Introduction
This assignment requires a PDF document that can be shown to an industry professional, as part of request for a short piece of feedback.
The current form of my work is a video, which could be disseminated in various ways; I’m already looking at short-film festivals but also exploring the idea of using the work as a point of engagement for social art and have applied for social practice course bursary , which would be a great help, but only a slim chance of acceptance given the limited number of places and large numbers of applicants . I’ve already made significant progress with a website to promote the work at www.leedsandliverpool.co.uk. In addition, I would like to explore the idea of making a book of the work (including additional images) and obtaining some professional feedback on that possibility. With the ongoing pandemic and resulting backlog for smaller exhibition spaces, I am not actively pursuing the idea of a print exhibition. However, I’ve recently joined a local arts collective, Craven Arts, and plan to prepare prints for when there is an opportunity to take part in a group showing in their own studio space, or the small commercial gallery they are connected with. I’ve also set up the OCA Fotograd Collective, with the objective of finalist and graduate OCA photographers helping to promote one another’s work beyond the walls of the college.
With the range of possibilities in mind, I am going to request feedback from a number of different professionals: a gallery curator; a photographer and educator, who’s produced a number of books; and a small photo book publisher. I’ll also look for opportunities to present the work online and take feedback from that, for example I’ve applied to Redeye photography network’s ‘hothouse event’ in January 2021, and will be presenting to Artlab (Halifax) early 2021. I have already entered a number of short film festivals, as submission deadlines often seem to fall at this time of year.
PDF and email template
I have created a pdf to attach to an email tailored to each recipient, as I have different relationships with each. In the body of the email, I’m planning to say specifically what feedback I’m looking for and include a link to the video so the recipient doesn’t necessarily have to look at the pdf attachment (there’s a risk that attachments aren’t opened). Attached are the PDF and the email template:
Self-assessment
Creativity 20% – Make creative decisions in the resolving of a body of work that employs appropriate media and techniques articulating a personal creative voice
Significant progress has already been made in resolving the work in the form of a short film and a website to promote the film. As well as photography, this includes my work as a narrative writer and sound track creator. I am also intending to explore the potential for the work to be realised through a complementary photo book.
Presentation and Outcomes 40% – Articulate and synthesise ideas and research in the presentation of a body of work to an audience.
At this early stage, without formal promotion, the video work has been viewed over 300 times. I’m now working on several streams to find an audience for the work – I envisage this as a series of events rather than the single exhibition that this course module seems to assume. These are: socially engagement with local communities along the canal; presentations to photography/art groups; submissions to short film festivals; and the possibility of a photo book.
Professional context 20% – Independent dissemination of a personal creative voice. Articulate independent judgements and identify opportunities for professional and or personal development.
I’ve identified and have begun to pursue a number of opportunities for the dissemination of the work that will also give me the opportunity to personally present the work to professional audiences. It is obviously not a given that these initiatives will be successfully realised but I look forward to the challenges over the coming months.
Knowledge 20% – Demonstrate comprehensive critical knowledge, understanding and reflection of relevant techniques and theoretical context(s) emerging from your outcomes.
At this early stage, I have focused on improving the quality of the online viewing experience for the video, which required exploring technical aspects of Codecs and video compression. This has significantly improved the audio and visual of the Vimeo upload. It also means I now have a desktop copy of the video that is suitable for conversion into a DCP (digital cinema print) should it be selected for any of the short film festivals.
