BFX is a 6–week team competition for visual effects and animation students from around the country hosted by Bournemouth University and AUB in July and August 2013. Groups will be competing to win an internship at a leading UK film and visual effects studio and all works will be screened at the BFX festival taking place in Bournemouth in September 2013!
The competition aims to replicate a film studio working on a live project with participants working in groups of up to six to produce a highly polished short visual effects or animated sequence. Teams will get to select their own brief from a number of pieces of classic literature and will be mentored and monitored by industry practitioners throughout the competition. A panel of carefully selected industry judges will have the task of picking a winning team.
Sofronis Efstathiou, BFX Festival Director said; “BFX competition presents the opportunity for students to be mentored by the very best VFX animators, producers and artists in the UK. Working on a live brief in a collaborative manner within an intense competitive environment will add invaluable experience to all participants CV’s; and for a lucky few a coveted internship will help kick start their career.”
Supported by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund as part of A Bigger Future 2, BFX competition is free to enter and participants will receive accommodation and a stipend towards living expenses. Industry partners so far include The Mill, MPC, Double–Negative, Framestore, and Cinesite some of whom will be offering internships to the very best individuals.
BFX competition is now open for entry and applications must be received by 26 April. Applicants must be 18 years or older currently studying, or recently graduated, at a UK Higher Education Institution (university or Art College).
To find out more about how to apply to BFX visit the BFX website.
BFX Competition is part of a larger festival taking place in Bournemouth 25 to 29 September, which aims to celebrate British talent and creativity in animation and visual effects. The event, in its first year, is being organised by The International VFX Hub; a collaboration between the award–winning National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University (NCCA) and the Faculty of Media and Performance at the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
A PR student from Bournemouth University (BU) led the first live tweets from surgery in the UK.
Jessica North, 22, is in her final year of the BA (Hons) Public Relations degree at BU and works for Merchant Marketing Group alongside studying.
Jessica led the live tweeting from gastric bypass surgery at Spire Bushey Hospital, which is one of Merchant’s clients.
She sat in the operating theatre and tweeted throughout each step of the two and a half hour procedure.
Jessica, who lives in Bournemouth, said: “By tweeting the procedure live as it took place, we were able to provide real insight.”
She added: “Social media and digital communications is my absolute passion in the industry and I’m very fortunate for the opportunity to combine them both.
“We had to fully prepare in case of a crisis, in which case the live tweet would have stopped with an explanation as to why, in this situation it is vital the patient and his family come first.
“I spoke with the patient and his family so they not only fully consented but were all happy with what would happen and could ask me any questions if they were unsure at all – this kind of thing can understandably be a little nerve-racking.
“He understood what a fantastic educational opportunity this would be for the public and wanted to be involved because of that.”
Although live tweeting has been done during surgery in the US, this was the first time it has been done in the UK.
Jessica tweeted throughout the gastric bypass surgery – an operation which alters the size of the stomach to aid weight loss – from the hospital’s Twitter account, using the hashtag #liveatbushey.
She said: “With the help from the surgical team, I answered people’s questions and enquiries and shared a few images from the operation room.
“It was amazing to be sat in that room; the skills and expertise of Mr Sufi and his team are inspiring. I don’t think there’s another industry that can simply change an individual’s life in just a day.”
Jessica added that the response from the public had been great, and there were plans to do it again in future.
“We had such lovely feedback from people, being the first in the UK meant people were glued to the screens as we revealed the next tweet,” she said.
“My absolute favourite moment though was after the procedure when I went to see his family.
“They’d been following the live tweet and despite earlier apprehensions were really pleased it took place. They said it gave them an inside look at what was happening to him and it was peace of mind knowing that nothing was going wrong.
“We are looking at repeating the procedure and we’re currently researching the best operation to showcase.”
The Atrium Art Gallery at Bournemouth University opens its new year long exhibition called ‘The Art of Making: Handcrafted & Traditional Skills’.
