, , ,

Guest Seminar - Sam Francis - Creative Producing, Curating

, , ,

Sam Francis joined us for another guest seminar, this time focussing on working as a Creative Producer and Curator. Recording of session is on Teams, see links and notes from this session below. For notes from yesterday’s Experimental Media Arts workshop go to this page

Sam-Francis.jpeg

‘I am a creative producer, maker and doer now living in Weston Super Mare after 15 years in Bristol. 

 I am interested in engaged, live work that is not bound by a singular art form, and am currently project producer for Outlands experimental music network, a member of Supernormal Festival and arts collective Bristol Experimental Expanded Film (BEEF). 

 I also create things and make stuff sometimes. I like to observe and experience things through sound, image and words; snippets and moments, as a way to connect with place, space and spirit. I like working collectively and collaboratively, building and being part of communities, connecting people and responding creatively to contexts.

I am a creative producer, maker and doer now living in Weston Super Mare after 15 years in Bristol. 

 I am interested in engaged, live work that is not bound by a singular art form, and am currently project producer for Outlands experimental music network, a member of Supernormal Festival and arts collective Bristol Experimental Expanded Film (BEEF). 

 I also create things and make stuff sometimes. I like to observe and experience things through sound, image and words; snippets and moments, as a way to connect with place, space and spirit. I like working collectively and collaboratively, building and being part of communities, connecting people and responding creatively to contexts.’

Sam Francis

Notes and Links from Session

Supernormal Festival

SUPERNORMAL is a three-day, experimental arts and music festival taking place at Braziers Park in Oxfordshire. It offers a platform for artists, performers and musicians to work collaboratively and creatively for a new kind of audience seeking experiences out of the mainstream. It is determinedly small and intimate with an audience of 1,500. It has been born from a place that values the currency of ideas and imagination, as well as the inclusivity of artists and audiences alike, rather than commercialism and profit. Read more

Trailer:

Short Film (2015) by James Hankins & Richard Edkins

BEEF - Bristol Experimental Expanded Film

Bristol Experimental Expanded Film (BEEF) is a film and sound collective supporting experimental practice in Bristol since 2015.

BEEF provides an independent platform and much needed resource for artists’ production, distribution and critical engagement, predominantly focusing on experimental and analogue practices. BEEF members collaborate and work together to organise a regular programme of events, screenings, performances, exhibitions, residencies, and film & sound workshops. Read More

Why you Shouldn't be an artist 

LINKS - Weston super Mare

Weston Artspace: a studio hub and workshop space for Weston’s creative community, on the High Street.
https://www.westonartspace.com/

Culture Weston: develop inspiring cultural initiatives and events
https://cultureweston.org.uk/

Creative Meet Ups for young and emerging artists and creatives. The next one is 13 April. Book here: https://cultureweston.org.uk/listings/creative-meet-up-emerging-artists-creatives/

There will be event volunteer opportunities, and specific student opportunities.
Keep an eye out on FACEBOOK: Culture Weston / Weston Artspace.

FURTHER INFO + LINKS:

•Curating Context – Beyond the Gallery and Into Other Fields, edited by Magdalena Malm, 2017

•What Does an Art Producer Do? by Grace Bordelon

•BFI Future Film Festival film industry festival for young, emerging filmmakers

•BFI Film Academy - opportunities for young creatives aged 16 to 25:

Further Viewing:

Day in the life of a film programmer

Curator talk: curating in context - making exhibitions work 

How to succeed as an artist

How to get your short screened at film festivals:

The fifth sense: making exhibitions 

See more of Sam Francis’s work at: https://samfrancisco.co.uk/



Guest Seminar - Sam Francis - Experimental Film + Derive, Psychogeography...

Sam Francis joined us for a guest seminar as part of Experimental Media Arts Module on Thursday 18th March 2021.

Focus for this session: Derives / Drifting, Guy Debord / situationist.

