landscape in Myanmar Hw can YFS maintain its vanguard psitin in the lcal media industry?

69 68 Yangn Film Schl Annual Reprt 2011