UNIT 5: Working To A Brief (Research & Notes)

Task:

1. Describe the requirements of working to your brief reference to examples.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages to both the client and the production company?
3. Who benefits most from your type of brief?
4. What issues could possibly arrive from this type of brief?

Types of Briefs

Formal - written document. Technical and specific language as well as focused and in-depth: detail i.e.budget, deadlines, requirements etc. Majority of briefs are in this style.

Pro(s)

• The advantages to this type of brief is that there is more verbal communication between the client and the company they are employing which could mean that the media company will understand fully exactly what the client is asking of them and they should be able to complete the project to the client’s standards easily.

Con(s)

• The fact that there is no written documentation or contract to prove the employment of the company could mean that at the end of the project the client could easily fail to pay their employees. Also this could mean that certain things like deadlines are not completely clear and this can cause confusion for both parties.

Informal - can be as straightforward as a chat over a drink in the pub. Non/ limited documentation. No direct contractual agreement. Non specific requirements outlined initially. Tend to be undertaken and then fleshed out at a later date.

Contractual - tasks are accepted under legal obligation (signed documentation). The clients desires and deadlines outlined must be met. Both the client and the media producer must abide by the brief.

Pro(s)

• The advantage OF HAVING A CONTRACTUAL BRIEF is that once the final product or piece is completed, the client who first signed the contractual brief is legally obliged to pay you the agreed rate and if they don’t you have a legal right to sue them and produce a court case against them to take actions further.

Con(s)

• The disadvantage of a contract is the fact that it works both ways and if you do not produce the product/piece on time or to the standard required then they have the same authority and ability to sue you.  

Negotiated - a negotiated brief is one that is discussed and negotiated between the client and the production company, this allows for both parties to input their own ideas and come to a conclusion of which ideas are best to be used in the final product.

Pro(s)

• Although negotiated briefs provide the other party freedom to present ideas and make changes, the client still has most of the power and authority over the final decision. If the client is not 100% happy they will not agree to the brief and the whole thing will not work out. This is a benefit for the client as they can make it easier for themselves when it comes to payment requirements and other terms and conditions.

Con(s)

• The disadvantages of a negotiated brief is the fact that the production company can try and negotiate deadlines and payments which may cause delays and take longer than any contractual brief may take. If the production company disagree with your brief entirely this may be a waste of time, money and effort for the client which is not ideal when they are interested in setting deadlines.

Cooperative - 2 or more media producers production companies working together to meet the brief. For example, film producers at different post production houses.

Pro(s)

• The advantages of using a cooperative brief is that by including another production company there can be a more diverse outlook on the task which will enable more ideas and creativity to the task which could result in a really happy client which is good for business. Each production company doesn’t have to stress out about not being skilled enough or qualified to do certain things which may result in an unhappy client.

Con(s)

• The disadvantages could be that there is more risk of being in a disagreement with the other production company as not every company will have the same rules, regulations and ways of thinking which could cause conflict. Also the fact that the client is employing another production company to do certain tasks could mean that you might not receive as much payment as you would if you were the only production company working on it as the client will more than likely have to budget their money.

Tender - very similar to how a company might advertise for a job post, the client will advertise that they want a media product and will therefore give out a vague brief of what they want. Multiple production companies will then come up with a proposal of how much it would cost and who they would produce the product that the client desires. The client will then choose their preferred proposal and will negotiate with them to perfect it.

Pro(s)

• Benefits for the production company, if they were chosen out of all the other proposals and their competition, it would show that their work is clearly the best and they could earn more money from being the first choice.
• This will benefit their CV.
• Production company are creating your proposal - saves you a lot of time and effort.
• production companies are applying for the job therefore you receive numerous applicants without having to travel saves money.

Con(s)

• A lot of time, effort and energy into doing all the research for the task and then as you are competing with others, if your proposal doesn’t get chosen then this could be a waste of time and can potentially be a big step back as you would earn anything for the work you have done.
• Disadvantage you have to wait around until production teams respond and send you their proposals.
• You have no control over the time scale.