Art work will be displayed in a number of public areas around Bournemouth University for the whole of 2013, starting with a series of pieces under the heading of ‘Handcrafted 2D Works’.
The exhibition includes art and drawing by Bernard Leach and photography from local photographers Krishula Auckland and Denis Roberts.
During the well–attended event, guests were treated to their first glimpse of the artwork along with live entertainment.
Photographer Krishula Auckland said at the event, “University is a time when you are exploring different interests, so it is important to see art at university. All culture is important at university as it broadens your horizons.”
Denis Roberts, whose photographs are also on display in the Atrium Art Gallery, agreed with Krishula’s comments stating, “I work a lot with students and artists and I want to share this art with them.”
Denis’ unique photographs include prints of Bournemouth University’s campus, offering an artistic perspective to some of the campus’ most aesthetically pleasing elements.
Julie Herring, Curator at the Atrium Art Gallery, said the opening went well, with more than 150 visitors.
She added: “‘The Art of Making’ highlighted the processes of working and ‘creating work over a period of time’, so the overall displays celebrated the skills and craftsmanship.
“It was really rewarding to see so many people enjoy the artwork and spend time looking and talking with each other about the making.”
The ‘Handcrafted 2D Works’ will be on display from Thursday 14 February until Saturday 6 April 2013 and will be open from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm with free admission.
The annual series of the Centre for Intellectual Property & Policy Management’s (CIPPM) Spring Lectures starts on Thursday 21 February at 6pm.
“Ae fond kiss: a private matter?”, Prof. Hector MacQueen (University of Edinburgh)
Hector is a Scottish academic, a senior scholar of Scots law and legal history. He is Professor of Private Law at the University of Edinburgh and a former Dean of its Faculty of Law. He is author, co-author and editor of a large number books on Scottish law and legal history, including the 11th and 12th editions of the standard text Gloag & Henderson Law of Scotland, and is Literary Director of the Stair Society. Stetson University College of Law, Florida, appointed him Distinguished International Professor 2007-2009, and he taught European Copyright Law there. As a historian, he has a particular interest in the law and society of medieval Carrick and Galloway. He is currently a member of the International Advisory Group for the JKLH-funded project, ‘The Paradox of Medieval Scotland, 1093-1286’.
All lectures take place on at 18:00, in the Executive Business Centre, close to the Bournemouth Travel Interchange (89 Holdenhurst Road, BH8 8EB). The lectures are free to attend, but places are limited, and admission to the building closes at 18:15. If you wish to reserve a place, please contact Mandy Lenihan.
Thursday 21 March from 6pm
The annual series of the Centre for Intellectual Property & Policy Management’s (CIPPM) Spring Lectures starts on Thursday 21 February at 6pm.
“Europeanisation and legal methodology in IP”, Dr. Justine Pila (University of Oxford)
Justine is the Senior Law Tutor and College Counsel (in-house legal officer) at St Catherine’s and a Research Fellow of the Oxford Institute of European and Comparative Law (IECL). With Professor John Gardner she co-edits the two Oxford Legal Research Paper Series, in addition to serving as legal advisor to the Oxford Magazine. She also convenes the Law Faculty’s Intellectual Property subject group and teaches on all of its IP programmes, including the two FHS (undergraduate) IP options, the BCL option, and the Postgraduate Diploma in IP Law and Practice. Her main areas of research are copyright and patent law in all of their doctrinal, theoretical and historical aspects. Prior to 2004 Justine had been writing her PhD after a stint in private practice and working for the Chief Justice of the Australian Federal Court.
All lectures take place on at 18:00, in the Executive Business Centre, close to the Bournemouth Travel Interchange (89 Holdenhurst Road, BH8 8EB). The lectures are free to attend, but places are limited, and admission to the building closes at 18:15. If you wish to reserve a place, please contact Mandy Lenihan.
Thursday 25 April from 6pm
The annual series of the Centre for Intellectual Property & Policy Management’s (CIPPM) Spring Lectures starts on Thursday 21 February at 6pm.
