Term One - What a hectic start!

What a term! We have had three performances all in the last few weeks.



First we had the mask show: Shopping Crackers with the Level 2 Backstage Production and Frist Year Performing Arts students collaborating on a devised piece about shopping in the run up to Christmas. As the first show for both groups it was great to see how quickly they got to a show and how they took it in stride.





It was a great start to the year and prepared them for the madness to come! We only had 6 college days to turn the theatre from this:

Into this:



And the cast had to go from this:

 

To this (while being zombies on the way!):

 

 

 

Showcase 2013 was a huge success, we sold out both nights and had to turn people away! All four groups were involved in this production and it showed a mixture of songs, dances and speeches from various different shows with a lively and youthful theme.

 

Then it was all change again to Happy Families which was the Level 3 Production and Second Year Performing Arts. We built some funky pentagonal flats which were great fun but very difficult. We also used a gauze effect for the deceased members of the family which was tricky but looked great in the end. There were Northern accents and fast-paced dialogue for the performers to get their heads around. Both groups handled the show like pros, with confidence and the show was well-received.

 

Here's to next year and the Reflex Memory movement piece, the Disney Showcase, Story-telling, Performance Workshop, the Dance Show and Fame!

 

 

 

Bournemouth Bound - Laura Allen

Media student, Laura Allen, has been given an unconditional offer for a place on the prestigious media course at Bournemouth University. This course has been seen as one of the top media production courses in the country for two decades and as such is over subscribed.  Laura's offer so early in the year shows the importance of an early UCAS application.

Laura said, ' I am very excited and relieved to receive the offer from Bournemouth, especially as it was my first choice out of all five options, it has a great reputation as a media college and a degree from Bournemouth should give me an advantage in the competitive media industries.'

The National Youth Film Festival Awards 2013

 

Congratulations to Henry Dixon. Henry's short film "Friend." was nominated for a National Youth Film Festival award. Henry wrote, produced and directed the film for his P.M.P. (final project) on the BTEC Extended Diploma: Creative Media Production course at the Witney campus.

 

The awards ceremony was held at the Vue cinema, Leicester Square, and was a star studded event with actors, producers and directors from film and television in attendance. 

 

For more information about the National Youth Film Festival, be sure to check out their website here.

 

Henry is now studying screenwriting at Bournemouth University. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours and look forward to seeing what he produces next!

 

 

Happy Families

After the roaring success of Showcase 2013 we are now gearing up to our final performance of the year, Happy Families. The Level 3 Second Years for both Performing Arts and Backstage Production are putting on the John Godber play on the 10th and 11th of December.

The actors are busy learning lines, both casts get one night to dazzle the audience so they are working extra hard. They will be in the theatre on Tuesday to try out the space and then it will be tech rehearsal on Friday ready for dress rehearsals and shows in the following week.

The production team are getting props, costume and set together. Everyone seems to be covered in paint! The Front of House team are preparing for the audience with programmes, posters, tickets and displays.

As the excitement builds we have to focus on this last show before Christmas

 

Showcase 2013

Rehearsals are coming together nicely for the Showcase 2013. Both Years 1 and 2 of the Performing Arts course are collaborating with the Level 2 and Level 3 Backstage Production to bring audiences two nights of song, dance and drama.

It's been a very quick turn-around from the mask show Shopping Crackers last Thursday but we have cleared everything away and got back to the basic space in the Performance Theatre. Today we are going to put down the dance floor and do the new lighting rig with the Level 2 Production students.

We have been helped in both the mask show and this one by the Level 2 Media students to make this a true collaboration between courses and talents.

Tickets are selling fast so if you want to see the first showcase of this academic year buy your tickets on WeGotTickets.com or from Abingdon Campus Reception, just £5 for adults and £4 for concessions. And don't forget if you have a ticket stub from a previous performance you can have a pound or fifty pence (concession) off your next ticket!

Keep your eyes peeled for the end of term show - Happy Families by John Godber.

Zombie Film

 

 

Zombies abound on the Abingdon campus today as performance and media students collaborate on a zombie themed film.  The day began with a crew meeting and discussion of the ideas developed by the media group. We then split in two groups and rehearsed scenes and zombie moves whilst the make-up crew transformed mild mannered actors into possessed zombies.

 

Watch out there are zombies about.....! 

 

Mask Show

 

Images are of the cast and crew and the wonderful masks made for the performance. 

 

Alistair Ballard-Martin stated,' the show was thoroughly enjoyable allowing me to focus on body movement...the idea of the masks was so the audience focused on characterisation rather than dialogue and gesture  rather than facial expression... It also allowed the performance students to collaborate with backstage who created the sets and masks.'

