the university of
sussex welcomes YOU to an exhibtition of MixedMedia Entertainment Welcome to ‘Beyond Practice’. The pieces you see in this exhibition are the culmination of three years’ work by students on our BA Media Practice and Theory degree. Theirs’ was a rich and varied journey, begining with the study of a range of media in their first year and progressing to focus on a single medium. As finalists, each of the students (working individually or in groups) spent the entire year researching, planning, building, (and rebuilding) these projects. The work spans multiple media and screen drama. Although we are sad to see these students go, we are proud of their accomplishments. We feel they have demonstrated vast potential and we encourage you to look for this in every work you see. Thankyou for coming to Beyond Practice and please join us in congratulating out finalists and wishing them all the best for the future. Mary Agnes Krell Course Convenor BA Media Practice and Theory
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CONTENT S Digital Media - 3 Screen Drama - 9 Documentary Video - 13 Photography - 17 Radio - 25
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- Digital Media -
imagination ended Reverie ( orup how in side o ur t u m m y ) Stephanie Singer
C
hildren see and interact with the world imaginatively and creatively, by instinct. But, somewhere along the course of growing up, many people lose this instinctive childish imagination. How can this be so, when the child loved it so much? Reverie explores educational effects on children’s imaginative worlds. All the drawings used were compiled from many imaginative workshops, in which an empty black box was placed at the front of the classroom. The children were told that inside the box was the most “amazing sight, whatever their imagination would create”. One by one, the children peered inside the box, and ran back to their desks to draw what they saw. This project is my re-contextualization of those drawings, it tells the story of the empty box, and how different children’s imaginations fill it, with new ‘solor’ systems, drive, ‘faerey’, jump and candy land, and even giant butterflies.
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- Digital Media -
Google Your Yahoo Over My Facebook Steven Gradidge
I
n an aikido like strategy, the associations of media technologies have been reworked and reshaped into a collaborative and unexpected usercentred experience through auditory stimuli and interactive hot-points. The implementation of user generated material makes the installation an emotive piece, provoking cultural reflection and conciliation. Pressing the notion of concern, the installation aims to heighten user’s awareness of the continuing invasion of media technologies in our daily lives. Media technologies have a profound and a determinist power within culture, emphasising the complex relationship between technology and the user, serving as an apposite time to reflect upon the consequences both as a society and as individuals. It is now time to consider these consequences and the regulation required by us as a society. Playing at the very essence of the project, Bijsterveld writes: “technological progress was never seen as a bad thing... It was society that was noticed to be in need of adjustment� (2003: Bijsterveld).
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- Digital Media -
Day at the Offi ce Fergus Watson
H
ave you ever watched a film that pulled your heartstrings, or listened to a piece of music which has touched you? I thought so; we all have. How about video games? Video games are a multi-million pound industry, yet games are rarely said to be as emotionally powerful as a film or a piece of music. This video game design project aims to create an emotionally involving experience by weaving intimate connection between characters and gameplay, and by placing emphasis on the significance of dying in a game. Build in the Source engine of Half Life 2 fame (and drawing inspiration from that game’s emotive techniques), this project aims to deliver my vision of an amalgamation of the work of screenwriting theorists such as Joseph Campbell and the limitless potential of first-person video games as an artistic medium.
