UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 08 MAY 2015
Future Media students went behind the scenes at a video shoot for the #BCUInspired campaign ahead of this year's Inspired Festival.
The Inspired Festival is all about the students at Birmingham City University, showing how their talents and skills are transforming the world. The two-day video shoot took place across key locations in Birmingham city centre from the visually stunning new library to the rooftops of high-rise apartment buildings with sword wielding, punk rocking, and fabric twirling scenes happening at each location.
Students Rishma Hansil and Algirdas Sakickas from the MA in Future Media were on set for both days to cover the latest news and updates behind the scenes. Their role was to share, upload and post notifications across all the University's social media channels broadcasting clips and images as they unfolded. Here's their account of the two days.
Day one was a compilation of outdoor shoots, and thankfully the weather was on our side. Half way through filming with our BCU actress fully clad in her metal suit of armour, the sky sank into darkness with the solar eclipse in progress but not even an eclipse could stop our students from inspiring the world. The camera crew and lighting technicians worked full time to get the job done.
Throughout the day we worked closely with the cast and crew. It was a stressful and busy two days getting the job done but the determination and skill of everyone on set kept the energy high as the day progressed.
Some of the locations may be familiar to many of the students based in the city centre. The old factory in Digbeth was turned into a massive canvas for our Jackson Pollock inspired shoot and the Parkside Media House at the University set the stage for their scenes as experts in production.
During the quiet moments on set I chatted with Reaya Sealy about her flourishing career after graduating and what kept her inspired along the way. She had this bit of advice for students: "Any obstacles overcome them and just keep pushing forward."
Both days ended on positive notes, with the cast and crew completely knackered but totally satisfied with the product. Watching the action behind the camera, listening to the director's instructions and the talent of the students makes the anticipation for the video even more exciting and after seeing the final product it's greater proof that hard work pays off, and beauty can be found in unlikely places.
Watch the final video
Photography by Algirdas Sakickas and Rishma Hansil