Category Archives: Staff stories

Jane Batkin, Senior Lecturer | New Book Identity in Animation

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Book-Feb2017-JaneBatkinCongratulations to LSFM Senior Lecturer and author Jane Batkin on the publication of her new book Identity in Animation: A Journey into Self, Difference, Culture and the Body (Routledge, 2017). She looked into the meaning behind some influential characters in the history of animation to explore who they are and how they were formed.

Jane said: I began researching into the psychology of animated characters and found that my interests lay within this approach to the topic. The book grew out of the question: ‘can a tool have a soul?’ and was a 2 year study, fuelled initially by a passion for Looney Tunes and the identity struggles of Daffy and Bugs. The book has been a real journey for me and I’ve enjoyed the challenges it has presented. My own journey into identity in animation continues, with a chapter in an anthology on Toy Story, and a forthcoming paper presentation on Looney Tunes, focusing on life in the arena and how dignity is preserved among animated characters.  Identity in Animation is available here.  Continue reading →

Invitation ESP#2 | Extra-sonic Practice Events 4 & 5 Oct 2016

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Invitation to you from the Extra-sonic Practice research group. It is hosting two free events as part of Sonophilia: Lincoln’s festival of sound and music. ESP#2 is an evening of Extra-sonic performances to be held at St Mary Le Wigford Church, High Street in Lincoln, on Tuesday 4th Oct 7pm-9.30pm. Featuring performances and installations by:

  • Rebecca Lee and Samuel Rodgers
  • The Gruinard Ensemble
  • Linda Kemp and Marie Thompson
  • Ellen Brady
  • Annie Morrad
  • Emily Wilczek

PLUS … All are welcome to the Lincoln School of Film and Media’s ESP Research Seminar with Louise Wilson, Rebecca Lee and Samuel Rodgers on Sound, Space and Listening on Wednesday 5th October, 1pm-3pm, in Room MC3107, MHT Building, at the University of Lincoln Brayford Pool campus. Find out more about the sound speakers and please register here now because places are limited! Thanks.

Ben Atkinson, Class of 2013 & 2015 | Creative Director, Tall Lime

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When I graduated in 2013 I have to admit at first, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with myself career wise. The three years I’d spent at LSFM were so intense when it came to both student work and throwing myself into external projects, like co-founding the student radio station Brayford Radio, that it was weird for everything to suddenly just stop. I’d also faced a very clear dividing line in my interests during third year, choosing to focus on radio (my passion) but at the same time marrying it with digital media (where I thought my skills were best placed career wise). In the end the first thing I decided to do was take a break from everything and visit friends in Latvia that I’d made during a trip to Finland for the MC2020 project in my final year, and on my return I applied for an internship at the University.

Applying for the internship seemed to make perfect sense for me at the time because the one stipulation I had set myself when I graduated was to stay in Lincoln. Continue reading →

Dr. Mikey Murray, LSFM | Award-winning Screenwriter/Filmmaker

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Indie-Lincs-drinks-MikeyMurrayLecturer, multiple short award winning, Dr. Mikey Murray specialises in Film Production and Screenwriting at LSFM.  He started the Indie-Lincs film festival “to help independent filmmakers from around the world showcase their films in Lincoln.” Mikey is pictured social networking with students and he posted about the importance of collaboration from teaching to film-making. He’s been on-location directing Game of Thrones actor Kate Dickie on the set of ‘Natalie’. The film is due for release later this year – for now he found time to reflect … 

This time 6 years ago I was working a part-time job in the now defunct retail chain, Comet.  Why was I doing that? Because it was what I needed to do to at the time to pay the rent and give myself time to continue my vocation as a filmmaker. I did have an evening job teaching screenwriting at a local college too, and that was not only something I enjoyed, but it was also something that allowed me to stay fundamentally connected to the industry. I learned from my first teaching job that film education institutions are effectively industry hubs and therefore it didn’t take me long to apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position at Bangor University that would include PhD study in Film Practice. There was really no argument against packing my bags for North Wales as I’ve always believed that if I was willing to move anywhere, it would allow me to progress my career quicker. I’ve now had spells living and working in Scotland, London, Los Angeles and Wales before ending up here, in Lincoln.