Hair and Beauty Expo

Media students collaborated with Hair and Beauty students to produce a 'corporate video' documenting the recent expo on the Abingdon site.

Watch the video by clicking on this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlsIDJS_8Hg

Shooting Star

The images in this blog are from the film  'Shooting Star ' which was made by Robert Beasley , James Quayle and Jonathan Wooloff.  All of whom are past alumni of Abingdon and Witney college.  

 

James Quayle came in and gave the first and second year media students a talk on Monday 14th October.

 

The talk was about pathways open to students looking to move into the the media industries, whether that be through, apprenticeships, University or starting out as a self-shooter. He spoke a bit about his background;  following university he worked for the BBC as a runner to begin with and eventually worked himself up to be the 1st AD (Assistant Director) on Holby City.

 

From there he became a freelance self shooter, working on a range of corporate work as well as writing and directing his own shorts.

 

Most recently he has set up a film company in Oxfordshire called Warpline Films.

 

At the end of the talk the students watched 'Shooting Star' and then Robert (also a lecturer on  the Media courses) and James went on to discuss the production, from pre-production - principal photography - post-production. They related that to the process the students have to go through for their own units, even passing around our pre-production folder from the project.

 

James also spoke about filming gear and what is a good starting point / essential kit to become a self shooter.

 

 

 

 

Cabaret

On Tuesday night we took the Backstage Production students (both the Level 2 and 3) to see Cabaret. For the Level 3 Second Years who did a production of Cabaret for their FMP last year, it was interesting to see how some other designers might envisage the same show with a different budget and performance requirements.

We all had mixed reactions to this production. The set was generally agreed to be really interesting and inventive with some lovely effects like a beaded curtain (full stage height!) that when lit from behind became transparent. This meant that when things were going on backstage at the Kit Kat club you could still see the performers 'performing' to the imaginary audience at the back of the stage.

Some people really enjoyed the interpretation of the text in a very racy manner and others felt that it was gratuitously sexual. We have all had some spirited conversations about the production.

A good time was had by all, even if the production was not their cup of tea!

 picture source: www. crazygallery.info

Another work experience opportunity

Jenny Hughes from Bright Sparks Science is coming in to see Media students at Abingdon on Thursday at 12.30.  Have a look at the web-site for her company www.brightsparksscience.co.uk

Jenny will outline ways that you could use your skills and gain valuable work experience

here is some information to begin with;

 

Our Company Bright Sparks Science, aims to promote fun science activities to primary school children across Oxfordshire and Berkshire. We provide hands-on science activities at after school clubs, scout groups, birthday parties, holiday workshops and other community wide events. We have been running for nearly 2 years now and are looking to develop our website to the next stage and include video footage of our events and/or experiment demos.

 

I had the idea of making video clips as a project proposal for a media student(s) as I think the content will appeal to them. In the first instance, it would be great to develop a range of short video clips that show the target audience how to do a particular experiment - a demo tape if you like. These experiments will be quick and simple so that children/ adults that visit our website can repeat them in the safety of their own home! I am currently developing a DIY science page that will feature instructions for the experiments and I think video clips are a great way to add to this. We can bring all the science equipment to you and be in front of the camera, demonstrating the activity, if your students would like to do the filming? Of course, if there are some media /drama students that want to have a go a presenting themselves, I am more than happy to teach them.

 

The other type of video we would like to develop, would be a promotional video clip, where we film one of our events / parties in action, live at the venue, with interviews, action shots etc. This would be harder to organise as we would need parental permission for video footage to be taken of the children involved and equipment would need to be taken to the venue, but I'm sure we can find a willing candidate if we offer a free party!

 

 I am happy for the student to quote our website in any interviews and use it as evidence of portfolio work etc.

Work Experience opportunity

Ray Doran from Ludger LTD is coming in tomorrow at 10.30am to talk to Media students about the following work experience opportunity.  These opportunities are live projects which will allow you to network with local companies such as this one in Cumnor.  Once your skills are known and your ability to work successfully with clients is proven you will increasingly be offered commissions. This is how the creative industries operate. It is essential that you begin to build an online digital portfolio and showreel to evidence your work experience and skills.

Overview of Ludger Ltd.

Ludger Ltd is a private company dealing with the analysis and production of pharmaceutical products for many large pharmaceutical clients who produce a wide range of medical drugs.

The CEO of Ludger Ltd,  Dr Daryl Fernandes is developing a website that advertises the complete profile of the company services that are offered to the industry.

