WEEK 1
MONDAY
It’s the new week, and after an incredibly stressful weekend sorting out issues with my brother and his family, I am ready to jump back into my studies.
TUESDAY
We have a Zoom session with Dr. Semege, but I am unable to join as I have a chiropractor appointment in Port Elizabeth. My hearing is much better, but I am still struggling as it’s not 100% yet. The chiro recommends that I go to a craniosacral therapist instead.
WEDNESDAY
I’m back on campus today, and Dr. Moodley is hosting a workshop on the world of story in film. Each one of us has to think of a social issue that concerns us personally. ‘Now, pick a genre that you think might best suit conveying a critical message about this social issue,’ Dr. Moodley guides us. I think of bullying, and how it was a critical social issue for me in high school. I choose the genre ‘Dramatic Thriller’. ‘Next, describe how you would contextualize the climax scene of a film that deals with the selected issue through the lens of the selected genre,’ Dr. Moodley says. It’s a fun assignment, and I write the following, and then share it with the class:
High school can sometimes feel like a thriller.
Feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation, and anxiety fill a young person’s daily life as they go to school. It’s even worse when there are bullies that target you every single day. School is not a safe place to be, especially when the tension between the antagonist – the high school bully – and the protagonist – the victim – keeps on rising, reaching a climax where the high school bully shoots the victim with a hunting rifle while out on wildlife game farm field trip. Was it an accident or was it on purpose? The victim narrowly escapes with her life, and high school remains a daily battleground for her as she fears for her life.
Social issues in this film:
identity, peer pressure, bullying, crime, violence, self-harm, suicide, forgiveness
I finally get a chance to post Xabi’s and Asher’s interviews on my website and through social media.
During lunch, my mom and I visit my audiologist at St. George’s Hospital. It’s time for a new hearing aid upgrade, and I get a new backpack along with it.
After lunch, I skip class and my mom and I watch Xabi, Asher & Chulu’s theatre play in the Box Theatre instead. These three actors are incredibly multi-talented; not only can they act, but they can sing and dance too.
Back at the Honours Hub, Seraya updates me on what happened during the Test Shoot for our short film the previous weekend. There was a conflict of schedule and misunderstandings regarding payments, and now we don’t have Amanda as director anymore. This now puts tremendous strain on the crew. Seraya will now be the performer’s onset director, while Daniel will be the technical director. How that’s gonna work, I don’t know, but we’ll see how it all works out.
We prepare for our Perceptual VALA, which is set to take place next week on Monday. As a crew, we will show the Test Shoot Footage to a panel of experts and receive valuable feedback.
THURSDAY
Today we have to practice our Perceptual VALA in front of Mr. Wilby and Ute, but I had asked yesterday if I could be excused and join them online instead. I wake up this morning and find out the whole Aston Bay area has no electricity, so, unfortunately, I don’t have wi-fi to join the team online. I ask to be excused completely. At least my PowerPoint Presentation slides are ready, which means they will still be viewed.
I finally get a chance to compile the Writing Treatment, and I submit it to Mr. Wilby.
FRIDAY
I plan on writing my Core Course 3 assignment, but there’s another family emergency and I end up babysitting my brother’s two children. It’s incredibly frustrating, which means now I won’t be able to submit my draft and receive valuable feedback before I submit it officially. But this is something that just happened and family has to come first.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
The family emergency continues, and my studies are postponed till Monday.
WEEK 2
MONDAY
I edit my PowerPoint Presentation slides for our Perceptual Vala this afternoon. Then I have my supervisor meeting with Dr. Semege. It’s time for me to start with Chapter Three – the Methods Chapter.
I drive through to Port Elizabeth, and the Perceptual Vala starts. It goes extremely well, much better than our previous presentation. The feedback is also better and more upbeat. We are nearing the end, and soon we will be able to go into production.
TUESDAY
We have our last Zoom session with Dr. Semege for this term. He does an overview of what the research thesis is, and what we need to do before we submit the first draft before the end of this month.
After that, I Google all the films that have d/Deaf characters in them. Wikipedia has a wonderful list of films and their summaries, so I read through them and choose 4 films to watch for my Methods chapter.
I drive through to PE so that the writers and I can start working on the Script Breakdown for the short film. We have five major scenes in total, and we work for one hour and only manage to do the first two scenes.
Then we have a crew meeting for another hour. I leave at 4 pm and arrive home just after 5 pm.
WEDNESDAY
I start watching my first movie for my Methods Chapter – See No Evil, Hear No Evil. It takes me four hours to watch it and make notes. Then I watch the second film – Dig. After that, it’s Mr. Holland’s Opus. By 5 pm, I’m bone tired and take a break. I’ll try to watch the fourth and final film tomorrow.
THURSDAY
I arrive on campus, and the writers and I want to finish the Script Breakdown, but then Seraya – who’s the producer and now the director as well – decided to override us. We don’t need to finish the Script Breakdown anymore. We are disappointed and have been looking forward to doing it.
Instead, I watch the fourth and final film for my Methods Chapter – Copying Beethoven. At 12:30 we have our crew photoshoot.
Then the writers and I have a meeting with Mr. Wilby about the final draft of the script we still have to write. When that’s done, our script will be ‘greenlit’ and we’re finally done with it. As the writers, we are looking forward to that because we still need to write a second script (this time not together as a group).
FRIDAY
I finish watching Copying Beethoven, and I start with my comparative analysis. It takes me a full day to do it. 3,000 words later, and it’s done. I’m too tired to edit it, and I postpone it to tomorrow.
SATURDAY
I wake up, and the first thing I do is edit my Methods chapter. I send it in to Dr. Semege.