Continue reading →

Chris Matthews LSFM Lecturer | Cities of the North launch 30 June

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CitiesOfTheNorth_book_June2016Cities of the North (Five Leaves Publications) is a new book by Adrian Jones – town planner and urban designer – with LSFM Lecturer in graphic design and local historian Chris Matthews. They have a book launch on 30th June and you are invited, 7.00pm-8.30pm, to Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham. RSVP: bookshop@fiveleaves.co.uk 

From Jones the Planner: ‘Cities of the North takes an irreverent and often amusing look at the changing townscape, special character, architecture and planning of the great Northern English cities. It explores the process and politics of development and ‘regeneration’ which is reshaping Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, Hull and Newcastle amongst others, always focusing on the intrinsic character of place.’  

Chris-Matthews-1-June2016

“The book is also a product of the friendly and supportive environment at LSFM – without that the whole project would have been quite impossible.”  

Chris Matthews, Lecturer/Designer 

 

Continue reading →

Philip Stevens, Class of 2010 | Crowdfunder for ‘The Knock’

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The-Knock_UrbanApacheFilmsLincoln School of Film & Media staff need your support to raise £6,500 for a short drama called The Knock by Urban Apache Films. Writer/Director and part-time Lecturer, 2010 alumnus, Philip Stevens and Senior Lecturer Dominque Webb are on the way to their target. Thanks for pledges in to date and they said: BFI and Creative England are part funding our new film, and as part of the agreement we have launched a crowdfunder campaign.  We are honoured to be part of the Creative England and BFI NET.WORK’s 2016 iShorts scheme, and we have been awarded £5000 by them towards the production of our short film, but filmmaking is an expensive process – and to make the most of this incredible opportunity we NEED your support. Continue reading →

Call-out for Student Mentors | International Buddy Scheme 2016-17

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A great opportunity for our Level One and Two students to mentor an international fresher at Lincoln School of Film & Media in the new academic year 2016-17. International Buddy Scheme 1LSFM International Buddy Scheme (IBS), run by Senior Lecturer Marcella Foster, aims to provide peer support from our students to overseas undergraduates during their first year at the School. Interested? Apply now! Marcella said: Peer student mentors will need to be available for IBS training on Monday 25th April 2016. Continue reading →

1215.today Innovation Lab | Express Interest by 21.04.16

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1215.today-imageAn invitation from LSFM’s Senior Lecturer and our alumnus Martyn Thayne about an exciting opportunity – to be part of the next 1215.today Innovation Lab: Do you want to spend a day with other creative minds to re-imagine what our lives could look like in the future? Do you want to work alongside an internationally recognised artist to discuss, debate and develop ideas and artwork that might be commissioned as part of the 1215.today project? www.1215.today is an online creative project that connects and empowers young people across the world to have their say about their rights. People just like YOU. So if you care about democracy, freedom of speech and human rights, join us on Saturday 11th June in Lincoln.  Continue reading →

‘Our Lincolnshire’ New App | Choose your heritage objects

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MyLincolnshireCollection-AppChoose your Lincolnshire heritage objects, from the Lincoln Imp Brooch to Skegness Model Village, with a new App to help a research project at the University of Lincoln. The team said: selections on ‘My Lincolnshire Collection’ web-app will form part of Our Lincolnshire project’s report, which will gauge people’s perceptions of heritage – what is important to them and what it means to them.

The Our Lincolnshire project team, led by Professors Carenza Lewis and Matthew Cragoe, have now launched ‘My Lincolnshire Collection’, a creative web-app that provides a panel of 100 photographs of interesting and unusual heritage objects from around Lincolnshire, and asks you to create a collection of up to 10 of your favourites. Each object is represented by a photograph and an informative description to help you make your choices, and can be dragged from the panel on 100 into a selection bar at the top of the page. Continue reading →

The Forecast (2015) at Cannes | By LSFM Grads, Staff & Students

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TheForecast_PhilStevensCongrats! The Forecast (2015) will be at the Cannes Film Festival, 16th-22nd May 2016, Short Film Corner. The film produced by Urban Apache Films was written by 2010 alumni Philip Stevens and Stewart MacGregor. The short has been screened at the London Short Film Festival, Kinofilm Film Festival and it’ll be at the new international IndieLincs Film Festival on 11th and 12th March. Indie-Lincs was established by the University of Lincoln School of Film & Media to champion low budget filmmakers and there will be over 30 shorts screened at Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

The film was directed by Phil Stevens, who works part-time as a lecturer at the University of Lincoln School of Film & Media. Head of LSFM Dr Sarah Barrow said: Almost everyone on the production team was a member of staff or graduate, and some were LSFM students at the time the film was made last year. Continue reading →