University Films - First year

The following videos are from projects I created or participated in the creation of during my first year as a student at Manchester Metropolitan University.  Most of the videos listed here were created in correlation to the course I was a part of (Contemporary Film & Video) however a few of them were outside projects.


Instinct (2010)

Instinct was a short montage assignment in the first year of study. The initial idea was to have a young woman walk down an alley as a sinister looking man trails behind. As she turns and spots him she would have begun running - dropping her bag as she tries to escape. At the end of the film she would reach a dead end, and as she turns to face the supposed pursuer, he hands her the handbag she dropped and walks away.

The intent of the original idea was to have a short suspenseful montage where we see things from the young woman's perspective and feel her anxiety and paranoia growing. The end would then of included an interesting twist where the character and the audience would be forced to question the judgements they make about other people.

What we ended up with was a kind of blunt, sinister film where a woman is chased and apprehended by this mysterious man in an alley way. It clumsily mixes together elements of the slasher and supernatural horror films in a way that is really disappointing considering how the idea initially began.



Keep It Real (2010)

This experimental film was a fun mix of a number of influences from mainstream American cinema (an example being Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction) to more surreal artists like Salvador Dali, Luis Buñuel, Dziga Vertov, and in particular, Maya Deren.

Looking back now the film is technically crude. There is a kind of passion to the film, yet it feels somewhat sporadic and unorganised. The influences do indeed shine through, and the film could be seen as a bit to derivative and lacking in its own identity. I think some of this comes from a discomfort with the task at hand. Me and my collaborator Daniel Little come from a background draped in the influences of classical narrative cinema. I believe by being tasked with producing an experimental film we were somewhat put out of our comfort zone. In this mind set, I think what we tried to do was incorporate some elements (and at points excerpts from scenes) from more traditional narrative cinema, and mix them in an almost tongue in cheek way with a more experimental form of presentation.

And I have to say that it's in this way the film works best. There's an almost gawky awkwardness to it. It has the kind of character that can only come from a real passion for producing something and a somewhat naiveness to the way it may be perceived. It's clumsy, it's awkward and geeky; it is what it is. And with that being said, there is a slight charm to it.


Peer Groups & Moral Panic (2010)

Created as an educational short for a masters degree student, the shorts purpose was to elaborate on the reoccurrence of media frenzies surrounding different youth or peer groups whose appear to go against the conventional norms.



Frank Sidebottom Documentary (2010)

This documentary was a freelance project to create a short film for fans of Frank Sidebottom, in celebration of the life of the recently deceased comedian Chris Seivey. 

To give some background on the project, I think it is important to elaborate on a few limitations we had during the making of this production. Firstly, we were informed about the project less than a week before the filming was to begin. Because of this we were unable to secure certain pieces of equipment that would be seen as essential to this kind of production. Basics such as a tripod, a boom mic and a high quality external sound recorder were all unavailable to us. 

However, with these limitations clarified I think the film turned out rather well.  

Breaking the Ice (2010)

This next film Breaking the Ice, which is also the first film I directed whilst at University. It's a short silent drama about a father and daughter dealing with the passing of a loved one. Visually, the film has a strong Film Noir design which adds to the overall melodramatic feel of the piece. From pre-production stage I had a strong idea of how I wanted the film to look and feel, and planned around this. In relation to the production, we managed to get some great locations that really added to the films scope.

I do think that the film was slightly underwritten, however. There does seem to be at times a slight lucidity to the action and plot, causing the film to feel stiff and stumble a bit here and there. Overall
though the film has charm, and, with an an interesting visual style, it wasn't a bad effort.

Jordan's (2010)

This documentary short shows viewers the day to day goings on at Jordan's interior landscapers. The film itself is very well executed, with a smooth flow and sharp editing. Sound design on this project also stands out with some really interesting layering.