Competition - the brief is advertised to multiple media producers. The producers don’t have to pitch all the different producers create the product. The client picks which one is the best. The reward is often just the prospect of getting your project published/distributed.

Pro(s)

• Easy to get out there.
• Client is able to select from multiple candidates.
• Helps a client get their work published.

Con(s)

• No candidates could show up for audition.
• A low budget way of advertising for your brief.

Commission - a media company employs an independent company to produce a product for them on their behalf. The brief is not negotiated between the media producer and their employer/ commissioner. However the commissioner might negotiate the brief with the client. The independent company is paid and may receive royalties.

Pro(s)

• Client can negotiate directly with commissioner.

Con(s)

• Possible constraints on independent company under the company it is working for.

This should serve as a guide.

UNIT 24 Assignment 1: Working as a Writer

Scenario: You have been asked by an educational provider to write a report to be issued to a selection of students who have enrolled in a short course looking at potential career pathways for budding screenwriters. The provider has requested that you cover some key areas in a clear and logical manner relating to job roles and organisations within the commissioning process, alongside the expectations and legal/ethical considerations a writer must engage with in industry.

Task

The assignment will take the form of written report, separated into three sections. Each section should clearly explain the sub headed areas, supporting a full exploration of the writer’s role in the commissioning process.  Where possible, clear examples should be provided to support/illustrate material, and subject terminology should be used consistently and accurately. Include some visual material when appropriate (e.g. images that highlight points made about visual components, referenced within the body of the text).

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AN ASPIRING SCREENWRITERS GUIDE TO WRITING FOR TV & VIDEO

The purpose of this written report is to provide a comprehensive explanation of the writer's role in the commissioning process, with elucidated examples and consistent use of the correct subject terminology.

Section 1: Commissioning

Commissioning is the act of giving authorisation to put something in place. Within the media sector this could be the ‘greenlight’ for production in general, an authorisation of a particular budget, or the approval of a particular plot/storyline. In terms of writing, it is essentially the ‘go ahead’ to write based on the successful acceptance of their pitched ideas. Job roles within commissiong include the following:

• Commissioning Editors - often the senior editors responsible for selecting programme ideas and responsible for allocating funds. They often specialize in one specific genre and have creative input and oversee the writing process through production.
• Producers - oversees all aspects of the production that doesn’t fall under the remit of the director (financial, legal, admin etc.). A producer may originate a project, pitch, organise and finance it and then attach it to a particular writer to develop.
• Directors - responsible for taking the ideas and the script, as well as being responsible for pulling it all together. The provide the overall creative vision from which the editors can work from. They interpret the script how they see it working (a writer often has little to no control over this). An example of a director would be Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican film director known for his dark fantasy pieces, such as the gothic horror films The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth. Del Toro's work is characterised by a strong connection to fairy tales and horror, so you expect these elements in his movies.
• Script Editors - edit scripts using analysis skills to identify problems, but don't create solutions. They help to strengthen and develop screenplays, providing a critical overview of the scriptwriting process. An example of script editing can be found in Apocalypse Now, with Francis Ford Coppola altering the script written by John Milius. Originally the movie had a more pro-war element, given Milius’ right-wing political views, which were altered by Coppola. In addition, there was other endings discussed.
• Agents - find work for their clients and organise contracts, as well as negotiate appropriate deals. They build relationships with industry decision-makers and support and guide writers' careers.
• Writers - are responsible for research and developing an engaging narrative. They write the screenplay to meet the brief in the appropriate format, sometimes working in teams. An example of writer whose works has been adapted to film would be renowned comic book writer Alan Moore, who has expressed distaste for adaptation of his work such as V For Vendetta and Watchmen.

