By Megan Deck
I have wanted to study abroad since I was in high school. I grew up reading and watching Harry Potter, so initially, it was my dream to study in England. When I started college at the University of Oregon, I assumed I would study abroad, but as I scoured the university’s Global Education website, it became clear that maybe a London-based program wouldn’t be my best fit.
Instead, I stumbled upon a Cinema Studies program: five-weeks of filmmaking over the summer in Dublin, Ireland. I applied, and was accepted. It felt pretty spontaneous, because I normally take a while to make decisions, and like to plan way in advance.
Leading up to the trip, I felt excited, proud, and a little nervous to be studying in another country. My thoughts went from “I have to use a different type of plug to charge my phone?” to “What if I don’t like any of the food my host family serves?” to “I hope I can make some good friends.” But once I got to the airport and said goodbye to my mom, I wasn’t nervous at all, despite it being my first time traveling alone.
The first few weeks in Ireland were filled with weekly excursions, bonding with the other students, a trip to the Galway Film Fleadh (Gaelic for “Film Festival”), and of course, classes. The project for my digital filmmaking course was to create a short, no-dialogue film on a theme chosen by the class. We decided on a theme of “self-discovery.”
During the weeks I’d been abroad, I found myself using my cell phone less often than the other students in my program. I took plenty of pictures using my phone, but I didn’t feel the need to immediately post them on my facebook or Instagram profiles. To me, studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I believe that if you have an opportunity to travel, you should be present in your surroundings as much as possible. This means limiting your social media usage, cultivating relationships with your fellow students, and exploring the landscape of wherever you’re studying. While it’s important to keep your friends and family back home updated on your travels, I think the number of social media posts can be reduced, perhaps only posting highlights from the week.
I observed, however, that some of my classmates updated their social media the instant we returned to a wi-fi hotspot after a class excursion. I wanted to use my project to explore the consequences of this social media-centric behavior, especially when people’s online personas may not reflect how they are really feeling. I exemplified this in my short film because I believe this is an overall issue with social media today, and created a lonely protagonist who presents herself on social media in a positive light even though her lived experience is isolated and lonely.
Because we were instructed not to use dialogue in our films, I had to direct my lead actress to express the character’s emotions through body language and facial expressions. This was especially challenging because it was my first time directing anything! I imagined how my film’s protagonist should react to the situations she was in, and talked through the character’s emotional arc with the actress. Based on my directions, the actress was able communicate to the audience how the character felt using only her facial expressions and actions.
Not everything came together easily on set. One of my supporting actors had a scheduling conflict, so I had to step in and play the role while also directing and managing the cinematography. It was difficult to direct, act, and set up my own shots, but I am very pleased with the final product.
I’ve learned that directing requires planning, communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving. If I wasn’t pleased with a take, I would have to clearly express what changes I wanted my actors to make. While the topics of my honors college classes aren’t directly related to film production, through them I have gained experience with problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity, which are all relevant skills for filmmaking. These served as a valuable foundation while creating my film abroad, and will definitely be useful in the future as I continue my film career.
Overall, I learned a lot about myself from my experience abroad. When unforeseen challenges arose in the filmmaking process, I made decisions quickly and adjusted my plans to accommodate those changes. I think I was able to make quick, smart choices because I wanted my film to represent all the hard work and careful thought that I put into it. I learned that as a director, you sometimes must wear a lot of hats to keep the production running smoothly.
Acting in my own film helped me grow as a person and as a filmmaker. Being in front of the camera pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to see how I could improve my directing style. I also underwent a journey of self-discovery, just like the protagonist of my film. I hope that my film will inspire its viewers to reflect on themselves and perhaps have their own journey of self-exploration.
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