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- Digital Media -
Home-Start:
Integrating the University of Sussex Massimo Fiori
H
ome-Start South Downs offers a unique service visiting families who have at least one child under the age of five; offering informal and confidential support.In all dealings; the website, promotional video and posters intend to illustrate the Home-Start ethos of: partnership, openness, encouragement, enjoyment and safety. Through the advertisements, this integrated campaign attempts to examine the following: a. How can the material be presented in a way which will appeal most to the target audience (Sussex students)? b. How can the HomeStart ethos be effectively conveyed through digital mediums? Two key theorists have inspired this project: Foucault, who suggested the power and success of design depends on the contexts in which they are placed. Hevey, who stated that charity advertisements should carry at least two messages – “one in the photo, one in the text�. (Hevey: 1992)
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- Digital Media -
Consume & Echo Rachael Peck
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n installation piece that explores fashion as a homogeniser, with visuals that specifically explore the idealised vision of beauty, perpetual conformity and necessity to purchase. Consume & Echo is an installation piece with accompanying blog, which explores fashion as a homogeniser. The film presents visuals that explore the faceless identity of online blogging and consumerism in a capitalist society.The visuals and mannequins represent clone-like activity and echo the consumption that is ubiquitous in society today. The mannequins are structures to be illuminated and projected through, therefore creating an army of cloned mannequins and shadows, which echo the themes and tone of the film. The piece is simplistic, with the hope to consume the space it is in, echoing the perpetual cycle of the fashion industry, the ideology to purchase and the repetition of human habits. The overwhelming sentiment of fashion masking one’s self identity is explored and juxtaposed by images exemplifying the beauty of texture, and the idealised entrapment that the fashion industry can create.
www.consume-echo.tumblr.com
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- Digital Media -
Worldtree Jin Xie
O
nce upon a time, in a space which was parallel with ours, there was a giant tree (Worldtree) growing on a planet. On each of its leaves, there was a different world, and residents of Worldtree lived a happy life in their world peacefully, until one day, a group of unexpected visitors arrived‌ Worldtree is an interactive animation designed with an aim to raise the viewer’s concern of the environmental protection issues. The viewers will gain the knowledge about environment pollution and clean energy through their interaction with the animation. The idea of the project is inspired by a PSP game named LocoRoco developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The project combines educational purpose with entertaining digital media form, exams and explores the principle of interactive storytelling and nonlinear narrative and the potential function of digital media serves as an auxiliary tool of education as well as challenges the boundary of animation and game.
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- Screen Drama -
Broken Wings Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
B
roken Wings is a short film Inspired by a true story, exploring the life of a rent boy named Anthony, tortured by the past and the secrets he carries. Anthony is about to learn that his dangerous lifestyle is catching up with him. The film explores current gay issues and investigates the profession of escorting and the elements of danger involved. The film was inspired by a rent boy I met whilst creating a photography project 3 years ago. This rent boy inspired the character of Anthony and the premise for the short film. After this photography project I began to delve further into the world of escorting and began researching the profession thoroughly by interviewing and meeting working rent boys. I then incorporated some of the themes and experiences discussed into the script. The film will take you into a world of danger and secrets, a world in which we usually turn a blind eye to.
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Sewn
- Screen Drama -
Helen Gladders, James R. Kipping, Lauren Clements, Naomi Cushbourne
A
dark alternative fairytale, Sewn follows the spirited Amber as she is sold to the Keeper of a surreptitious shop, which deals in wools and garments infused with black magic. Amber quickly discovers that behind the Keeper’s polite demeanor hides a much darker, oppressive man. She learns this lesson through an unthinkable act of cruelty. Sharing her new affliction with her two co-workers (a wise blind man, and a timid deaf girl), Amber starts to take note of the strange inconsistencies in the world around her. Gradually, she unravels the truth behind the magic. Inspired both narratively and visually by the uncanny alternate worlds of Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Sewn attempts to subtly comment on real world issues censorship and deception. People want to believe in magic.
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Archie
- Screen Drama -
Nick Brackenbury, Abby Butcher Peter Dewhirst, Mark Heathcote
A
rchie tells the story of Dolly, an isolated teenager trapped in a negligent home life which she so desperately wishes to evade. Unable to connect with anyone, even her only friend Seb, Dolly drifts through her abusive reality yearning for more. Adopting themes of escapism and neglect, this coming of age tale follows Dolly as she searches for a parental bond she so desires, as well as a way out of her bird-cage existence, through the discovery of a dead body: Archie. Drawing on influence from filmmakers such as Ken Loach and Shane Meadows, Archie touches upon their social realist style, representing the seemingly ‘lost’ perception of many adolescents in contemporary Britain; it also simultaneously portrays the warped, disconnected dystopia that Dolly lives in through use of aesthetic techniques. Ultimately, the filmic world created offers an empathetic viewpoint to the audience through the relatable character of Dolly, as her plight of confinement contrasted with the chance of freedom offers hope .