Commissioning bodies, again, enable something to happen when given authorisation, acting as the aforementioned ‘greenlight’ for production. Commissioning bodies come in all forms, shapes and sizes, and include the following:

• Corporations - definitely speaking, they are large companies or a group of companies authorized to act as a single entity and recognized as such in law. In the media industry, you will come across these corporations or companies that fall under single ownership of larger corporations, called conglomerates. They have complete ownership of all stages of production (funding, production, marketing, distribution, and in some cases exhibition). Examples of these corporations would be conglomerates such as Disney, Viacom and Time Warner Inc.
• Independent Production Companies - these are not tied to any other company or grounded by ownership of another, thus they are independent. Examples of independently owned production companies would include Domino Recording Company, an independently owned British record label.
• Independent Directors - much like independent companies, they work on their own and are often hired by companies and act as freelance workers.
• Organisations - there are also a number of organisations that are set up to assist prospective writers to kick-start a career in media. Examples include the BBC Writers Room, Good in a Room and the BFI Film Academy. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain supports writers across media including film, online, radio, theatre, TV and video games.
• Competitions - there are numerous screenwriting competitions available for entry with cash prizes. For example, the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and Austin Screenwriting Competition - there is a proven track record of writers who have sold scripts, gotten representation, and launched their careers based on winning these screenwriting contests. In the UK FilmFreeway run three competitions, with all winners since 2013 being in pre-production or production, with some winning awards.

Section 2: Working as a Writer

Working as a writer in the media industry, specifically for TV or video, are responsible for research and developing an engaging narrative. They write the screenplay to meet the brief in the appropriate format, sometimes working in teams. A vast majority of writers are freelance. Writers must consider the following:

• Professional Presentation - as a writer, you must ensure you produce work using the industry accepted formatting standards. Films, TV, radio etc are all formatted to different requirements. Even something as basic as font used and size are crucial e.g. producers use the length of scripts to determine the length of films. For example, take this magazine.

A professional music magazine featuring Rihanna. Now compare to this more amateurish music magazine…

The former is more likely to be considered by a publication, as it is up to a more professional standard.

• Agent Representation - as aforementioned, agents find work for their clients and organise contracts, as well as negotiate appropriate deals. The amount of pay the agent receives is all dependent on how much the client and the agents agree how much the fixed percentage is, which is usually between 10-25%. Some well known publishing companies will not accept clients unless they have an agent to represent them.
• Royalty Payments - payments that writers will receive from the sales of books and films along with the use of the script. Royalty payments are split up between the writer, the agent, and the producers.
• Time Management - ensuring time is divided correctly is very important when writing scripts. It is even more important when a script has been commissioned and the writer has to work with a whole team of people that are relying on the script to be done at a certain time. Deadlines must be met, and if a writer fails to meet this, then the whole production process falls behind.
• Handing Over Control - once the script is sold the writer only has the rights that were agreed with the purchaser. Screenwriters are rarely involved in the development of a film. Sometimes they come on as advisors, or if they are established, as a producer. Although many scripts are sold each year, many do not make it into production because the amount of scripts that are purchased every year outnumber the amount of professional directors that are working in the film and TV industry.

Section 3: Legal & Ethical Considerations

Legal & ethical considerations are things writers must consider when creating or producing a piece for TV or video, as well as the commissioning bodies. These would be up for consideration:

• Copyright - is a legal right that protects the use of your work once your idea has been physically expressed. You can't copyright an idea, but you can copyright your script. You can take extra steps such as registering it with a bank or solicitor, sending it to yourself special delivery, to prove the piece belongs to you. An example of a case of copyright would be the following:

“ Vanilla Ice had a hit, in 1991, with Ice Ice Baby — it sampled but did not credit the song Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen. Though at first denying it, Vanilla Ice later retracted the statement saying it was “a joke”. Facing a lawsuit by the duo, Vanilla Ice ‘fessed to sampling the work. ” Source

• Plagiarism - writers have to be very careful about how similar their products are to existing works. Plagiarism covers a spectrum for word for word copying to changing some words, to copying ideas and arguments. An example of plagiarism would be the following:

In 1922 [T.S.] Eliot published the popular poem The Waste Land. Decades later it was discovered that the poem was largely a hodgepodge of text from lesser-known poets, one of them named Madison Casein and his poem entitled Waste Land.

