It’s the red carpet lifestyle for the press team

Glamorous lifestyles aren’t usually words you’d associate with the University of Bedfordshire press team but following a couple of months of hard slog we were allowed out of the office to do a bit of socialising.

Caroline our Communications Officer and I went along to the cast and crew screening of Winterlong in London at the beautiful Regent Street Cinema. We’ve been talking about it for so long it was amazing to finally get a chance to see the film in its entirety.

Winterlong was written and directed by Senior Lecturer in Media Production David Jackson. It gave the opportunity for students and staff from the School of Media and Performance to get first-hand experience of what it is really like to make a feature film.

We all loved it; it was hard to believe this full length feature film starring Game of Thrones actor Francis Magee, Smack the Pony actress Doon Mackichan and Coronation Street actor Ian Puleston-Davies had started life as a Student Experience Project.

‘Steps’ projects were a way for students make changes to and enhance their experience at Bedfordshire. Students provided the ideas, knowledge and leadership while the University provided the financial backing and guidance to turn ideas into reality.

It was great to see the film all badged up as a University of Bedfordshire production with a long list of thanks to all the staff who had helped it get this far. There were more than a few tears shed when credits rolled and the auditorium erupted with a standing ovation.

We wish all the cast and crew of Winterlong the best of luck in getting into a major international film festival and look forward to seeing it in a cinema very soon.

Market Research movie star

Oddie - mentioned later

The other day I was filmed delivering a lecture.

Not for some cheeky straight to web piece; not even for the small screen. This was full widescreen, cinematic, IMAX threatening celluloid. Or broadcast quality Betamax or something.

For one afternoon, I was a Business School lecturer. I know nothing about Business but wasn’t hurled off the set, so my ‘acting’ – by definition - was a storming success. I was pleased to get the gig, too. This was a chance to leave the surveys and spreadsheets behind and wave my arms around while warbling and waffling about ‘what an entrepreneur is’ and what SWOT stands for (you learn something new every day folks <ahem>).

My evident success stands in contrasts to my screen cv leading up to that point:

• man crossing road in unreleased film which certainly involved my old flat mate, Ched, and possibly one of the Coppolas (but not FF or S)
• one of a three bother team on Bill Oddie’s History Hunt which, thankfully, hasn’t surfaced on the internet (I’ve looked so you don’t have to)
• man on bike in indie film ‘playing the festivals’ (it’s called The Same Circles and is very good)

'Me crossing road' footage from first film mentioned above

The theatre is not my first love.

My two stage appearances were forgettable and came more years ago than I care to imagine

• Police detective with designs on the school caretaker in a Slip End Lower class-written musical theatre production about a vampire, who rather dominated proceedings with some outrageous overacting;
• ‘Old Man’ in Upper School production of Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan. Or ‘Good Woman’ as it was. My painfully boyish looks and mountains of talc alienated the bejesus out of an audience of tense, bored parents wondering why the hell they weren’t watching Gilbert and Sullivan.

Village ways

Acting as a Business lecturer allowed me to step out of the day to day while keeping both feet in it. There was a nightmarish quality in apparently holding an audience in the palm of my hand, telling them that “in order to run your own business, you need to start a business”. Over and over again. So many times, in fact, that I started wondering if I hadn’t unearthed some hidden wisdom and shouldn’t nip off somewhere and write a self-help book.

I hope and assume our real Business lecturers do a better job.

On set with Clearhead

Was being on a film set what I expected?

No. Though we were cued in with the word ‘ACTION!’ Plus, I learned that ‘kino’ is not only French for cinema, but also one of those big ‘sun bed on a tripod’ type lights and exchanged some terrific cross-generation ‘bants’ with my joint lead, Harry, who as an acting student, looked more comfortable than I did about our fictitious student/teacher relationship. Presumably, these exchanges will make the outtake reel.

I was impressed, too, with the assured organisation and management of the process– kudos both to our Marketing team and Clearhead.

Of course, my secret hope is that I’ll get picked up, not by the CMA, but by David Puttnam or someone. I’m not a betting man, but reckon on a 40% chance of being on the arty channels within the year. Two at a push. Anyone in the business note; I will not do reality, soaps or shopping channels.

Perhaps next year, when I’ve moved into BAFTA contention, you too could be in our cinema ads. Get in touch with the Marketing team; we’d love to hear from you.

That applies to a guest spot writing on this blog too – if you want to join our illustrious writers and have something to say about Marketing and Communications at the University of Bedfordshire, let us know by clicking here. Otherwise, please favour us with a comment below, in the comments box. We'd love to hear from you.

Hello

By Krystle Hall, Campaign Officer

I am Krystle the new Campaign Officer at the University of Bedfordshire.  Trinidadian born and Wirralian raised I find myself living in Hertfordshire, which I have found to be a quaint and friendly part of the world.  I join you from a London based advertising agency where I project managed a portfolio of accounts.    

   

I have been at the University of Bedfordshire for almost 2 weeks now.  I received a very warm welcome on my first day with a tasty Thai lunch at Nakorn where I enjoyed a green Thai curry punctuated with good conversation.  I have since had the pleasure of meeting everyone in the MARC department and was given the opportunity to sit down with a number of colleagues to pick their vast brains during my initial induction.  I feel like I have learnt an awful lot already and look forward to expanding my knowledge further.  I have also had a chance to tour the labyrinth campus which I hope will become familiar to me in time. 

Last week I found myself on the set of our new cinema advert, shot “on location” in the Student Village.  The director stalked the scene, technicians honed set and lighting whilst the cameraman found that perfect shot. I even got to feature as a passing student in one scene, the most challenging part of which was resisting the plate of Haribo sweets that had been placed in front of me.  Look out for my acting debut where you may get to see the side of my head in a couple of frames.  It was a lot of fun seeing the Digital Team hard at work; their ideas being brought to life.

It has been all GO already! 

Walking, new face, ‘hello!’ handshake; meeting, listening, reciting, note take; talking, phone rings, ‘hello!’ pondering; what’s this? Where’s that?  Who’s this? Why do that? What’s his name? That’s that; print out, copy, ‘hello!’ typo; staff card, door card, parking card; line chart, pie chart, bar chart; note pad,  ipad, gel pen, empty pen, read, tap, type, write, click, send.

I am now getting my first taste of planning, working on our Clearing Campaign.  I will keep you posted as the campaign develops.

Type to you soon,

Krystle