www.archiethefilm.co.uk
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- Screen Drama -
Impromptu
Rafael Oliveria, Stephenie Bostock, Tanya White
W
hen you’re a clown, life isn’t necessarily a big joke, especially when you’ve got nobody to share it with. As a clown, Ed’s occupation has been of no attraction to women; the mere mention of his profession has every women in hysterics, but for all the wrong reasons. A new slate wiped clean and make-up too, will he make a good impression on single mother Maxine? Impromptu brings us on a whimsical journey integrating animation with the real. Visually inspired by the works of Roger Michell’s “Notting Hill” (1999) and Mark Webbs perspectives on love and relationships in “500 days of Summer”, ‘Impromptu’ is a light-hearted Romantic comedy written and directed by Rafael Ribeiro , which explores the complexity of relationships through it’s quirky narrative.
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- Documentary Video -
New Members Welcome Jackson Ducasse, James Scott, Michael Botwright,Oscar Gordon-Lyons
T
wenty years on from its heydey, the Brighton Trades & Labour Club is no longer in the shape it once was. The deadly combination of the smoking ban, falling supermarket alcohol prices, and the death of local industry have hit club accounts hard. Have the club’s members lost faith in this once proud institution? And will the club go down without a fight? New Members Welcome is the bittersweet portrait of life as it experienced by the member’s of Brighton’s premier social club. The filmmaker’s intentions were to allow the film’s participants to articulate their own subjective experience of club life; both past and present. Taking influence from early ‘social problem’ films such as Anstey and Elton’s 1935 film Housing Problems, the film also takes great stylistic inspiration from the observational films of Frederick Wiseman (High School, Titticut Follies,) and Nick Broomfield (Soldier Girls, Chicken Ranch) and is comprised of footage gathered from weekly visits to the club over a two month period in early 2010.
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- Documentary Video -
Cake and World Domination Ben Thurstan, Ellen Stewart, Sara Uzel
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he title Cake and World Domination, taken from the mission statement of a contemporary, younger generation of the Women’s Institute (WI), reflects the intentions of the documentary. The film conforms to common perceptions of the WI on a superficial level; portraying the typical crocheting, pearl wearing and cake baking as an ever prevalent aspect of the institute. However as the narrative progresses, these perceptions are challenged by the subtle suggestion provides a much needed sense of community in today’s society. Our main inspiration came from a 1920s poem, detailing the purpose and values of the Women’s Institute. The piece demonstrated how little the WI has changed since its formation in 1915. Furthermore the establishment of the Brighton Belles in October 2009 suggested a turning point in the organisation of the Women’s Institute, with younger members taking part in far more controversial activities than those normally associated with the WI. Cake and World Domination questions whether these changes are beneficial.
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- Documentary Video -
Farms, Football & Falmer Rich Nubel
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his expository styled documentary offers the audience a personal insight into how Brighton and Hove Albion F.C.’s 22,500 seat Community Stadium will have negative impact on all aspects of the neighbouring rural village of Falmer. The film intends to show how the football club ignored all opposition to progress with it plans for the new stadium, showing little concern for the subsequent consequences faced by others. Picking up on issues generally brushed aside by the wider media, this film intends to explore the problems Falmer must now overcome. Inspired by such documentaries as ‘The Garden’ (2008), I aim to take topical issues like the environment and urbanisation, and within it explore a story that has been relatively ignored by the media. As a football fan I took special interest of the developments with the stadium and the problems that surrounded it. This interest led me to the story of Falmer and I wanted to understand the full implications the stadium would have on the village.