Well before the publication of The Waste Land, Eliot had already made no secret about his appropriation. In 1920 he published an essay that famously said, “Immature poets imitate, mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.” Source

• Libel - refers to writing inaccurate and malicious things about an individual, group or business in a written text or a broadcast. Research by writers therefore has to be meticulous, so as not to court legal issues through misinterpretation. An example of libel would be the following:

In 2011, Katie Holmes settled a lawsuit against celebrity gossip rag, The Star, for $50 million. The suit was over an article that claimed that Holmes was a drug addict. The magazine issued an apology and even said that they would donate a "substantial donation" to one of Holmes's favorite non-profits. Source

• Bias - can become an ethical issue when it comes to writing fiction. It means not being objective when it comes to a situation or topic being discussed or wrote about. An example of bias would be the following:

‘Christmas is Banned: It Offends Muslims’ is an internet meme that has been doing the rounds on social media for the best part of eight years. The sort of websites dedicated to dispelling myths years ago demonstrated that the headline (from The Daily Express) did not relate to the contents of the article ‘ even the writer was horrified that that headline had been chosen. However, that has not stopped people sharing it on social media in anger usually with the tagline ‘how dare they!’ This confirmation bias attempts to play on the prejudices of those who already feel that British society is under siege. Source

• Censorship - the BBFC have strict guidelines about what can and can’t be shown on TV, video, games, radio and film. To make the subject matter appropriate some aspects may need to be cut/censored. This generally revolves around depictions of violence, sex, language, discrimination, drug use – who the audience is and how the material is presented.
• Watersheds - the point in time after which programmes with adult content may be broadcast. It divides the day into the overnight period where family-oriented programming suitable for children may be aired and where programming aimed at or suitable for a more adult audience is permitted.

Sourcing Images for Magazine DPS

NOTE: my PEER assessment only remarked that I should put in my own opinion, which felt I did since this is a movie review. Apart from that I wasn’t given much constructive criticism to work off of.Thus, I have no been able to base much else off of my critiques when it comes to my magazine. 

However, after looking over the assignment brief, I needed to include original photos, and I decided to remove text in favor of an author’s photo and description, as seen below.

Because I completed this double page spread for my magazine, I was unable to screenshot progress (now available); however, I can explain the origin of images and their use, source them as well as explaining the why of things when it comes to page layout and design. Source: http://filmmakermagazine.com/88485-the-sound-of-helicopters-in-apocalypse-now/  

The background image of helicopters with a burning sun is perhaps the most iconic imagery to come out of Apocalypse Now, as it has remained culturally relevant. Below is an example of the cultural significance of the image:

May 1, 2010 cover of the Economist newspaper, illustrating the 2010 European sovereign debt crisis with imagery from the movie, attests to the film's pervasive cultural impact. The image was a must have as it connotes the movie and Vietnam setting/location. As for how I prepared and prep the image, I made sure it was cropped and sized appropriately using Photoshop tools, enabling it to take up half of the top page.

The original image serves as the author’s photo (myself) and below is text detailing the author themselves, the background with books connoting me being smart because I'm suppose to be a reviewer and their suppose to be smart. The rest of the body of text takes up the page. Unfortunately I couldn’t apply a pull quote due to the tight space. The need for an original photo diminished the amount of text as originally shown here. I resized the image in Photoshop to be appropriately small in order to fit in with the rest of the text neatly, having already had to remove some text in order to make it fit.

Other images I happened upon, but ended up not using include the following:

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/the-new-apocalypse-now-game-will-be-survival-horror-w462797

The reason I objected to the use of this particular image as a background for my DPS was because I wanted the title text to be separate so I could have more freedom to move around and customize the landscape. 

Source: http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/sound-apocalypse-now-07-07-2017 

Another potential background for the article. I was tempted by it but found a far more clearer and focused image of the iconic helicopters plain across a rising sun.

