Author Archives: presspr

People can now enter the New Media Writing Prize 2012

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People can now enter the New Media Writing Prize 2012.

The competition, run by Bournemouth University and supported by If:Book UK, is open to work specifically created to be accessed on digital media.

Entries can include written stories or poetry, documentaries, images, films or animations with audience interaction.

The awards are now in their third year and are open to all – with a main prize of an iPad donated by If:Book UK.

There is also a student award, with a prize of a paid internship with If:Book UK or an iPad.

For the first time there is a People’s Choice Award, which will be chosen by readers through on online vote and is sponsored by Arts Bournemouth, as part of Bournemouth Arts Festival.

Winning entries will be published on the If:Book UK and Bournemouth University websites as well as new media web-hub The Literary Platform.

They will also be showcased at the awards ceremony, which will take place at Bournemouth University on 28 November.

Judges for the New Media Writing Prize 2012 include Dr James Pope, a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University’s Media School, and author Lisa Gee.

Dr Pope, who set up the awards three years ago, said: “The New Media Writing Prize is the only writing competition in the world which rewards work that breaks truly new ground in storytelling.

“We award our prizes for storytelling which is using digital media and interactivity to their fullest – work which shows us how multi-media and interactivity create really new, engaging forms of narrative.”

The closing date for entries is 12 October.

For more information or for details of how to apply visit the New Media Writing Prize 2012 website.

BU Master’s student wins national editing competition

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A Master’s student at Bournemouth University has received hundreds of pounds worth of industry-standard editing equipment after winning a national competition.

MA Post Production Editing student Chris MacDonald beat entries from media students across the country to win the competition, set by editing software company Avid and post-production company Envy.

Students were asked to edit 20 minutes of footage of a fake action film into a trailer and Chris, 24, went the extra mile and created two.

“You just received the film footage and you could do whatever you wanted with it really,” said Chris, who will graduate from BU in November.

“I thought it would be nice to create two trailers with conflicting storylines so I thought I would push myself and try to make the different trailers in one day.

“For one I just made a generic action trailer, but in the other I created my own narrative and used the footage to make it like a different film by using different shots.”

Chris managed to create his trailers while working as an Ingest Operator at the London 2012 Olympic Games, collecting the interviews with athletes and sending them out to broadcasters.

“That was an amazing experience, but it made it even more challenging to edit the trailers in one day, as I was so busy,” said Chris, who is from Devon but now works for a post-production company in London.

His prizes included an Avid Dream Studio – including editing software, speakers and computer monitor – worth hundreds of pounds. He will also get a half day tour of Pinewood Studios.

He added: “It was nice to represent Bournemouth University and amazing to win. I wasn’t expecting it at all as I managed to do it all in one day.”

View Chris’ winning entry

Peace One Day reaches Bournemouth University

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BU students joined together at Boscombe Beach on Friday 21 September to make a stand for Peace One Day (POD). The event helped to mark International Peace Day and the students were joined by BU’s Vice Chancellor John Vinney, who joined in the celebrations.

John Vinney made a pledge for peace on behalf of BU, while the Student’s Union officers unveiled a plaque to permanently signify the event in BU and Peace One Day history.

Students were also invited to paint their own ‘Peace Tees’ and celebrate the BU community.

Event organiser Jesse Banovic has founded the POD @ BU society, which will continue to share and strengthen the message of peace. She said, “Local action is key to promoting peace on any scale, be it local, national or international. We’re committed to promoting Peace One Day and its aims. We hope every University will be holding its own peace event to strive for a global coalition.”

The event’s success has already been noted and the BU team who organised the event have already been invited to run a workshop on their experiences of the POD campaign at the upcoming NUS Activism 2012 conference.

For more information about the international event you can view the Peace One Day website.

BU graduate speechwriter for Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister

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A Bournemouth University Master’s graduate now writes speeches for the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Suzanne Wood, who is from the Caribbean country, came to Bournemouth in 1998, to do a Master’s degree in Marketing Communications.

She has been writing speeches for Kamle Persad-Bissessar, the first ever female Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, since July 2010.

Suzanne, 48, who worked in corporate communications before taking up the post, said: “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be doing what I do now and end up writing for the Prime Minister.

“It is constantly challenging me and testing my skills, as you have to be able to write about all types of different subjects, depending on what she is going to be speaking about.”

Speeches that Suzanne wrote for the Prime Minister that stand out for her include the opening and closing speeches for the Caribbean Investment Forum, which took place on the island in 2011 and 2012, and speeches the Prime Minister made while on a state visit to India.

“When I was writing the closing remarks, I was literally on one side, listening with on ear to what was going on and writing the speech,” she said.

“Then the Prime Minister said she wanted something a bit lighter, so I had about half an hour to break it down and change it.”

She added: “I think my Master’s at Bournemouth University helped me in terms of dealing with a lot of businesses, and communication and PR.”

Suzanne was one of the delegates from around the world who attended the sixth annual UK Speechwriter’s Guild Conference, which took place on Thursday and Friday and was organised with help from Bournemouth University’s Media School.

The conference, which took place at BU’s Executive Business Centre, featured talks about whether Hitler’s speeches were pure evil or cunningly crafted, and how to write for the United Nations.

Delegates came from countries including Turkey, Australia and Singapore, with speakers including Charles Cowling, the editor of the Good Funeral Guide, and Piers Letcher, who has written speeches for Nelson Mandela.

Organiser Brian Jenner said that the conference had been a success.

“This is the fourth year we have run a conference in Bournemouth for international speechwriters and we have people coming from all over the world,” he said.

“Hopefully we have this eclectic range of speakers taking about different strengths that you need to be a good speechwriter, which is a very specialist skill.”

He added: “I have been working with The Media School and they have helped me to put this on and it has been a good partnership.

“We have gradually got more and more delegates each year and it is constantly growing.”

BU Graduate wins national competition to develop game

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The Wellcome Trust recently ran a ‘Gamify Your PhD’ competition, which focused on the ‘gamification’ of research thesis ideas from biomedical sciences or medical humanities.

The winning entry was created by the Force of Habit team, which included BU Graduate Ashley Gwinnell. The game is called Dysbiosis, a shoot-em-up which according to Wellcome Trust “places the gamer within the gastrointestinal tract, shooting down harmful bacteria in an addictive immunological battle for digestive health.”

Dr Christos Gatzidis, who was the lecturer for the games development-related units Ashley did whilst studying at BU says: “It is always great to see our students doing really well with any type of highly visible games production project or competition, particularly if it is on excursions like this which involve and promote public engagement with science, as this one by Wellcome Trust does.”

More information about the ‘Gamify Your PhD’ Wellcome Trust competition can be found on the foundation’s official site.

A YouTube video has also been created that summarises the game and it can be also downloaded from on the Force of Habit website if you want to play it in full.

Bournemouth MP among guests at BU Seen But Seldom Heard event

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Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood was among guests at a showcase of poetry by young people with disabilities at Bournemouth University.

Pupils from Victoria Education Centre in Poole have been learning to express their thoughts and feelings through poetry, as part of the Seen But Seldom Heard project.

The project has been set up by lecturers from BU’s Media School and School of Health and Social Care, to give people who may be considered on the fringes of society a voice.

The young people performed their poetry in a showcase at the university on Friday, alongside performance poets Liv Torc and Johnny Fluffypunk – who have been leading weekly workshops with them, teaching skills in writing poetry, performance and communication.

http://youtu.be/7m31Ww_zTNg

Dr Carrie Hodges, senior lecturer in Communication and Culture at Bournemouth University, has helped to coordinate the Seen But Seldom Heard project.

She said: “It’s a project which uses arts-based methods to explore the lived experiences of people that we might consider to be on the margins of society – seen but seldom heard groups essentially.

“We have been using poetry as a way of encouraging the students to engage with their own experiences and feelings about living with a physical disability.”

The workshops have culminated in an anthology of the young people’s poetry and a series of three performances – the first of which was part of the Cultural Olympiad in Weymouth, and took place at the ICCI 360 Dome at the end of August.

They will also perform at the Bridport Open Book Festival, on October 10th.

Carrie said it was vital that key decision-makers, like Tobias Ellwood MP, experienced the young people’s work.

“It is really important for the young people to have the opportunity to perform in front of key decision-makers – such as MPs and local councillors – to start a conversation about issues they feel are important to them,” she said.

“We want this project to be an ongoing collaboration between the university and Victoria Education Centre, so we hope that by starting this conversation, we can raise the profile of the project, which will enable it to continue in the future.”

Mr Ellwood said: “It is important that such things are debated and discussed and I think it is fantastic that the university is not just doing the standard academic things but also expanding out into these other areas.”

BU graduate’s production company works on new Joss Stone video

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A multimedia production company set up by a Bournemouth University graduate helped create the new music video for singing sensation Joss Stone.

Lovelove Films Ltd added visual effects and did post-production work on the video for the soul singer’s next single, The High Road.

The production company, based at the Enterprise Pavilion in Poole, was set up by BA (Hons) Television Production graduate Georgina Hurcombe.

Georgina, who graduated from BU in 2006, said: “It was an amazing experience and very exciting.

“We got the video sent to us from LA and it was shot in the day, but her management wanted it to look like it was night-time, so we had to do lots of visual effects to produce what you see in the video.”

The High Road is taken from Joss Stone’s sixth studio album The Soul Sessions Volume 2, and the video received over 250,000 hits on YouTube within 72 hours.

