Projected Visions, a showcase of student film productions, returns after a hiatus. Ramona Depares speaks to Ġorġ Mallia, head of the media and communications department at the University of Malta, to find out more.
What is Projected Visions and how was the idea born?
It’s a way for the creativity and incredible capability of our students to shine. The University’s Department of Media and Communications has a very practical video production stream. This works in conjunction with related, more theoretical areas, including, for example film units and media aesthetic units.
Once students understand the ins and outs of the history and development of film and its language, and become aware of the different approaches to communicating through the moving image, they are then helped to bring their own ideas and visions to life by creating short films themselves.
These vary from very short ‘spot’ videos to longer, documentary or fiction pieces that involve many of the tools and approaches used in much bigger productions. Projected Visions is a showing in public of some of these productions that would otherwise have been used purely for assessment and academic analysis purposes. We feel they’re good and deserve to be seen by an audience that is wider than a communications student cohort.
Can you explain what happens through the viewings?
In the past, when Projected Visions was an annual event, it used to take a number of formats, including student presentations, discussions, etc. But I feel it was most successful when there was none of this and the short movies just spoke with their own voice. So what there will be this year, for the return of the event, is a showing of a selection of moving image projects from the last three years.
How are participating projects chosen and how many projects would be typically shown during the event?
The amount varies. Since the event has not been organised for a few years, this year we’re selecting from the past three cohorts of students. But the norm is that what is shown are video productions from any given year. The projects to be shown are chosen by the academics who lecture the practical video production courses, and the process is loosely based on the criteria normally used in the assessment of videos. Video dissertations will also be shown in this year’s event.
How was the project received in the past?
Extremely well. Students bring relatives and friends along to see the product of their hard work. We often also had people who are in no way related to the media and communications course come along, because the work is really very good and worth seeing. In fact, we’d like to invite anyone who would like to see what university undergraduates produce by way of short movies to come along on Friday. All feedback is, of course, appreciated, since the learning process continues even during and after the event.
What had led to the decision to stop the project – and how come it is being revived now?
Basically, the reply is the “situations beyond our control” one, because it really was. Venue difficulties, actual staff shortages and so forth led to the hiatus. It’s now back because there really should be an event that showcases student work and we did what we had to to make it possible. This one is for the moving image component.
We also produce a magazine that shows off our students’ journalist and graphic design capabilities. Other areas that are covered in the Media and Communications courses will, in the near future, also have their events and/or publications to translate the purely academic exercise into a practical project. The aim of the department is to give a solid grounding in research capabilities, a solid theoretical base, but also a way of doing practical work based on lessons learnt.
This year’s programme will include a number of short productions created by third and fourth year students over the past couple of years
What can you tell us about the upcoming edition and its participants – what can the audience expect?
This year’s programme will include a number of short productions created by third and fourth year students over the past couple of years. The line-up will include, among others, brief Public Service Announcements, as well as four 60 second edits designed at showcasing the socio-economic and cultural aspects of Valletta.
These short edits were submitted as examination projects by fourth year Honours students and, although the subject matter is the same for all of them, stylistically they show the students’ creative versatility and diversity.
The main features of the evening will be two documentary shorts that were presented as dissertations – The Alternative by Liża Mallia and D’Amato: Storja ta’ Ħanut, by Isaac Joseph Zammit. These productions explore aspects of the local alternative music scene and the history of D’Amato Record store respectively. Both productions were produced, scripted, filmed and edited by the students.
How do these student videos see the light of day, would they be assignments/prepared especially for Projected Visions? How do the logistics work out?
In a number of ways. Yes, in the main they are assignments given throughout all the video production courses given by the department. Some are produced for exams, and other for dissertations. The B. Communications course includes all that’s needed for students to create their moving image work, for example, lighting techniques, image manipulation, shooting and editing, etc. The Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, of which the department is a part, is housed in a state-of-the-art building with all the facilities needed for video production and editing.
In fact, we even have students who find they prefer this stream to others offered by the department and they often opt to do a practical moving image production as part of the final dissertation for the Honours course. These are supervised dissertations, of course, but the work done on the short films, that can range from documentaries to brief, dramatic pieces, is entirely the student’s own.
What are the biggest challenges in making an event like this happen?
The main challenges are technical... basically ones of venue and the hardware needed to run the movies. But there is also an intense selection process involved that needs to be fair and transparent. Since this event has not been held for so long, publicity is also essential to ensure a good turnout. The rest is really what is demanded for the production of any public event of this type. I’m hoping the hard work put into it by the team entrusted with this year’s Projected Visions, Louiselle Vassallo, Daniel Zerafa and Marvic Cuschieri, pays off and we have a great evening.
What fruits do you hope Projected Vision will yield?
There are so many possible results to an event of this type. It shows off hard work that is also creative and, as the name suggests, the vision of the individual student who created it. So intense satisfaction is definitely an appreciated result that cannot be undervalued. There is the possibility of feedback to the students by the audience of the event. All teaching in the department is a work in progress. There is no finite project. All learning is consolidated by other learning. There is also the collateral gain of having potential, future students see the work, be enticed to go in for a communications course and work hard to super the great achievements of present students. And so on. A lot.
Is there an intention to start holding the event on a more regular basis, or will this be a one-off?
Very short answer: yes. Annually, we hope. And this will only be one of many events organised by the Department of Media and Communications to showcase the wonderful work produced by its students.
Projected Visions takes place on Friday at 7.30pm at the Arts Lecture Theatre, University of Malta.