Source: a profile pic of my original making, taken by a friend. It was one of the pictures to use for the author picture, but opted for an alternative close-up, more clear cut and visible. 

UNIT 31 Assignment: Social Action Production (The Local's Library)

Date: Thursday 7th December

Venue: Bede Campus Theatre (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM)

Guests: arrive at 1:45 PM, till 3:45 PM

Person of interest: Religious. Sunderland has been in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle since the Catholic hierarchy was restored in 1850. The 2011 census recorded that 70.2% of the population identified as Christian, 1.32% as Muslim, 0.29% as Sikh, 0.22% as Hindu, 0.19% as Buddhist, 0.02% as Jewish, and 21.90% as having no religion.

There are potential contacts to be made to arrange persons of interest associated with religion:

• Duncan Woods, listed as a leader of the Trinity Church, is a senior minister who could be a potential candidate. We could ask him about his beliefs, what it means to him, how and when he became religiously conscious etc.

Duncan Woods

Phone: 0191 565 4835

Email: info@trinitychurchsunderland.org

• Kevin & Allison Clarke have been part of CityLife Church for over 30 years and have been on staff since 2004. They were the senior pastors of our church for 12 years and led the church into great strength. Although they passed on the senior role over to Pastors Jonny & Amy, they are still a key part of the team and oversee key areas of church life including Pastoral Care, Gold 55+ Community, administration and facilities. They are both committed to helping people anyway they can. They have been married for 30 years and have two sons, Jonathan & Christopher.
• Jonny & Amy Clarke serve as Lead Pastors at City Life Church. They have been married for 6 years. They both have a passion to develop the potential within people and see them flourish in life. Jonny worked for a international media organisation for over 7 years and has 10 years of ministry experience in the trenches of local church. Amy works in the education sector as a school teacher as well as co-leading church with her husband. Together Jonny & Amy are passionate about building a world class church in the City of Sunderland and seeing people move forward in God's plan and purpose.

Kevin & Allison Clarke OR Johnny & Amy Clarke

Phone: 07852 117798

Email: http://www.clcsunderland.org/contact/

Further details: 170 HYLTON ROAD, SUNDERLAND, SR4 7YA07835735105

• Newcastle Buddhist Centre was first set up in 1993 and has been offering meditation and Buddhist teachings in the city centre since then. We are part of a worldwide Buddhist community that has been in existence for over 50 years. It was founded in the UK in the late 1960’s, by Sangharakshita, and was initially known as the ‘Friends of the Western Buddhist Order’. We are now known as Triratna Buddhist Community. ‘Triratna’ means ‘Three Jewels’, and refers to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha – the ideal of Enlightenment, the Path leading to Enlightenment, and the Community of those following the Path respectively. The name reminds us of what is most important in the spiritual life, and what it is we are trying to help bring into the world. At the heart of the Triratna Buddhist Community is the Triratna Buddhist Order, a worldwide body of men and women committed to practising the Buddha’s teachings.

Newcastle Buddhist Center

Phone:07444281890

Email:newcastlebuddhistcentre@gmail.com

• The Islamic Diversity Centre (IDC) is a potential option for when we want to investigate into Muslim individuals and ask questions concerning their beliefs. Daniel Johnson is a Muslim convert who would make a worthy candidate: http://idcnortheast.org/blog/bbc-radio-newcastle/

Link: http://idcnortheast.org/contact/

2 Shipley Avenue

Fenham

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE4 9RA

0191 645 0990

Daniel Johnson

IDC North East

Newcastle branch

0191 645 0990

• Sister Josepha, who was apart of last years event, is also a worth contacting once more. I could only find contact details through the all girls school noted below:

“We are very privileged to have Sister Francis, Sister Adrienne and Sister Josepha as our academy Chaplains.

They are available every day in school and are based in Somerleyton, where you will also find our chapel for quiet reflection.

