Introduction

This is the blog for my research, development and work made for the PHVP 3412 module. Due to some confusion with the group over summer, most of us only had one very solid idea for this year's work, and the second and third ideas I had I wasn't as keen on. The point of this module is 'creative professional practice' and the work we make should fit into a brief of a competition, festival or other outlet. We have free reign over this and so this is where I decided to start.

The work is supposed to be centred on personal interest while responding to an outside stimulus (competitions or festivals like I mention above) and so to start with, I decided to look at the various film festivals and photographic competitions around. I thought that this might help inspire me with an idea or might encourage me to think more seriously about the minor ideas I had over summer but decided not to run for the other module.

The initial ones that interested me were:-

• "Brief Encounters" - The Encounters film festival taking place from the 16th of November to the 21st in Bristol and focuses on short (and animated short) films. Obviously the theme is very open which I like but their aim (seeking to promote the importance of short film as a means to develop and progress the next generation of UK film and animation talent) also interests me.
  

• "Under Open Skies", a competition for part of the 'Borderlines Film Festival', they are looking for films of up to 50 minutes (a very large project, but you can make them shorter) that explore the natural world. The thing that appealed most was that it's documentary and this the area I feel most comfortable, and enjoy working in, the most.

• "2 days later" short film competition. It seems like a very challenging brief as they want the short to be made and finished in just 48 hours but that does sound exciting. The theme is horror and that is an area of film that I like but have never really tried anything in. I think of the various competitions and festivals I looked at, it seemed the hardest. Though it does intrigue me and the challenge would be fun.

• "The Lux awards" - Although a competition run for America/Canada only, the briefs interest me. It is photography based and there are four categories you can enter work into. 1) Bodies in motion (sport), 2) The natural world (wildlife and nature), 3) Universal Faces (portraits), 4) The urban landscape (travel). It would be the sports one that interests me the most as cycling and football are both personal interests of mine. The downside to this project is that I'm already looking in a documentary style at football for the other module and so think that doing something different would be more exciting and keep me more interested.

• "Let's Face it 7", a portraiture photography competiton run by the LPA. Portraits are something I've dabbled in and enjoyed, but never done a project around and one of my summer ideas that I didn't really develop much revolved around portraits. The brief is quite strict and wants up to 6 images in a series of portraits that explore identity.
  

• "Shoot Nations 2010" which is another photography competition and the theme is "City living" focusing on the urbanisation of places and things. That is something which is forever increasing and might be interesting to look at.

These are just some that I looked at that caught my eye. Now it's time to sit down, look at them again and think of some ideas so that I can narrow it down and choose one, or at least have an idea that could fall into one of several places.