Notes, Films and Links from session:

Patrick Keiller: Robinson Trilogy - invented character ‘Robinson’:

Andrew Kotting - often collaborates with various people who join him on his walks, uses 16mm film

Margaret Tait (Orkney) : **not many women making this kind of work strangely:

Paul Kelly: how we used to live:

Also see: Finnesterre (2003) - Dir. Paul Kelly & Kieran Evans. We looked at this film in Documentary module, when looking at the city symphony.

Robert McFarlane, Stanley Donwood, Adam Scovell:

Mark Leckey: Fiorucci made me Hardcore / Dream English Kid

Film response to Georges Perec, La Rue:

EXERCISE

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A RANDOM WALK

A random walk is the process by which randomly-moving human objects wander away from

where they started. This walk will be 6.7 times more random than a usual walk.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Turn your notifications off. Grab your notebook, camera, drink, snack.

  • Leave your home.

  • Allow yourself plenty of time.

  • If you usually turn left, turn right. If you usually turn right, turn left. Or walk straight ahead.

  • Don’t have a destination in mind.

  • You don’t have to go far.

  • Take a different route than usual.

  • Or go somewhere familiar and see it with fresh eyes.

  • Step one foot in front of the other in no particular order.

  • You might set your own instructions or pattern; left, right, / right, right / left, straight, stop,

  • continue, note / left or whatever.

  • Get into your own rhythm.

  • Wander.

  • Drift.

  • What do you see, sense, hear, feel.

  • Stop and have a closer look at something.

  • Examine closely whatever your attention is drawn to.

  • Sit on a bench or a wall if you like.

  • Take your time, don’t rush.

  • Just look, real close.

  • Enjoy the fact that no one knows what you are doing.

  • All those people, they’re all just wrapped up in their own worlds, going about their own business.

  • Record your discoveries by some means;

  • trace or count your steps

  • make some notes or a list

  • record the sounds around you

  • photograph each corner

  • film the ground

  • draw a line by hand

  • pick things up

  • write things down

  • or whatever catches your eye.

  • Think about the ways in which you might bring these elements together

  • Enjoy!

Further Reading:

Further Viewing

Where to begin with British psychogeography cinema

‘Movies inspire a lot of passion, but the back catalogue of film history can be daunting. For every fan who’s obsessed with an actor, director or sub-genre, there’s another struggling to know where to start. Sometimes all it takes is the right recommendation to set you on your path from newbie to know-it-all… Your next obsession: the drifting explorations of psychogeographic filmmaking.’ BFI

John Smith: Girl Chewing Gum

Sam Francis

See Sam Francis’s own work on her website. Including her Urban Typologies project, which was Exhibited at RWA Open Exhibition, Bristol, 2010

signs-small.jpeg

Environments - Richard Edkins & Karen Bristoll

Environments - 'A photographic – video - art project exploring issues of identity, histories, space and time, on an overland journey from Birmingham to Beijing and Back on public transport.'

​15 years ago, March 27th 2006, we left Birmingham New street station to travel overland on public transport, heading towards Beijing. We had no plan as such just an idea to head in that direction, overland on public transport - trains, buses, boats, rickshaw...

We didn’t want to fly for environmental reasons, aviation represents the world’s fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions*, but also traveling overland you feel more connected, how spaces, nations, peoples, histories are connected. In a plane you miss all that.

3566413339_2a0f878c87_k.jpg
SamFrancis_.jpg

Guest Seminar - Alix Taylor BFI Network South West - Friday 12/3/21 11.30

Alix+Taylor.jpeg

ALIX TAYLOR

Alix Taylor - BFI Network South West, will be joining us again for a guest seminar on Friday 12/3/21 at 11.30 (Teams).

Alix is the Talent Executive for BFI NETWORK in the South West. Prior to joining at Watershed, she was with Calling the Shots, where she was Project Manager on New Creatives (South West), the BBC Arts and Arts Council talent development scheme.

While working on New Creatives, Alix oversaw the selection, production and delivery of audio, film and interactive projects from artists aged 16-30 for BBC platforms. Managing a network of regional partnerships across the South West to deliver mentoring, training, development and support to artists locally.

