Ways of Being: The Spectator and the Spectacle

A seven month research project that operated alongside the orchestration of EYES and which culminated in my undergraduate theoretical dissertation: Ways of Being: The Spectator and the Spectacle.

The paper was praised for its originality, progressive thinking and received the highest mark that has ever been awarded to a Film and Screen Studies dissertation at Bath Spa University; as well as being awarded the Media Futures Research Award!

As my guiding tutor and primary marker, Dr Suman Ghosh, commented: "The mark of 85 is an exceptional mark, rarely awarded, and only to work of exceptional quality. I am pleased to say that both examiners agreed that this was the case with your work."Additionally, the Head of the Film and Media Department, Dr Terence Rodgers, commented that: "This is certainly one of the best FL dissertations I have read for many a year".

The paper is a consideration of the epistemological, ontological and metaphysical downfalls of film theory’s understandings of the spectator and the spectacle; with particular emphasis directed towards the neurobiological implications of the spectator’s body.

The thesis argues that these shortcomings are representative of wider ranging issues of complacency engulfing the film industry and film exhibition as a whole. Furthermore, the fundamental disruptions of the digital upgrade of cinema, and the expanding means through which film content can be experienced, are explored in relation to the pressing need for film theory to reassess itself.

Drawing on a plethora of empirical and non-empirical research, the dissertation is a highly progressive expression of how film experience has always been about transcendence and, as a result of its digital re-birth and diversifications, it is now becoming even more so. 

Other materials pertaining to the project can be viewed in this Google Drive folder.

On top of EYES and my other final year projects, getting Ways of Being up to the standard I wanted was a tall and exhausting order!

 
As a result of my enthusiasm for the project, I unearthed so much data that the first draft I wrote warranted a request for a larger word count submission. As such, the primary content I eventually submitted totalled just fewer than 15,000 words, with the Appendix and other supplementary material bringing the overall word count to 30,000 words! Furthermore, I still had additional ideas and data that would have allowed me to write more!

This research project had a huge influence on EYES and vice versa; in fact, I refer to EYES as being the practical expression of what I explored in Ways of Being. I believe the high marks both projects were awarded are testament to their mutually beneficial relationship to one another.

As of June 2013, the research started in this project is ongoing and I am building a website to host it: www.ways2interface.com. I have been very fortunate to stumble into an area that is not receiving much research interest and I am very keen to build up a network of interested parties to change this. Therefore, please contact me if this is an area of interest.

The Complete Vlogs

These vlogs chronicle the year-long evolution and process of creating the EYES project. You can either view the vlogs as a playlist or as separate videos. 

EYES Vlog Update 25 - Retrospective

EYES Vlog Update 24 - Postproduction

Encounters 2013 - Launch

This year I am volunteering at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival in Bristol. I did this for four reasons:

1. I love film. 
2. I wanted an opportunity to network and build up my contacts for future projects.
3. I wanted an opportunity to do some hands-on research.
4. I am moving to Bristol and I figured it would be a good way to get to know some other like-minded individuals. 

Encounters 2013 Launch Event @ Creative Common

The main festival itself does not happen until the latter half of September (17th - 22nd) and at the moment the festival is having some fringe events. 

The full festival guide can be seen here.

Aside from volunteering for the whole of the main festival events, do not ask me how many of the fringe events I have volunteered for because I can not remember, but I will endeavour to go to as many as I can! 

Creative Common is a part of the re-development that is happening next to Bristol Temple Meads.

There was not much for the other volunteers and myself to do at the Launch event and we were told that this was really just a chance to get everyone together. However, I used it as an opportunity for research (see Ways of Being and Ways 2 Interface) and observed the audience habits as they experienced the films.

It was a surprisingly good turn out.

The screenings were held in the Creative Common circus tent.

The Encounters milk float.

Encounters 2013 looks set to be a very promising experience and I look forward to doing more work as part of it!

Remember This

Remember This is a fellow creative enterprise project/practical dissertation orchestrated by my peer Matt Coot. Matt's creative project was concerned with producing a short film - Remember This - and then submitting it into various film festivals. However, as was the case with EYES, Matt's project was not completed at the time of the final module submission; that said, it did not prevent the potential of the project from being awarded a First! 

And here (a year-and-a-half later) is the final cut...

While does tell a good story, I do still have a few issues with the final cut (mostly technical), but, meh, it's Matt's film at the end of the day, he can do what he likes.

You can find out more about Remember This on Matt's website.

Matt Coot - the orchestrator of Remember This.

As a means of support to double each of our effectiveness, Remember This was produced in co-operation with my EYES web series project, from October 2012 to May 2013. As such, I served as the co-producer on Remember This, in return for having Matt (writer, director, co-producer and co-editor) serve as the co-producer on EYES. 