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- Documentary Video -
‘Lucy Unlocked: Imprisoned in Her Home’ Jenny Broad, Jacqueline Meldrum, Lucy Stewart
P
igtail Productions presents a documentary which aims to raise awareness and challenge preconceptions of mental health; by exploring the life of 20 year old Lucy Todd who is battling agoraphobia. The story develops through the use of personal interviews which allow the audience to gain an insight into the pressures faced by Lucy and her family. Interviews with her mother, Ann Todd, reveal the strong bond between the pair which has intensified since Lucy was diagnosed. Aesthetically and aurally inspired by poetic films such as Gary tarn’s ‘Black Sun’, our documentary attempts to express the feelings experienced by severe phobia sufferers. An introductory sequence achieves this by drawing the viewers into Lucy’s world of panic and fear. Scenes from the outside world juxtapose with Lucy’s life of solitude at home, illustrating the severity of her phobia as a mental illness. However, the audience is left with a sense of hope as Lucy looks towards her future with optimism.
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- Photography -
Menu Del Dia (Daily Menu) Maria Munoz Carcelen
T
he inspiration for this project came from a trivial routine in my everyday life: my lunch. One day I realised that I was spending almost all my lunch breaks on the bus eating a sandwich. Does that sound familiar? Nowadays people do not have their lunch break when they are hungry, but when they can fit half an hour – if they are lucky – into their everyday schedule. The project focuses on how Spanish and English professionals strive to fit their lunch breaks into their stressful routines. Despite of having different jobs and eating habits all the people photographed in this project have one thing in common: their struggle to keep the balance between their workload and their personal affairs, particularly their meal times. Overall this work seeks to portray the busy and hectic environment in our current society, where the boundaries between work and meal times have been eroded.
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- Photography -
Long Hours and Short Skirts Sarah Edwards
L
ong Hours and Short Skirts focuses on five nightclub toilet attendants – Edna, Linda, Charity, Samantha and Londy – all of whom are African immigrants, from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Botswana, and now are living in my hometown of Southend-on-Sea, Essex. My project aims to highlight the cultural differences between these toilet attendants – all of whom are middle aged African women, working long and unsociable hours for little money, and the young, scantily clad, alcohol fuelled Essex girls who have probably spent more on alcopops that night than the attendants will ever earn in tips. Inspired by the honest and thought provoking work of Bruce Davidson (Subway - 1986), the timeless work of Lewis Hine (Child Labour: Girls in Factory - 1908), as well as being influenced by the work of Martin Parr (The Last Resort – 1986), and his critical view of contemporary society, Long Hours and Short Skirts documents the clash of cultures present within these lavish nightclub toilets.
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- Photography -
When We Were Children (Kera Cyane Turi Abana) Michelle Bayara
I
n 1994, over a period of 100 days, 800,000 people were killed in the genocide in Rwanda. The violence that Rwandan children were exposed to or engaged in has left them with emotional and for some physical scars. A study by Unicef at the time found that 96% of children interviewed in Rwanda had witnessed the massacres and 80% of the children had lost at least one family member. “When we were children� focuses on some of those children who fled Rwanda for England. It explores their feelings growing up and having to deal with issues they did not understand at the time. Some are orphans; they lacked the support and guidance of parents and loved ones. I photographed members of my own family and my friends to celebrate their strength and resilience. My work has been influenced by photographers such as Myriam Abdelaziz, Jonathan Torgovnik and Vanessa Vick. All documented the aftermath of the genocide and how it affected the children of Rwanda.
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- Photography -
Dubai: The Fair(y) Land Huda Albalooshi
S
ilence never won rights. They are not handed down from above; they are forced by pressures from below. - Roger Baldwin, one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union Dubai is a destination being sought after by many tourists and businessmen, known for its blooming projects and now the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa. Everything seems to be glamorous about this place but what many fail to see is the working force behind the rise of this city. Human rights activists protested recently against the bad conditions which labourers are facing like working for prolonged hours, earning low wages and sleeping in crammed rooms with minimum sanitary conditions. This project aimed at producing a serious of portraits on the people who are struggling to live and support their families in their own countries. It is intended to draw the gaze of Dubai’s spectator away from the outstanding monuments and question if Dubai is really the fairy land being advertised and if so, is it really fair to its labourers?
