By Sofia Webster, Film & TV Co-Deputy Editor
Bristol Collaborative Arts is a society at the University of Bristol which oversees the collaboration of students interested in creative endeavours in all different elements of art and media. I went along to their pitching session on 9 November at Senate House to see what sort of films were pitched and how the process of creating a film or video at Bristol unfolds.
The Bristol student film scene is incredibly vibrant and so it was fascinating seeing the sheer breadth of creativity and ideas that students from all different corners of the university had to offer. The students involved encompassed other interests they had, like music or spoken word, with their passion for film with the hopes of bringing their desired project to life.
The pitching session involved each group providing a five minute PowerPoint presentation outlining their vision for their project, what the plot is like, how other students would be able to collaborate and most importantly, what they would do if they received the desired funds. There are three successful pitches overall; projects that place second and third receive £200 and first place will receive the highest fund of £400 to go towards bringing their winning pitch to life. The idea behind the session was to showcase the creative talent at Bristol, thus including students in all aspects of the film-making process both behind and in front of the camera.
The pitches varied from music videos to reflective pieces on the past stories of a student house and even a dark comedy about a man becoming ‘Catman’ through contracting rabies. An incredibly broad range of genres were being showcased. The pitching session was an exceptionally encouraging and comforting environment, with everyone being supportive and understanding that it can be a daunting prospect to present an idea to so many students.
The pitching session had seven projects being pitched in total, with only three being able to receive funding. However, the society still offers support to those that miss out in order to make sure all projects are brought to life in the best way possible. This marks the start of a process which will culminate in an end of year exhibition in May, where all projects will be shown.
The pitch that won first prize was A Snapshot of the Youthful Experience – a proposal for a spoken word short film centred around the exploration of love, sexuality, sexual abuse and addiction, pitched by Neto Ken-Amobi.
The pitch that came in second place was Playing House – a short film detailing the story of a student house with a history that is hidden from the new student residents, pitched by India Pluve.
Third place was awarded to a pitch for a music video titled It’s from That Movie which aims to replicate scenes from classic films such as Mean Girls (2004), pitched by Don Hulton.
It was so exciting seeing the range of ideas that will be brought to life on camera this year, promising a fantastic, not to be missed, end of year exhibition.
Epigram will be covering many of these projects, from the writing, shooting and editing through to the final showing of the completed projects. Stay tuned for a continuing insight into the creative processes of the University of Bristol's student filmmakers.
Featured Image: Sofia Webster
Will you be attending the end of year exhibition?