Our chaplains coordinate our preparations for Mass every Friday, as well as the celebrations for events and feast days throughout the year. In the approach to Christmas and Easter there are special celebrations and activities arranged to prepare for these great feasts.

Weekly Mass is held on a Friday at 8.30am with priests from our parishes offering Mass in turn, and there are opportunities for pupils to help prepare Mass, serve, read, prepare the hall or help with the music.

The chapel is available before school and at break times, and on a Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime. On Friday, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place from 12.15pm to 1pm.

Everybody is welcome to join us in any of these activities.”

St Anthony’s Girls Catholic Academy

Thornhill Terrace

Sunderland

SR2 7JN

Tel: 0191 5658904

Email: enquiries@st-anthonys-academy.com

• Potential Jewish contacts, though we were unable to find names.

Jewish contacts

The Orthodox Synagogue – contact number 01912840959

Email addresses – office@uhcnewcastle.org, secretary@uhcnewcastle.org and for the president of the community, vhgallant@blueyonder.co.uk

Hebrew Congregational

Contact Tel number: 0191 478 3366

180, Bewick Road

How and why they fit into social action?

Daniel Johnson: as a Muslim convert he could offer insight into the religion and as to why he initially converted. As for how it fits into social action, his piece could change views and opinions on Islam by offering context. Daniel would be a good guest to invite because he had a normal upbringing similar to a lot of people our age and then became religious. He also takes part in a lot of social action projects with IDC such as the ‘neighborhood clean up’, he has also been part of events with ITV and the BBC where he helped people to understand things from the point of view of a muslim.

Duncan Woods: as a senior minister of Trinity Church, he’d be an ideal candidate for wanting to talking about the catholic religion. A lot of people misinterpret the various sects of christianity so we think it would be good to get in someone with their own set of beliefs and comment on the current state of religion and what role it plays in the community.

Kevin & Allison Clarke: given their experience in the community they’d most likely have some great stories to tell.

Jonny & Amy Clarke: as current senior pastors of the City Life Church, they too would be a great couple to bring in as successors. City Church Life makes strides in the community of Sunderland, so we can ask how they work, what work they do, the impact religion has in their work as well as in their lives.

Sister Josepha: proven to be active due to last years event, she may also be interested in participating in this years event and telling her story to attendees. People last year commented that she was comfortable with sensitive topics and open to many conversations.

Jewish contacts: since the Jewish community in sunderland is so small and almost non-existent, it’d be nice to get in some more diversity and ask questions as to what caused such an exodus from the city and why the synagogues shut down.  

Website references:

• http://www.sunderland.org.uk/local/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunderland#Religion
• http://www.trinitychurchsunderland.org
• http://www.sunderlandchurch.org.uk
• https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/holy-trinity-sunderland.html
• http://www.clcsunderland.org/leadpastors-1/

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EVALUATION

On 8/12/17, between approximately 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM we conducted The Local’s Library as part of unit 31 assignment social action production. Our guests, Sister Josepha, Alan Reid and Chris Howson, arrived roughly before 2:00 PM as intended, as the location (Bede campus, Art Academy theatre) was being prepared. Overall the event went smoothly; however, at the beginning there were miss steps, as our group were preoccupied with roles to meet the guest at reception. Fortunately, Jake and Hannah were there to provide for Sister Josepha, Kane and Mattie for Alan Reid and Keiran and Jessica for Chris Howson. They also made efforts for their own guest as well as ours so we’re grateful.

Alan Reid, a Jewish man from Newcastle, was also apart of the event and were escorted and provided for by Mattie and Kane. So in all the group focusing on the area of religion managed to pull in two individuals, excluding Chris Hanson. Speaking as an individual and role, I was pretty much all over the place. To preface, this is the arrangements made:

Not everything went as routine at first. When the discussions started, some people were in the wrong places. I myself, who was meant to be sitting with Keith Lawler on the first session but circumstances dictated I sit in with Ru Elliot, due to crowding. Overall it wasn’t much of a problem because things went smoothly and I was assigned tasks such as providing any needs asked by our guests. After the first session I think everyone was on timetable. The original intention was a more organized event, with certain entrance ways blocked off and only the front two doors available; nevertheless, things got better.

