"Being Analogue"

Our third year students are currently working on their final grad films. This is a six month project that is intense, and expected to be planned and produced professionally and with ambition. For us this has sometimes been problematic in terms of keeping in contact with students. They have been prone to disappear for weeks on end, on their shoots, keeping in touch via friends and hearsay!

When we first introduced blogging as an alternative to journals and folders a few years ago, it was partly with a view to being able to keep track remotely with what students were up to in their productions. This improved communication a little bit as each student could update their production b/log as often as they needed and from any location. However, it still didn't address 'studentship', and the students still did not attend every timetabled session whilst in their third year. The group was sometimes disjointed and some students felt quite isolated as a result. This in turn affected attendance and retention, and sometimes directly affected achievement too.

The breakthrough came when we were offered a second 'base' room to use for film students. We allowed students open access to the space, as with our first base room, and negotiated rules of practice, such as keeping noise levels to a minimum, and asking the tutor's permission to be in the space if there was a session going on with another cohort. 

Film Hub 1

Film Hub 1

Film Hub 1

Film Hub 1

As with our first base room, Macs were positioned on benching around the outside of the space, and tea and coffee making facilities, with sofa area, bookcase, film magazines, and plants were added. We built 4 large meeting tables out of reclaimed scaffolding, and plywood, to try to encourage crew collaboration and communication. 

Film Hub 2

Film Hub 2

We timetabled all the year 3 activity to take place within this second space, and they gradually began to take ownership of it. They attended all timetabled sessions and started to stay late into the evening, setting up a games club, a film club, and a hula hooping club, open to all students and supported by the SU. The dissertation module was scheduled for a Friday morning, and became a day when all students would attend, chat, write and research within the space. Tutors were in there too, available for tutorial support, and the work they have submitted for dissertations is extremely good this year.

In order to further take ownership of the space, we gave each third year student a pinboard, which they could customise as they wished, to use as a notebook for their grad film pre-production. Each one included an envelope, in which other students could make comments following formative screenings, and sharing of ideas. This did not replace the use of blog, but gave them a more visual and analogue way to present their ideas, and to engage with each other's work.

The Pinboard Wall (in development)

As a result, students are fully engaged in college activity, and are attending every session. Retention is at almost 100%, and with a cohort of 35 this is quite an achievement. It is possible that the work produced by this third year cohort will be the strongest yet, and is certainly the most collaborative. Students are generally working on 3 or 4 productions, helping each other out to achieve highly. We have three installation pieces being built and stored in this second base room. Just having this space has allowed that creativity to become realised.

Although our use of digital technologies has not decreased, the introduction of more people-centred, tactile approaches has certainly improved studentship. And interestingly, although digital communication technologies have proved really useful for keeping in contact, it was the additional space that has made the most difference in student engagement. Just having a space for contemplation, for crew meetings, to have a coffee, or to get on with some writing, has proved invaluable.

"Doing Digital" in the Film Department

How do we "do digital"?

In BA (Hons) Film we have a healthy approach to doing digital and doing analogue. In the development of ideas, scripts, production design and the shoot itself, we use a variety of digital and analogue resources. We rely completely on digital software for our film post-production, and make use of digital college Google/Moodle systems to support teaching, assessment, and presentation of work, as well as communication.

We use Google Drive for students to submit their finished films and supporting documentation. This allows us the option of viewing the work very easily, from virtually anywhere. The film team can easily scroll through the work, which helps with second marking, and can refer back to specific modules to reference examples. The Google folders act as an archive of student work, which can also be easily downloaded for submission to festivals, and other events.

We use Blogger as an online sketchbook. We set up a blog for each first year student, using our filmteam@pca.ac.uk login. Each student uses blogger as their digital sketchbook, throwing together their research, ideas, production logs, as well as their finished work. By owning these blogs, the film team can see work in progress (drafts) as well as the published posts. We have found that 'owning' the student blogs in this way, gives us greater access, and may give the blogs more permanence than when they are attached to students email accounts, which may be deleted a year after graduation.

We use Moodle to upload all module documentation, including assignment briefs and sessions notes, as well as useful resources for students, such as weblinks and films.

We use Blogger as a shared space for students to analyse and critique the films that we screen at the Plymouth Arts Centre. Second year students are invited weekly to the Arts Centre, and enjoy a varied programme of films, some from the current catalogue, and others from our own resources http://pcafilmscreenings.blogspot.co.uk/

We use Facebook to communicate with our Film students. Our 110 Film students use our 'PCA Film' group responsibly, sharing ideas, film reviews, opportunities, and support for each others projects. We have some honorary members such as the Performance students at Plymouth Uni.

We use Twitter, Facebook and Vimeo as recruitment tools, sharing news, programme updates, and film awards/prizes. We have paid to target specific audiences via Facebook, and have a professional Vimeo account for greater control of the application  https://www.facebook.com/PCAFilm/

https://twitter.com/pcafilm

Or equivalent** 2016

BA (Hons) Year 2 have just submitted some excellent research projects, written up in 3000 words, or equivalent** (**to be negotiated with your tutor).

There were two "or equivalent*" submissions. However, this year they serve a slightly different purpose. The first one is a documentary style film which serves as an investigation into the way that filmmakers use FEAR to make money. It suggests that some recent mainstream films are exploiting our fear of terrorism, and might in some way be 'preparing' us for the inevitable. It suggests that Hollywood is making a fortune out of our fear. 

The strength of this piece is in it's use of primary research and how this is edited into the discussion. The filmmaker is a good editor, with an excellent sense of rhythm, and chose this technique in order to speak his work over relevant visuals rather than writing and submitting on A4 paper (or similar). This is not practice-led but rather was an example of a student using tools other than the written word to present his essay.

The essay can be seen here:
https://vimeo.com/163753488
Password 'GCOP200'

The second visual essay is far more in depth, and synthesises primary and secondary research throughout. The maker has chosen specific case studies to analyse how symbols are used in film, in much the same way as a musical leitmotif, to carry a theme or idea throughout a work. He focuses on the frequency illusion, and uses ideas around spectatorship, and the active creation of ideas by not only the maker but also the audience of film.

The essay can be seen here:
https://vimeo.com/163755763
Password 'GCOP200'

It is interesting how this form of submission has developed for this particular student. He is a very capable researcher, maker and writer, but has chosen this form of submission because it allows him to show his ideas, whilst also analysing, contextualising and synthesising them. 

The essay below was submitted as an analysis of a practical project that this student had undertaken. It's clear to see that he has developed the ability to engage an audience in his work, and has an easy editing style that completely fits the feel of the project.
https://vimeo.com/162297396

What these projects do not evidence is 'practice-led' research , they are something else, but maybe this is a good first attempt in advance of the students' final year dissertations, and the practical projects that they will develop in the next academic year.