My baptism of fire in film and acting was when I took part in ‘Ankaranin Dikmeni’, one of the most popular TV series in Turkey. This enabled me to view others and life itself from a different perspective. Drawing on my own memories and using Stanislavski’s ‘Magic If’ method I drew my character closer and I learned to emulate the character in real life. This brought me close to old movies like ‘Godfather’ and ‘Citizen Kane’, where the acting and cinematography made me feel that I was living the scene. 

 

My passion lies in sound. As I was watching ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, I realized that without dialogues and monologues, the audience was able to see exaggerated emotions in the characters’ faces. At that moment, I wanted to find a balance between dialogue and emotions, and that is when I envisioned creating a form of new cinema, in which all film contributors work towards balancing dialogue and emotion throughout.

 

Through A-Level Film in terms of concepts, I gained a different understanding of Mise-en-Scène which isn’t simply reduced to everything in a scene. In Casablanca, for example, shadows were used very effectively in terms of Film Noir and Mise-en-Scène in order to reveal characters' thoughts and feelings. During the course, I shot a short film to which I, followingly, applied 3 different techniques to explore sound effects in films. I observed that the sound of music technique gave more dynamism, whereas the ambient sound technique made the scenes more relatable and raw and finally the inner monologue technique conveyed emotions and thoughts in an introspective way.

 

To gain hands-on experience besides ‘Ankaranin Dikmeni’, I was an intern in ‘Bizans Games’ in 2016 directed by one of the most famous Turkish scriptwriters and directors, Gani Mujde. This is how I learned to coordinate the set and how to choose a camera angle for a scene. In The Young Filmmakers internship, I received invaluable advice from international filmmakers regarding storytelling and we shared profound discussions regarding their real-life experiences. In 2016, I played the son of a Turkish family in Olaylar Olaylar, a comedy about Turkish neighbourly relations. In this second experience, I had the opportunity to improve my acting skills.  

 

Taking part in live theatrical school productions, including Shakespear and Moliere plays, I improved body language, vocal abilities, stage direction comprehension, improvisation, and coordination. In order to further my knowledge of cinematography, I took part in a discussion online about Michelangelo Antonioni’s Masterpiece ‘Blow Up’, where I gained a great understanding of sociological, psychological, philosophical, and mythological aspects that influence filmmaking.

 

In an attempt to deepen my understanding of filmmakers I took up an online course in Major Filmmakers of New Hollywood and lectured on the socio-cultural and political factors that led to the emergence of this movement and discussed the works of various directors. I also attended the summer courses Acting for the Camera at LMU and Taking Text Apart at RADA. Throughout the courses, I dived into acting methods, filmmaking skills, acting and film terminology, dramaturgy, existentialism, and Freytag’s Pyramid. These courses made me realize that filming and acting is a long journey, and it is a very challenging process. These have also contributed to my growth and development as I have been able to comprehend the depth and extent of learning. 

 

Diversity is a very important element in an actor or a director’s life. The people I have encountered nurtured me and allowed me to work on characters for the roles I impersonated. This amalgam of cultures and understandings is what I aim to pour into my art.