I take a break and start watching the Lost series on Netflix. I’ve always enjoyed JJ Abrams’ work – first, it was Felicity, then Alias, then The Office, and Fringe. I watched Lost when it came out in the 2000s but stopped watching it when it became too confusing. Hopefully, it’s going to be clearer because I now have the subtitles function…
SUNDAY
I start working on my Core Course 3, but I’m still a bit unsure about what my assignment should be… I write the 2,000 words anyway and then submit it to Mr. Wilby. I ask him if it would be possible to still receive feedback before I submit the final draft… he responds quickly and says he will try his best to give feedback ASAP.
Seraya also finally submits her answers to my interview questions. I edit her article and plan to post it online tomorrow.
I still need Onika’s interview answers… hopefully, I will get it ASAP so that I can finish Phase 3 of my special project and move on to Phase 4, which is also the final phase.
WEEK 3
MONDAY
I get up at 7:45, get ready, and drive through to Port Elizabeth. The three writers (Andrina, Speech, and I) have to work on the final draft of the short film script. We discuss and talk about it, and we make notes and send an email to Mr. Wilby for feedback.
I post Seraya’s article online. I also FINALLY receive my interview answers from Onika as well.
TUESDAY
I edit Onika’s article and post it online. FINALLY, I am done with Phase 3. Can’t wait for Phase 4. This is the part I’m going to like the most…
WEDNESDAY
I have a WhatsApp call meeting with my supervisor, and I feel a bit overwhelmed by everything that still needs to be done before I submit the first draft at the end of this month. I take a deep breath, tell myself to take baby steps, and then start editing the Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review & Bibliography. I set up a plan of action to tackle the Methods, Results & Conclusion chapter tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I miss Dr. Moodley’s online class. It’s a bummer because I enjoy her classes.
THURSDAY
I have a WhatsApp call with the writers, Andrina & Speech, and the producer/director of our short film, Seraya. We discuss the changes that have been made by the crew so far. We only change the dialogue on pages 14-15, but the rest of the script is fine for now. It also seems like the writers won’t have to present any PowerPoint slides for the Concrete Vala next week on Monday. There will be a rehearsal this afternoon on campus; I won’t be there so I’ll find out afterwards if it will be necessary for me to present something to the panel.
With the writers’ meeting done, I start working on my Methods chapter. I have 8 points for my comparative analysis, so I Google online for articles about d/Deaf issues and the struggles they face. I find a few amazing articles that are going to help me.
FRIDAY
We have our mock VALA this morning, but thankfully, I don’t have to go to campus just for that. I ask one of the other writers, Speech, to present for the writers.
I work a bit more on my Methods chapter. I have other research chapters that I thought I wasn’t going to use anymore, but now I can use them again. My thesis is coming together, and it’s interesting research.
Suddenly, I realize that next week is the last week of the term. Then in the first week of September, our crew will shoot the short film, but it won’t be necessary for me to be on set. This means I’ll have 5 weeks of glorious vacation. I hope I can use that precious time to write my second script, as well as work on Phase 4 of my special project.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
I have the flu; I’m extremely tired and weak. I spend most of my weekend sleeping, drinking fluids and medicine, watching Lost, and finally finishing my book.
Week 4
MONDAY
Today is Concrete VALA, which is the crew’s final presentation to be given to a panel of experts. Because I am still weak and sick, I asked to be excused. Thankfully, the other two writers will present the Narrative part.
In the afternoon, I feel a bit better, so I get up and focus on working on the Methods chapter for my thesis. Three hours later, I am finally done with it. I’m relieved that I got so far. Hopefully, by Thursday I’ll be done with the Results & Conclusion chapters, so I can submit the whole thesis draft on Friday (which is the deadline).
TUESDAY
I have a consultation meeting with an osteopath doctor in Port Elizabeth, as I am still struggling with my hearing.
WEDNESDAY
I’m 80% feeling better from the flu, so I get to work on the Results chapter. I finish that as well, and I’m satisfied with how it looks. Tomorrow I’ll write my Conclusion and then I’m done with the First Draft.
THURSDAY
I write the Conclusion chapter for my research thesis. I still need to survey d/Deaf and hearing persons about films depicting d/Deaf characters. I’ll only be able to do that in the fourth term. I edit my whole paper via Grammarly, and then I submit it to Mr. Wilby.
My updated Research Topic is as follows:
A Forgotten Audience: Responses of d/Deaf audiences to films depicting d/Deafness.
FRIDAY
In the afternoon, I have a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Wilby. He gives me my marks for the year, and it all looks good. My marks have been divided into three divisions: Research 1 & 2 (73%), Core Course 1 & 2 (81%), Script 1 Coverage 1, Conceptual & Perceptual Vala (67%). The Script Treatment & Script 1 Coverage 2 Marks will be given over the holiday break.
Then Mr. Wilby has a meeting with us three writers (Speech, Andrina & I), and he advises that we start working on a detailed synopsis and first draft for our individual second scripts that we still have to write for or Honours. I’m excited and can’t wait to start working on my script.
It also looks like our short film’s name has been changed from Silent Wheels to Is’Thuthi, which is a Xhosa expression for ‘struggle for survival’ and it also has something to do with the taxi industry.
SATURDAY
It’s the last day of August, and it’s also the last day of the third term for me as a writer. Next week, the crew will start shooting the short film. I will have 5 weeks of glorious vacation, but I have two things that I want to get done: write the detailed synopsis & first draft for my next screenplay and finish the final phase of my special project.
I’m relieved that this term I was able to finish the first draft of my research thesis, as well as finish the first script for the short film.
I will post the next newsletter by the end of September.