As an additional service his vision is to produce videos to cover subjects such as training and in particular safety training associated with working in a laboratory environment. The subjects would include the safe handling of the various chemicals and compounds that are used in the analysis and testing procedures. Other subjects would include the use of the various types of equipment used such as High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), Mass Spectrometers, and Centrifuge Machines.  For now the videos would be used only for in – house use for Ludger employees and any scientists who may be on loan from other research institutes.

The videos would need to be no longer than 10 -15 mins in duration and they are to be designed to give a short presentation of any given subject; the idea being that further videos are developed for longer and more complex procedures.

Considerations for this project of producing videos would take into account commercial sensitivity and copyright procedures and should the work progress further.

 All students taking part would be given induction training for the site prior to filming.

Shopping Crackers

SHOPPING CRACKERS!!

 

Come and see our first years debut mask performance at Abingdon Performance Theatre!
Thursday 14th November!

Upcoming shows

“Shopping Crackers” is a theatre show which has been created by the first year Performing Arts Students at Abingdon & Witney College. The performance will be performed with the backing of music but without any words as the performers are using caricature, cartoon-like masks.
With Christmas in mind and twelve days to go before the big day, shoppers and shopkeepers feel the both the tension and excitement build….

ABINGDON : College Performance Theatre

Thursday 14th Nov, 2013 7:30pm

The fabulous Performing Arts students (First and Second Years) get a chance to strut their stuff and show off their talent! Featuring numbers from Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde and West Side Story this should be an upbeat evening of fun.

ABINGDON : College Performance Theatre

MON 25TH NOV, 2013 7:30pm

Happy Families by John Godber


Year two performing arts and back stage production will be creating this much loved play set in West Yorkshire.  It is an autobiographical play and tells the story of a boy called John and his parents Vic and Dot. It tells of the stresses and strains of growing up with his family. It tells of how he grows up through his teenage years and through to when he gets his degree. John Godber has described it as "humour with a touch of sadness".

ABINGDON : College Performance Theatre

11th/12th December, 2013 7:30pm

West Side Story

BTEC Performing Arts visited Oxford New Theatre to see the touring production of the iconic West Side Story.

Tutor, Nicola Blake said, ' we are studying this in the unit, 'historical context for performance.' This production inspired the learners as it was a high energy, fast- paced musical tragedy featuring some very talented musical theatre performers...Going to see live performances is invaluable as this is the goal of many of our students.'

Year two student Frae said, ' I love going to the theatre, particularly with my peers. I can't wait to start auditioning for drama school and progress on to similar productions.'

Witney Film Festival

Witney Media students have entered their short films into the Witney film festival and the College hosted a screening tonight as part of the festival.  Lecturer, Tim Rose, has been busy this term getting his students to complete editing to a tight deadline so that the College can be represented in this high profile showcase. The festival is a highlight of Witney's creative calendar and allows students an invaluable opportunity to show their work alongside films made by local artists and film-makers and to network with established film-makers.

Click here for a link to the Witney Film web-site for more details of the events on this week.

British Film Institute (BFI) Academy Oxford

Click here for the BFI Film Oxford link 

www.marchackettbfi.tumblr.com


Hasena Ali and Marc Hackett, students on the BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production are working with the BFI in Oxford on a project to gain the Silver Arts Award. 

This involves learning how to use cameras, plan a shoot and film and edit a short film. 

Hasena explains, ' we work in Oxford on Saturdays and in the holidays, alongside people who have worked in the film industry. It is great to get advice and to network with creatives and young film-makers. It really complements our College course.  The people are passionate about making films much like my lecturers at College. This is  a chance to get work experience which will give me an advantage in a competitive industry.'  

'We met the people from BFI Oxford as they came in to both Witney and Abingdon sites to give a talk about their work and screened short films that they made last year.'

TOCA

The Oxfordshire Creative Academy is a place where skills can be developed to realise careers in the creative industries.  The doors are open and this blog will celebrate some of the innovative and exciting opportunities available to those who will open the door...

The Door

Go and open the door.

Maybe outside there’s

A tree, or a wood,

A garden,

Or a magic city.

Go and open the door.

Maybe a dog’s rummaging,

Maybe you’ll see a face,

or an eye,

or the picture

of a picture.

Go and open the door,

If there’s a fog

It will clear.

Go and open the door.

Even if there’s only

The darkness ticking,

Even if there’s only

The hollow wind,

even if

nothing

is there,

go and open the door.

at least

there’ll be

a draught.

Miroslav Holub