Previously she programmed the digital education courses and specialised film screenings of short film, artists moving image and alternative features for the multi-arts venue, Exeter Phoenix, as well as developing new talent through their short film commissioning schemes.

BFI NETWORK – Watch past work & events

Watch BFI NETWORK Funded Shorts: https://network.bfi.org.uk/funded-by-network

Listing for upcoming BFI NETWORK Webinars: https://network.bfi.org.uk/news-and-features/industry-insights/online-resources-emerging-filmmakers

Watch past BFI NETWORK Webinars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXvkgGofjDzjCHSBT0COpFKOqei3YTG44

Watch past BFI Film Academy Labs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXvkgGofjDzgbLMRQLe-MmYT4JZrsEmzo

Short Film Funding

The Short Film Funding from BFI NETWORK supports projects with directors based in the South West. Funding of up to £15,000 is available to support the production costs of fiction films, in both live action and animation of up to 15 minutes.

Closed for applications – opens again in April 2021

Early Development Funding

The Early Development funding from BFI NETWORK supports projects with writers based in England who have an exciting and bold idea for a feature film – particularly if you’ve not yet teamed up with a producer. This scheme offers funding and support for treatments and research for feature films in early development.

Closed for applications – opens again in April 2021

For more information and to apply for funding please visit the BFI NETWORK website.

Ways to keep in touch in the South West

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day

Every year, around the world, March 8 is marked as International Women’s Day. This feature in The Big Issue shows 7 ways to celebrate from your living room.

’It’s a time to recognise female trailblazers, to agitate for political change, to connect with women’s history and to take action for gender equality.​’ Read More

Screen Shot 2021-03-09 at 10.18.10.png

Zarah Sultana writes about the radical socialist and internationalist roots of #InternationalWomensDay in this article in Tribune Magazine.

IWD.jpg

Women in Film: BBC Introducing Arts

​Cultural historian Janina Ramirez presents a collection of intriguing and exciting short films by emerging women directors and artists. Each film gives a female perspective on modern-day topics from body image and new love to grief and belonging. Expect honest and refreshing storytelling that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think.​

WATCH: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t0xs​

Screen Shot 2021-03-09 at 09.13.43.png
Screen Shot 2021-03-10 at 13.17.34.png

​​Women with Movie Camera’s is a great selection of films curated on Mubi, including one of my favourites - Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher 

Get Student account for Free​ at: https://mubi.com/student ​
Then go to: https://mubi.com/specials/women-with-movie-cameras ​

Cables + Cameras ‘In conversation with Director / Producer Michelle Pascal

This is an International Women’s day special with director / producer Michelle Pascal. ‘We hope this interview will inspire the next generation of women of colour into the film & TV industry. This is a special day to share knowledge and experiences to uplift women in all creative sectors. We will be discussing her journey over the last 19 years in the film and TV industry. This is her first ever interview talking about navigating as a P.O.C woman in the creative sector as a filmmaker and a director.’ Hosted by Junior Saunders.

For more information about future Cables & Cameras events, visit www.cablesandcameras.com

#IWD2021 #InternationalWomensDay @cables_cameras @michellepascal

Women in Film - BFI Sight and Sound

See BFI - Sight & Sound’s ongoing coverage of women’s cinema, from female-focussed films and movies made by women to reports and comment on the ongoing underrepresentation of women in the film industry at large. Visit Archive

2015-10-shadow.png

Women Vs Hollywood - Helen O'Hara

Film critic Helen O'Hara celebrates Hollywood's female pioneers - women who fought sexism and the studio system to find their own voices and change film forever.

BBC Radio 4 Book of the week

Listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sy4d

Book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/women-vs-hollywood/helen-ohara/9781472144430

Helen was also on BBC 6 Music, Lauren Laverne - 10/3/21 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000szcm

women-vs-hollywood-scaled.jpg

Liberation, Elevation, Education

Also see: