EYR

Students on the National Diploma in Media Production have been preparing for the three day broadcast of Eastbourne Youth Radio, an annual event at the college that gives the college, not to mention several schools in the area, a voice.

The build up to EYR has been a rather tense affair. Students have been placed under an unprecedented amount of pressure in a true industry-mirroring style, yours truly included. The event is a huge opportunity, a long-awaited chance to stretch our wings and gain valuable experience, and most have risen to the occasion admirably, with an expected few lounging behind in a sloth-like refusal to take part.

Amongst the array of deadlines, demands, and awkward sponsors, many have emerged as promising radio talent. Others, like myself, have performed to request without any embellishment, because radio is simply not an area of interest. I have no criticisms of the production; it's enjoyable to work on and well organized, but radio just isn't my forte. I have contributed to the show by working with a sponsor-as most other students have, producing a documentary in a team, and producing one individually.

For the next three days, we'll be spending more time at college than at home. I have no problem with this whatsoever, and I'm anticipating the overnight music shows as I'll get to present something of actual interest to me, but I've only been given a vague idea of what's expected of me until then. Some of us have just been told to turn up and essentially work as runners for the students given the essential tasks.

As a writer by preference, I will do as I do best: write about how well everyone else did, and how professional the entire affair was. Expect another update on Friday, I'm off to write the running order for my music show!

Laurence Braddow

GHOSTED (A preview of sorts)

Fifty media students, at the behest of a proud, well-meaning tutor filed into a classroom last week to watch an exclusive screening of Ghosted, a debut feature film by former National Diploma student Craig Viveiros. The aforementioned tutor has a habit of overhyping opportunities, but this time, it was a genuine treat.

The film isn’t quite finished yet, a few details such as colour grading and sound mixing need attending to before it’s ready for theatrical release. These minor issues do nothing to detract from the story’s incredible emotional impact. It’s a prison drama, but not like any you’ve seen before, with that unique, gritty British feel that lends so much indomitable, undeniable atmosphere to Viveiros’ emerging masterpiece. It’s extremely exciting to see this, as his first feature film, showing so much promise. This is one director the British film industry can expect great things from.

Ghosted never makes a point of trying to challenge our expectations, and yet, that becomes one of its greatest successes. As with any film, we arrive at the typical British prison setting armed with a veritable array of preconceptions, some of which are met by the film’s (sometimes literally) writhing narrative, but never in the way we expect them to be. One obvious example is the token shower scene, an anxiety built upon from the very start as the sinister, predatory prisoner lays his hungry gaze upon young newcomer Paul.

The scene is brutal but leaves the majority of the content to the imagination, remaining tasteful to an extent to avoid lowering the tone of the story. Paul’s violent punishment for refusing his predator is more vividly realized than anticipated, and as he’s seen sinking to the floor, crying, the entire audience feels his pain on a truly personal level. It’s flawlessly done, and hits harder than any huge studio Hollywood attempt.

I want to rave about the genius of the plot, and the fantastic flow of the story, but I feel as if I could potentially ruin the experience for anyone who might read this article and go on to see the film, so I’ll keep the details quiet. I’ll provide a proper review on the film when it’s out, but this is more about the experience of being one of the first people outside of the industry to witness Ghosted.

We had the privilege of talking to Craig and the storyboard artist after the screening. They were both very open and down-to-earth when questioned, providing any hopeful directors with the brutal truth of the industry, naked of any embellishments or starry-eyed naiveté. There was one question I wanted answered, and who better to answer it than the director himself? Nervously in the face of a man who had so modestly shown us a film that was essentially his baby, I asked:

“Where did the idea for the script come from?”

Craig explained his inspiration openheartedly as we all had come to expect – it was an entirely fictional story, but inspired by the very real misfortune of one of his friends, who had been jailed for an entirely unfair reason. Prison, he explained, changes people, people who might have been well-adjusted and happy before going into ‘correctional’ facilities. At Craig’s own modest admission, it’s a social commentary as well as a moving piece of cinema. In my humble opinion, it’s a rather excellent one at that.

-Laurie Braddow