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- Photography -
Are Wii Fit? Kathryn Beadle
T
he overwhelming success of the Nintendo Wii and the fitness genre in digital gaming has fuelled a change in the media representation of women’s exercise. Modelled around traditional ideals of ‘femininity’ rather than physicality, the game’s approach has gradually transformed the way audiences think about exercising and skill, as well as the role women play in a sporting environment. This visual piece contrasts how the virtual world presents an idyllic, simulated concept of exercise opposed to the natural, physical exertion we should be encouraged to experience in the real world; each portrait represents an opposing binary ideology. With initial inspiration from Mona Brooks’ creative work on female athletes and Catherine Balet’s exploration into the dominance of media screens in our everyday lives, this project investigates more than just a game. The photographs symbolise an increasing reliance on technology and its substitution for real experiences. In today’s society, we should recognise and celebrate the reality of true female athleticism.
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Old Sage
- Photography -
Rachael Sergeant
I
n other cultures the elders, as they’re termed, are the ones people go to for advice - Islene Howell, project participant
“Old biddy”, “old bag”, “old fart” - In a society where anything “old” is derogatory and ageist language is rife, Old Sage lets us reconsider how we perceive the elderly. The project draws inspiration from Bert Teunissen’s photographic work (Domestic Landscapes: Portraits of Europeans at Home- 2007) and the campaigning of Dame Joan Bakewell, the Government appointed ‘Voice of Older People’. By combining sound with a portrait series the project enables us to see that old age is about independence as much as being dependent and that living alone does not always equate to loneliness. As Betty highlights, “People think you must be looked after, I love people, but I do like to do my own thing”.
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- Photography -
And Where Do You Think You’re Going Dressed Like That? Robert Prosser
A
nd Where Do You Think You’re Going Dressed Like That? is a photographic portrait project that aims to explore the boundaries of identity in public and private spaces by taking performers and fetishists and placing them outside of their expected spheres of society. The images are designed to question how we may form an opinion of an individual based purely on their appearance, and also to investigate the blurring of the line between public and private aspects of life. An S&M enthusiast enjoying a film at his local cinema. A burlesque dancer working from her home computer. This project focuses on familiarising the unfamiliar, contrasting the subjects with their environments, and creating an air of normality by utilizing documentary techniques mixed with a creative and surreal style, influenced by the work of Storm Thorgerson and Floria Sigismondi. http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-love
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- Photography -
Different Strokes Rheanna Davidge-Huxley
T
he concept for this photographic project stemmed from my own fascination with the strength of humanity and how diverse society can be. My chosen subjects are from varying social backgrounds; however each has a similarly intriguing lifestyle or profession. Nan Goldin’s documentary work within the New York queer scene and Tom Hunter’s ethereal portraits of alternative living, have both been great inspirations for this body of work. These portraits are an exploration of unconventional culture, of individuals countering typical ideals . Each image was created using available light in a location chosen by the sitter for its personal significance. This set of photographs celebrates the vibrant personalities in alternative social groups which are vital to communities like Brighton throughout the UK.
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Static
- Radio -
Jack Hall
S
tatic is a short character based drama that explores the themes of alienation and oppression witnessed within our increasingly technology-dependant lifestyles. Psychiatrist Dr Eric Islost is stuck... After years of hard work, Eric’s new managerial job has found him trapped within the four small walls of his office, carrying out monotonous administrative work whilst his marriage falls apart at the end of a phone line. Overworked and unappreciated, Eric spends his days isolated from the outside world, only communicating to his colleagues through a series of telephone and intercom calls. But when an investigation into the curious death of a psychiatric patient begins, Eric is assigned to interview an eccentric elderly inpatient whose delusional perspective on technology’s oppression may be the only thing left to free Eric from his static existence. Inspired by the multimedia plot of Ed Hime’s The Incomplete Recorded Work’s of a Dead Body Static embraces its core theme of technology obsession through it’s narrative collage of answerphone messages, radio transmissions, dictaphone recordings and telephone conversations.