In addition to producing (nagging) and providing technical support, I also took many photos of the production.

I was heavily involved with the organising and co-ordination of Remember This during the pre-production phase before Christmas (Oct - Dec), but in the New Year I devoted more of my time my own projects. However, throughout the whole process of making Remember This, my producing role has consistently been concerned with motivating the members of the project and keeping everything on schedule. I also offered additional technical support during the production phase. The documentation I produced for Remember This can be viewed here.

For more information on my role in the making of Remember This, please see the feedback videos below. I made these videos as feedback for Matt's portfolio, but they also act as my reflections on my producing role for Remember This.

 

EYES Vlog Update 23 - Influences and Intuition

EYES Vlog Update 22 - Feedback for the Actors

Part 1

 

Part 2

EYES Feedback: Daniel Tapper (Sound Designer)

Daniel submitted his feedback on the project today.

Daniel's Feedback post in the Facebook Group.

Pasted below is Daniel's complete feedback:



EYES Feedback – Dan Tapper – Sound designer
 

• Your experiences of working on the project.

My experience of working on the project has been essentially good. Its nice to work on a project with someone who has a clear vision of what they want to achieve. Most of the time Peter was able to communicate clearly what he wanted but at points what he asked for seemed a little convoluted and occasionally contradictory to something he had previously said. However I felt that both of us were pretty much on the same page meaning we were able to work effectively together and come up with a clear plan of action.
 

• What you've gained from the project.

Previously my sound work has been for quite visually abstract works such as animations, adverts and a short horror audio visual film. Working on EYES was the first time I had worked on a more structured narrative project and proved a good bridge for me between abstract and more structured dramatized work as EYES has elements of both.

• You're views on me and my project management skills, etc

I think Peter has done a good job managing the project. From my experience managing even a small team can prove difficult. The role I am performing is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of management but from working in the field with Peter I have seen that he is able to inspire others to commit themselves to hard work in pursuit of his vision. Peter is also very personable, helpful and unintimidating making which contribute to his leadership skills as people are not afraid to put their views across.

EYES Vlog Update 15: Editing & Sound Design

EYES Feedback: Matt Coot (co-producer)

I have asked all of the members of the project to provide a short reflection and feedback on their experiences of being a part of the project and this is Matt's.

A Machine to Listen to the Sky - Short Documentary

Here is the close to final cut of the documentary I filmed for Daniel's (EYES' sound designer) A Machine to Listen to the Sky. You should give it a view, you might learn something about sound you didn't know before (and because it has some fantastic cinematography)!


Machine To Listen To The Sky from Daniel Tapper on Vimeo.

A Machine to Listen to the Sky

Today, I was filming Daniel Tapper's (my sound designer) final year project: A Machine to Listen to the Sky. I did this to repay his services on EYES and it made for a very enjoyable experience. 

Fencing Documentary

Concurrent to working on EYES, I have also been co-creating a documentary about fencing. This project fulfills the criteria for my final year documentary module. The project itself is comprised of a 6 minute documentary, a 40 second trailer and a 30,000 word wiki recording and reflecting on the process of making the documentary. The six month process of making this documentary has been very rewarding and the experience gained has been hugely beneficial to EYES; for instance, the technical problems we encountered with the documentary's shoot enabled me to eliminate them from occurring with the EYES, see Vlog 6. My overall skillset has greatly improved as a result of undertaking this documentary project.

Another significant learning outcome came from the artistic form of the documentary and how this would appeal to our target audience. As such, the style of the documentary as being very flash and informative came from a desire to make the documentary appeal to a wide target audience. As the main narrative aim of the documentary is moving beyond the elite stereotype and exposing the truth of fencing being a sport for anyone, we wanted to make the documentary appeal to a broad spectrum of viewers. 

Below, I have embedded the documentary and the trailer. Also included are the reflective commentaries I made for the documentary and the trailer.

In its first week on YouTube, the documentary received over 1000 views!

Documentary + Reflective Commentary

The 'Fencing' documentary provides an examination of fencing as a sport and a hobby as it exists in the modern idiom. Combating assumptions about elitism and identifying challenges to both professionals & amateurs. Culminating in a thoroughly entertaining, charming and interesting experience that will leave the viewer with a respect and admiration for a sport that truly deserves it.

Trailer + Reflective Commentary

Remember This - Filming Day 7 (Pick-ups)

We shot some pick-ups today. It's filming day 6 because I wasn't there for filming day 5. In the evening, we also shot some pick-ups for EYES, see Vlog 12.

EYES Vlog Update 11: The Easter Break

Remember This - Filming Day 5

Remember This - Filming Day 4

Remember This - Filming Day 3

Remember This - Filming Day 2