The three people I did end up listening too were Ru Elliot, a transgender male; Chris Howson, a Sunderland University chaplain (who falls under the religious category, yet being provided by the college); and Fiona Vipond, a ghost hunter. All three were great and had great conversations, in addition to being very friendly. For those who fall under out category of religion, these small bios were made of those who we obtained as guests:  

The Jewish community in Sunderland has diminished and dwindled over the years, so we believed that Alan could offer answers not only on his faith, but his opinions on the city, the culture and what caused an exodus from the city and more of a community become more prominent in Newcastle. To fill in the information on Alan Reid, the one Mattie obtained, Mattie himself has pieces of information.

As a chaplain at Sunderland university, as well as an open mind and different approach to conservative traditions, he proved to be a great choice from the category of religion and was very open to questioning.

Having attended last year's event (and being well received), she was a no brainer for our category. She was, as always, very open much to questions and interpretation of her religion and faith, much like our other guests. She was referred to as one audience member in their review as their favorite.

Other guests we had penned for the event or had in mind included those found above such as Kevin & Allison Clarke of CityLife Church, who we did not make contact with. Another couple are the current senior pastors of CityLife Church, Jonny & Amy Clarke. Having made no contact with the church these too were not penned for the event.

Others included the Islamic Diversity Centre (IDC) in Newcastle, as Daniel Johnson was a possible candidate we could not make contact with, or at least received no reply. A pity, given he was a convert to Islam and had participated in radio and interviews discussing his story and faith. A passing mention of the Buddhist centre in Newcastle was made but nothing else came of it, only a listing of possible areas for guests.

Above is an email I personally wrote with the supervision of Gillian Middleton. Sister Josepha was the guest I and our group was tasked with research, and substantial information on the nun of St Anthony’s Girls Catholic Academy has been provided. It helped that team member Annie Swanson was familiar with the nun and that she was present for last years event, the People’s Pages. For 33 years she had worked in Newcastle at St. Vincent’s Roman Catholic Primary Church as head teacher. Being very familiar in community work as well as working along like minded individuals around children, she is very tactful yet also capable of discussing a variety of topics, no matter the sensitivity surrounding them whether they concern her religion or personal beliefs. While this email was sent, we received no reply; fortunately, Gillian had her phone number and made contact, managing to secure her for the event.

As for our audience, 2nd year drama students provided feedback on the event itself and guests we secured.

Feedback and reception to both the event and guests was largely positive. The whole purpose of this event was to bring about people of different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. I think it is safe to say that this feedback ensures the success of the event. People shared their stories and the audience was receptive. Many noted how informative the guests were with their stories, and they express a feeling of having learned something from the individual and taking with them something new.

As far as technical qualities go the event was accompanied by three cameras, with three individuals taking photos and videos of the numerous guests and people. Linking with the aesthetic qualities the layout of the venue was spacious and there were enough tables and chairs for guests and audiences alike, so in this category we succeeded. We got some incredible looking photograph photos. Here are a few below.

As far as ethical considerations go, there were no social, personal, religious or political issues that arose. In fact, all three of our guests were very tolerant and open minded, as they interacted with everyone and handled all questions well. No sensitivity surrounded questions for my guests, nor did it for any other, as far as I know.

My specifically given role for the event involved pre-production of the venue, hence why I was “all over the place” as aforementioned. There were many involved as most of tasks were yet to be undertaken or had been complete prior, such as marketing. I believe I performed well enough but one failure on my part involved printing off a sign saying “NO ENTRY Please use front doors. Thank you”. The printers that day were not kind to many of us, especially those doing programming which involved marketing and printing off of bios and signs for the event. As for other roles I carried out, I set with guests, was there if they needed any support or refreshments, and ensured we had all the cameras on the day when retrieving them.