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- Radio -
The Otherworld Eamonn Duff
T
he idea for this project was inspired by a personal interest in the world of the paranormal. My greatest influence in radio is Piers Plowright, I like the way he will occasionally let a narrative evolve without narration, and although I have not specifically attempted this it has influenced me. I have used a degree of elemental narration. I originally intended to do a piece about a local murder that happened in the early in the 1960’s until I discovered that the murderer was reputedly haunted by his victim. Rather than just look at the world of the paranormal I thought I would look at paranormal investigation groups or more specifically, I would talk to members of these groups and ask them to talk about some of their own personal paranormal experiences. I have created a background of scary ambient sounds and the piece alternates between narrator and group members.
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PIGS?:
- Radio -
People In Govenment Service
Lauren Stevens
A
n intriguing human interest piece- PIGS questions usual public opinion of the local police and challenges the negative press through my own perspectives. This thirty minute Radio feature attempts to cross the yellow tape that separates society and The Sussex Police from a youth perspective. It documents a personal journey though three different units within Sussex Police, combining intimate interviews with on location real live action: from the air to an arrest on the ground, and the personal reflections of an ex youth offender. Inspired by Radio 4 programmes such as ‘Analysis: Knowing Too Much’ and BBC World Service Podcast ‘MI6: A Century in The Shadows’, PIGS combines action and poignant insights to give a voice to two contrasting groups in our society, as well as allowing the listener to understand the people behind the uniform.
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- Radio -
The Highway’ Ed Bonsey
T
he Highway’ is a radio drama set in 1814 that follows the story of a young Englishman, William, as he persuades a group of local highwaymen to help him with a plan that could change all their lives. The focus of the story is on the desire to find freedom, not only through wealth but also family and new beginnings. The criminal group and their female companion find a renewed hope in William’s offer, but does it all seem too good to be true? I wanted to explore and play with the freedoms that radio offers and after listening to a wide range of dramas and plays available on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 in particular, it became my goal to bring this story to life. I hope that, above all, the piece enables you, the listener, to join the characters on their exciting journey.
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- Radio -
Ticking the Box Danielle Wilmot
A
n experimental, montage documentary exploring the trials, tribulations and misconceptions associated with Tourettes, a neurological disorder affecting nearly 10 per 1000 people today. Despite such statistics, Tourettes is still one of the most misunderstood of all social disorders, stereotyped for the involuntary swearing and physical ‘tics’ experienced by it’s sufferers. But how accurate are these stereotypes and is it really the profane, disturbing condition presented to us in the media? In this 25 minute radio feature, inspired by renowned radio artist Gregory Whitehead and the montage work of Hildegard Westekamp, we meet four very different individuals living their lives with Tourettes. Some who embrace their condition, some who have fashioned a career from it and some who resent Tourettes for the social disruption and humiliation they have to live with everyday. All four perspectives offer an honest, touching and surprisingly uplifting insight into the syndrome society thinks it knows so much about.
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W i t h T h a n k s T o. . . Paul Vincent, Kevin Clarke, Lee Gooding, New Paul, Andrew Duff, D Killkelly, Lance Dann, Chris Effner, Lizzie Thynne, Sue Thornham, Melanie Friend, Kirk Woolford, Adrian Goycoolea, Will Barker, the Silverstone Building (EDB), The Cafe, The Bead Shop, The Hartington, Toy Museum, L.R. Edwards & Sons, Brighton Wine Cellars, Janet Bruce, Bill Inman, Maggie Clune
2010