“Litigation of patents essential to technical standards – what is the future for patent trolls?”, Dr. Nicholas Saunders (Brick Court Chambers)
Before joining Brick Court Nicholas practiced for a number of years in a specialist intellectual property set. His intellectual property experience includes major patent disputes such as Nichia v Seoul Semiconductors, Interdigital v Nokia and Nokia v IPCOM, confidential information cases involving departing employees, trade mark infringement cases such as Jacobson v Globe, and numerous copyright and designs cases. He has particular expertise in the relationship between competition law and intellectual property and in cases involving conflict of laws issues. His major commercial cases include HM Revenue & Customs v EDS, a dispute concerning the IT implementation of the tax credits system; O2 Holdings v Fujitsu; and other disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions and company restructuring. He has also been involved in disputes concerning credit default swaps and other financial instruments.
All lectures take place on at 18:00, in the Executive Business Centre, close to the Bournemouth Travel Interchange (89 Holdenhurst Road, BH8 8EB). The lectures are free to attend, but places are limited, and admission to the building closes at 18:15. If you wish to reserve a place, please contact Mandy Lenihan.
This month Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen with colleagues at the universities of Sheffield and Warwick and the UK charity Green Tara Trust published the first research paper on women’s attitudes towards disability in Nepal. Their paper explores knowledge and attitudes towards people with disabilities among more than 400 rural women in one of the poorer countries in the world.
Disability can be defined as being unable to perform certain tasks or functions, or of being restricted in participating in everyday activities due to physical or mental impairment. Co–author Dr. Simkhada (BU Visiting Faculty & senior lecturer at University of Sheffield) noted: “to date little research has been conducted on societal attitudes towards disability in low–income countries such as Nepal”.
The study found that most women only considered as a disability physical and visual conditions that limit function of an individual, such as missing a leg or arm. Attitudes towards people with disability were generally positive; most women believed that disabled people have equal rights and should be allowed to sit on committees or get married. Just under two–thirds of the participating women were literate, but only 58% had attended school. Only half of the women considered blindness to be a disability. More than half did not consider deafness and not being able to speak to be a disability.
Furthermore, three out of four women did not consider epilepsy, diabetes, chronic mental illness, chronic back pain and learning difficulties to be a disability. However, more than three quarters of them regarded missing a hand (84%) or a leg (90%) as a disability. Most thought that disability could result from: (a) accidents; (b) medical conditions; or (c) genetic inheritance. Fewer women thought that disability was caused by fate or bad spirits.
The authors concluded that there is need to educate the general population in Nepal on disability, especially the invisible disabilities. Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen highlighted: “Nepal is largely a Hindu country, and still fairly traditional. Many Nepalese attach stigma to disabilities and the most vulnerable disabled groups include children and women.” Dr. Simkhada commented: “The first legislation in Nepal on disability and discrimination was but not properly implemented until the mid–1990s and that attitudes in the country are still in a process of change.”
For some people in Nepal depicted disability as suffering the wrath of God or being punished for the sin by family or a kind of penance for past misdeeds. It is clear that missing a limb was widely considered to be a disability but not being able to see, hear or speak were far less likely to be regarded as such. Even fewer regarded epilepsy, diabetes, chronic back pain and learning difficulties as a disability.
Part of the explanation lies in the Nepali term for disability ‘Apanga’ (missing organs). The language is, of course, influenced by social and cultural perceptions. Our findings were different from what one would expect from a more traditional society where religious beliefs play a huge role in day–to–day life. Many Nepalese women did not consider a range of conditions commonly accepted as a disability in industrialised societies as a disability. The study was funded by Green Tara Trust UK and ethical approval was granted by the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC).
Simkhada, P., Shyangdan, D., van Teijlingen E., Kadel, S., Stephen, J., Gurung, T. (2012) Women’s Knowledge and Attitude towards Disability in Rural Nepal. Disability & Rehabilitation Epub ahead of print. http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09638288.2012.702847
HRH The Princess Royal met with students and staff at Bournemouth University.