It is set in moonlit forest, with Joss riding on the back of an elephant through the trees and playing chess with Death.

Georgina added: “It was a very tight turnaround and we managed to get finish it in nine days – we were working really long hours to get it done.”

Georgina set up Lovelove Films in 2010 and recent projects for the company include producing a 360 degree panoramic video of Olympic sailing events taking place in Weymouth.

She said: “I started the company because I felt that there was so much talent coming out of Bournemouth University and the surrounding colleges that no-one was really harnessing.

“My degree completely prepared me for being able to set up and run my own production business.”

The music video for The High Road can be viewed on YouTube.

Speechwriters in Bournemouth for conference

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Speechwriters from around the world are at Bournemouth University for the sixth UK Speechwriter’s Guild conference, which takes place today and tomorrow.

MP for Bournemouth East Tobias Ellwood will welcome the delegates and speakers and the conference will be chaired by Fred Metcalf – who was a speechwriter for John Major and former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

This year’s conference takes place at Bournemouth University’s Media School and has attracted delegates from Singapore, Turkey, Ukraine, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.

Speakers include Charles Cowling, editor of the Good Funeral Guide, who will run a session on how to write a eulogy, and BAFTA nominated film director, Tim Clague, who will explain how to put a speech on YouTube.

Piers Letcher, senior Speechwriter at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), will talk about his experiences writing for UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, the world’s richest man Carlos Slim, and Nelson Mandela.

Bournemouth University Media School will also run a panel session revealing the latest research into political communication.

Speechwriter and organiser Brian Jenner said: “Since 2008 our conferences have attracted the leading lights in the speechwriting world. The craft can be solitary and anonymous, in fact, the job of speechwriting has been compared to robbing banks.

“It’s not done to tell everyone about your work. Only in our own company can we really share our achievements.”

Poole student wins national environment competition

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A student from Poole Grammar School has won a national competition looking at improving quality of life and the environment through water, with help from Bournemouth University academics.

Sam Cook won a trip to Stockholm, Sweden where he represented the UK at the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize and was congratulated on his win by Crowned Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Aimed at pre–university students, the competition encouraged educational projects focused towards improving quality of life and the environment through topical water issues. Sam’s project investigated populations of diatoms in freshwater habitats and their importance as indicators of water quality.

Diatoms are single–celled organisms invisible to the naked eye but very important because they can photosynthesise like plants and produce useful energy from sunlight in order to survive.

Sam worked with Bournemouth University academics Dr. Genoveva Esteban and Dr. Andréa Galotti from the School of Applied Sciences to win the Tomorrow’s Water competition organized by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).

Sam said: “I entered my project into the Tomorrow’s Water competition, which was an invaluable experience. I was able to present my work to people in the water industry and was thrilled when they chose my project to represent the UK at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.”

“The international finals were amazing. I even shook hands with the Crowned Princess of Sweden! The week was made extra special by the people I met; I’ve made lots of new friends with people from right across the planet.”

Sam’s project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The Nuffield placement was arranged via biology teacher Jo Barnes at Poole Grammar, and Judith Wardlaw, Industry Partnership Development Manager at The Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester who facilitated the arrangements for the placement, and competition entry on behalf of the Nuffield Foundation and Wessex Setpoint.

BU student wins prestigious scriptwriting prize

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A Bournemouth University student will have her script performed at the International Emmy Awards in New York after winning a prestigious award.

BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film and Television student Sophie Petzal has received the Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for a TV script she wrote called The Sanctioned.

The award is open to writers under the age of 30 from across the world, who can submit scripts that have not yet been made for television.

Sophie, who completed two years of her degree at BU before deferring to take part in an 18 month BBC trainee scheme, said: “Thousands of people apply every year, so you never think it is going to be you who wins.

“It feels incredible and now I’m just trying to make sure I make the most of it as an opportunity as well as a pat on the back.”

Sophie receives $2,500 prize money and will go to the International Emmy Awards, which run in New York from November 16th to 19th, to receive her award.

She will attend red carpet events and galas, and her script will also be performed by actors at the awards in front of an audience of industry experts.

“Lots of people have read the script but it has never been performed,” said Sophie. “It will be fantastic and I am really excited to see how it translates to the American audience, as there is quite a lot of British slang.

“It’s hard to get my head around it and what it could mean for me, so I think I am just going to try to enjoy it all.”

The Sanctioned is an hour-long TV pilot about a young teacher who gets embroiled in a rogue police force which kills criminals who have escaped justice.

Sophie said: “I don’t write for one particular genre, but things like morality are quite obvious in most of the things I write.

“What I am interested in and find fascinating are the moral black spots in everyday life and where you draw the line between good and evil.”