Moving Image Production

Moving Image Production

Autumn term, dates: TBC

Tutors: John Potter

Contributing tutors: James Durran & Michelle Cannon

This module, run in partnership with the BFI, introduces students to the theory and practice of digital video production and stop frame animation in formal and informal settings of education; comprises day seminars at the BFI at the beginnings and ends of term bridged by online content. We aim to have a launch residential at which some of the key issues are outlined. This will be followed by online tasks, reading and reflection. A portfolio of animated and filmed artefacts will be produced and a reflective commentary produced at the end of the module. It is suitable for teachers, lecturers, youth-workers and other professionals, as well as media students, who would like to engage with making and sharing media. It encourages participants to develop practical skills alongside theoretical discussion of how meaning is made with the moving image using digital video production tools and techniques.

Past student work

“On a personal level, I found the new media elements of the MA immensely helpful to my own digital immigration. The most practically useful aspect for me, though, was to help with the contextualising of and structure for the film making courses that I run part-time.” – Nigel Wattis (graduated 2012)

The MA Media, Culture and Education featured two optional modules in which students made productions. These were Digital Video Production (DVP) and Digital Animation and New Literacies (DAN). In each case, the theory and practice elements of the modules were balanced equally with a written commentary accompanying a short production. Workshops at the beginnings and the ends of terms were bridged with online activities which were sometimes practical and sometimes theoretical. No prior experience was assumed. The workshops were held at the BFI Southbank and the tutors were James Durran, funded by the BFI and John Potter from the IOE.

The latest version of our practical module will combine elements of both DVP and DAN and will become merged as Moving Image Production (MIP), aimed at giving students a chance to take part in digital making of both short video texts and animations.

For DVP students in recent years were given a list of required shots and a brief which involved dealing with the bigger emotions in 1 minute to a minute and a half. Some examples of the films produced are shown below:

Carousel – Man Overboard Version on Vimeo.

The Ticket (Rob Edit) on Vimeo.

Ben Waterloo Edit on Vimeo.

For DAN there were small activities practising for a group exercise. The main exercises involved using fruit, lego and modelling clay and focusing on short character creation exercises, moving on to using backdrops. The software we used was I Can Animate from Kudlian Software. We also used Moviestorm as Machinima software

Examples of student work include:
http://www.keithbeaney.net/idents/idents.html (click on LKL to see the London Knowledge Lab ident)