She toured facilities at the university’s Talbot Campus – including the state-of-the-art HD TV studio in the Media School – and spoke to some of the BU students who worked on outside broadcasts at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Princess Royal watched BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism students produce a TV programme about students’ memories of the 2012 Olympics and participated in a live panel discussion in the studio about the London Games.
Second year BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism student Jasper Taylor presented the panel discussion.
Jasper, 19, who is from Guildford and lives in Winton while studying, said: “I was really excited but quite nervous as I didn’t want to mess up, but it all went really smoothly.
“The discussion she was involved in was about the general impact of the Olympics and what it meant for the UK. It felt very relaxed and her answers were brilliant.
“It was a really great experience, and I want to be a TV presenter, so it will be great for me personally to have on my CV and showreel.”
Alex Smith, a third year BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism student was one of over 250 BU students who worked on outside broadcasts during the Olympics.
Alex, 22, of Peterborough, worked as an electronic newsgathering assistant at Wimbledon during the Games, and was involved in the panel discussion.
“It was really interesting and good that she was here as it shows that we have got a lot of talent at BU,” said Alex, who lives in Westbourne while studying.
“It was great to share our experiences with her and it was amazing to be part of the Olympics and the historic moments in Wimbledon.”
The Princess Royal then went on to see some of the projects produced by Digital Media Design students – which included apps for mobile phones and website ideas.
Third year student Kimberley Cook, 21, spoke to The Princess Royal about her idea for a website called the Beauty Lounge, where users can review beauty products.
Kimberley, of Southampton, who lives in Winton while studying, said: “There aren’t that many girls on the course, so it was nice speaking to a woman about it, and she agreed with me.
“I guess it shows that even royalty have that problem of not knowing which beauty products to buy! It was amazing, but very surreal.”
The Princess Royal saw work produced by the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) – which is based at BU and was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize earlier this year – and watched Professor Jian Zhang, Professor of Computer Graphics at the NCCA, carry out a simulated bowel operation using animation software he has developed.
She also saw presentations about some of the other ground-breaking research taking place at the university.
Dr Kate Welham, Head of Archaeology at BU, demonstrated the Google Under the Earth project – which allows people to see images of their excavations, geophysical surveys and discoveries at Stonehenge using the virtual environment of Google Earth.
Dr Welham said: “She seemed extremely interested and extremely knowledgeable. We discussed the neolithic village that we found and we also had a conversation about disposable rubbish and how important it is for archaeology.”
Psychology lecturers Dr Julie Kirkby and Dr Jan Weiner showed the Princess Royal their work using eye-tracking devices, which can record exactly where people are looking.
While Dr Kirkby is using the software to particularly focus at developmental dyslexia, and where children look while they are learning, Dr Weiner is working with places such as Poole Hospital to see where signs can be optimally positioned to help people find their way around complex and unfamiliar places.
She also heard from Professor Siamak Noroozi about the work his team are doing into prosthetic limb technology and how they can be improved.
Before she left the university she was presented with a gift by third year psychology student Lisa Marshall, who has cerebral palsy and has been named NUS Student of the Year.
Lisa, 20, who was also an Olympic Torchbearer near her home in Essex, said: “It was such an honour and I was really surprised to be asked.
“She asked me why I chose to come to Bournemouth and what I plan to do when I finish.
“I have had such a brilliant year and this has just topped it off. I didn’t think anything like this was ever going to happen. It’s amazing, and BU made it possible.”
“It was an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Bournemouth University and demonstrate the fantastic work that our staff and students are doing,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney. “This has been a wonderful year for the University, which started with the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our world-leading National Centre of Computer Animation.
“We have invested millions in our estate and IT facilities this year to make sure our students have the best experience possible.
“The visit of the Princess Royal was a wonderful end to a very successful year, which gave us the chance to showcase our excellent research and explain how we prepare our graduates so well for the world of work.”
A team of second year Bournemouth University students have made it to the finals of a European student game development competition.
The seven BU students – who are on the BSc (Hons) Game Technology and BSc (Hons) Music and Audio Technology degree courses – are in the final four teams for the Epic Games’ Make Something Unreal Live 2013 competition.
The competition is supported by the Wellcome Trust, and this year students had to create an idea for a game around Mendelian inheritance – a scientific theory around how hereditary characteristics are passed from parents to their offspring.
The BU team – called Static Games – created a game called Mendel’s Farm, and were chosen as one of the top four teams after a presentation at the Wellcome Trust headquarters on 3rd December.
All of the students are taught in the Creative Technology framework, in BU’s School of Design, Engineering and Computing, and framework leader Dr Christos Gatzidis, said: “It’s fantastic to have such a great result on a very well-known and high-profile competition from our students.
“I am personally very impressed with the professionalism they have displayed during this so far but also their grasp on the very specific scientific concept which Wellcome Trust picked, particularly remembering that all of the seven students involved come from a very different background to biology and genetics.”
All of the finalists will now start working on their game, using an Epic Games Unreal Development Kit, and will be guided by mentors from four UK game development studios.
They will aim to finish their games during the Gadget Show Live event at the NEC in Birmingham, in April 2013.
The winning team will receive a full commercial Unreal Engine 4 license.
Jo Twist, CEO of The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, was part of the judging panel which decided the four finalists.
She said: “I was so impressed by the quality and diversity of the teams and their presentations. This is a perfect example of how our industry can work more closely with the education community to help nurture the very best talent.
“The support from industry mentors and real-world pitching experience is so vital for the next generation of developers which will feed and sustain our fantastic industry.”
You can watch the BU students’ presentation of their game in the video below:
A documentary about an innovative poetry project run by Bournemouth University (BU) has been premiered.
The Seen But Seldom Heard project was set up by academics from BU’s Media School and School of Health and Social Care, and aims to give a voice to young people living with disabilities.
Along with performance poets Liv Torc and Johnny Fluffypunk, they have been working with young people from the Victoria Education Centre in Poole – running poetry workshops to encourage them to explore their experiences of living with a disability.
The documentary follows the project from the beginning and features interviews with the young people, staff and poets involved, as well as footage from the workshops and performances the young people were involved with.
Carrie Hodges, senior lecturer in Communication and Culture at BU, who has helped coordinate Seen But Seldom Heard, said: “We will be using the film to support our message and disseminate our work.
“It has already received a lot of interest and we are hoping to take it to a variety of public events and possibly do a schools tour next year.”
Wendy Cutts, who lectures in Community Development and Sociology at BU and also helped coordinate the project, added: “If somebody said at the beginning that it would end like this, I wouldn’t have believed them.
“I always thought it was a good idea but it is wonderful to see it get to this stage.”
The Seen But Seldom Heard documentary premiered at BU’s Talbot Campus on Friday, as part of a series of events for Disability History Month.
Among guests at the premiere was MP Annette Brooke, who represents Mid-Dorset and West Poole.
She said she thought the documentary was “amazingly powerful”.
“They were saying that they are not vegetables – I’m a person, I have a voice and my wheelchair doesn’t define me. I think it is incredible.”
Other guests at the premiere included representatives from BU and Victoria Education Centre and the young people’s families and friends.
Annie Caldwell, drama teacher at the Victoria Education Centre, said that she had seen a huge change in the pupils since they started the project.
“Any forum for our kids to get out there and be able to say what they want to say is amazing,” she said.
“It has been great for them to have the chance to talk about their disabilities and take a look at themselves and celebrate who they are.
“It’s been brilliant to see them opening up and having the chance to perform their work and spread the message.”
An anthology of the pupils’ work is on sale for £5 and proceeds will help pay for poetry workshops to continue at the school.
“It’s been brilliant to see them opening up and having the chance to perform their work and spread the message.”
Paralympic athlete Ben Rushgrove visited Bournemouth University to talk to students and staff about disability.
Ben represented Great Britain in the T36 100m and 200m at the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and the London 2012 Games.
He won a silver medal in the 100 metres in Beijing and bronze medal in the 200m in London.
Ben – who has cerebral palsy, dyslexia and is deaf – spoke to students and staff about his Paralympic experience and disability.
“A lot of emphasis is being put on the Paralympic Games. It was pretty amazing, and the crowds were just phenomenal, but the problem is it was just a moment – and moments pass and move on,” he said.
“If we don’t make the most of the opportunities, the moment will be lost forever.”
He added: “We build disability into our world – we build steps instead of ramps, we create signs with no braille on.
“It is about looking at disability as something that is changeable. We as a society can do something about this, but the question is are we ready to?”
Ben was at Bournemouth University today as part of a series of events for Disability History Month, which runs from 22nd November to 22nd December
Ben, who is now training for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, said he thought it was important that universities held events like this.
“Universities are one of those places where ideas are formed for life,” he said.
“People go to university to learn and have an open mind, and want to be influenced by people and things that are going on.
“It is really important that we continue doing that.”
Dr James Palfreman-Kay, equality and diversity officer at Bournemouth University, said: “I hope that by bringing together the School of Tourism, AimHigher with BU and Sport BU to celebrate Disability History Month and hold events like this, we start and continue conversations about disability issues.”
The next event taking place at BU as part of Disability History Month is the screening of a student documentary about suicides in the New Forest and discussion about the depiction of mental illness and suicide in the media.
It will take place on Wednesday December 12, in PG144, from 12pm to 1pm.
Professor Alice Roberts has visited Bournemouth University to talk about the importance of public engagement and see some of the work that is being done.
Alice is Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham and has presented a range of science programmes, as well as releasing several books.
She told staff and students at BU today that public engagement can be very fulfilling and exciting.
“There’s a fantastic joy,” she said.
“I think most of the people I speak to, if not all of the people I speak to, who undertake some form of public engagement find that they talk about fulfilment, about satisfaction and they rediscover a sense of excitement often about their own subject as well.
“So it might be something that we feel thoroughly obliged to do, but hopefully it can be something that, actually, is a worthwhile, fulfilling and exciting part of our jobs as well.”
She added that it was an important way to improve trust in science and scientists, and there was also a moral obligation to engage with the public.
“There’s often an element of distrust in both science as an endeavour and in scientists themselves, and we can start to break that down by being a lot more open about what we do.
“Somehow we need to rescue science from its position of being in a ghetto and put it back into culture again.”
She added: “We won’t recruit the best students and staff unless we are engaging with the wider community.”
Alice then went on to speak to students from BU’s School of Applied Sciences about her work looking at the giant animals that died out during the ice age.
Alongside Alice’s presentation was an interactive exhibition, showcasing some of the best examples of public engagement at BU.
BU academics also spoke about their experiences with public engagement – senior psychology lecturer Dr Andrew Mayers talked about the sleep workshops he has been running with Winton Primary School, while Dr Carrie Hodges, senior lecturer in Communication and Culture, spoke of the Seen But Seldom Heard project she has helped coordinate, which aims to give young people with disabilities a voice through poetry.
Bryce Dyer, senior lecturer in Product Design, also talked about the Cafe Scientifique events, which run monthly at a cafe in Boscombe, and where last month he talked to people about his work with prosthetics.
Professor Matthew Bennett, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Enterprise and Internationalisation at BU, said: “Public engagement is at the heart of our current strategy – BU2018.
“As a University, we have just signed up to the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) Manifesto for the Engaged University, which signals our commitment to embedding public engagement across Bournemouth University.”
You can watch Alice’s talk here:
http://youtu.be/_t9em6A3A-M
Bournemouth University