The Scientific Legacy Of WW1

An exhibition and talk disseminating multi-disciplinary work at Hawthorn crater on the Somme as part of the wider exhibition on the scientific legacy or WW1. The project combines work in the field of chemical analysis, archaeology, anthropology, forensics, heritage preservation, digital scanning, recording and dissemination. The Hawthorn crater is a relatively untouched site and the current investigations are the first time this type of work has been carried out. Our work records the intentions, discoveries and process of both preserving the site, making it accessible to the public and its historical legacy

Hawthorn Crater Project Report 1

This project report and presentation outline the research outcomes from the first field study at Hawthorn Ridge Crater at Beaumont Hamel in France. It is co edited by Associate Professor Fiona Graham and Professor John Cassella. Authors include both academic partner Keele University and industry partners including Stoke on Trent City Council, UAV Dynamics, and FARO and analyse the findings relating to the inter disciplinary project including: film, forensic science, history, and archaeology. The crater is one of the largest in France, blown to mark the beginning of the Battle of the Somme on July 1st 1916. Exclusive access has been given to the site for research. The site is of particular significance to film history marking one of the first examples of battlefield film by Geoffrey Malins

History and Archives in Practice Conference - Collecting Communities: Working together and with Collections

CO-CREATING: as communities • From Mark IV Tank to World War One Crater: How film and community methods can support history and archives in practice From Mark IV Tank to World War One Crater - This project explores methods to create and archive history for museum content with support from communities in France and the UK. A short film journey explains the history of the exhibit D51 ‘Deborah’, a Mark IV tank, and drone content explores the iconic Hawthorn crater blast. The presenters show how film and co creation methods with communities can create content for archives, and have supported museums in the UK and France

Britain's Worst Crimes - Jimmy Savile

Once a national treasure, now the most vilified man in the UK, one year on from his death Jimmy Savile was branded as the worst sex offender the UK has ever seen. In October 2012, an investigation into Savile began, prompting hundreds of victims of child sex abuse to come forward to 28 police forces. Allegations dated back to 1955, but how could such a high profile entertainer with such a prolific background in abuse, go apparently undetected for so long? We talk to the victims, family members and former colleagues of Savile to lift the lid on one of the biggest scandals this country has ever seen. This programme required a significantly different filming style to previous episodes in the same strand due to the nature of the crimes. The use of projected images, moving camera and motion controlled cameras provided the illustrative backdrop to the interviews and archive

Urbex

Urbex is a short film created to experiment with minimal crewing for film production. The entire crew consisted of 1 make up artist, 1 actress, 1 camera assistant for a single day and myself as all other roles in pre-production, production and post production. The initial challenge was to create a suitable narrative to work for the minimal crew while maintaining a certain quality level in production. The second challenge was managing the equipment and techniques used to shoot the film. Then the challenge of managing a full post production process as an individual. The final challenge was dealing with the lack of additional opinions through much of this process. Film is usually a collaboration where input from various skills enhances the final product. This led to two versions of the film, the longer is presented here, the final version is cut based on advice from a 'critical friend' who was consulted late in the process

Let The Devil In

This is a continuation of the minimal crew experimentation and an experiment with sound design and collaborative processes between performer and filmmaker. The content of the film was ad libbed from a broad brief where both dancer and filmmaker could react to each others process during the shoot. Certain parameters were set for the overall film but beyond that the interpretation of the 'story' was open

Using film narratives to understand the topography of The Battle of The Somme July 1st 1916

https://vimeo.com/352229084 Associate Professor Fiona Graham uses conversational interview methods to create a narrative to understand the physical locations of World War One, with access to French battlefields on the Battle of the Somme. This film aims to educate by following a young |British tourist in conversation with Colin Winn, battlefield historian and tunnelling expert. Directed by Graham with camera operator Paul Ottey, the film creates a new perspective of the battle from specific locations from the first day of the battle in 1916. The aim is to bring history alive and to the classroom and museums to educate using film narratives and image to support traditional history texts and narrative forms

Shaping Europe- The Post War Fallout

The aim was to develop, create, archive and publish digital artefacts of the personal testimonials of a sample of World War Two refugees and the experiences of Post War British civilians. The digitally recorded testimonials were researched, produced and directed by Fiona Graham. (They are a work in progress and will be edited to publish in 2018) Polish, Belgium and British nationals were contacted and researched to be interviewed. The British and European testimonials give a detailed, personal authored account into the situation in Britain and Europe during and at the immediate end of World War Two, examples include: * Personal British Army male testimonial witnessing post War Europe and the occupation of Germany directly following the end of the War. * Personal authored account of a Belgium female refugee who escaped the Nazis to live in the UK. Her personal journey and analysis of Post War Europe and refugees and with reference to the refugee crisis today. * Personal authored account of a Polish Tank Commander in World War Two about his experience both in the War and his account of the Post War fallout and moving to live in the UK. * Personal authored account of a British civilian living in Stoke on Trent area: an authored account living in the UK as a child immediately after the end of World War Two. The personal accounts were developed and each person interviewed and recorded using audio and HD camera technology by director of photography Paul Ottey. The decision was made to record the subjects in their own home environments to provide current context to the stories and to provide a contrast to many testimonial interviews that are created on a generic or isolated backdrop. Note: the project is ongoing to be released to local museums and online publication. The interviews are stored at the following links with the password ref2020 https://vimeo.com/230897668 https://vimeo.com/230897577 https://vimeo.com/230897439 https://vimeo.com/230897316 https://vimeo.com/230897120 https://vimeo.com/230897019 The unedited films of Post War experiences include interview and are: IV 1 Polish Tank Commander filmed at the Polish Embassy in London IV 4 War Veteran and liberator in Germany from Stoke on Trent IV 5 Belgium refugee who escaped the Nazis living in Birmingham IV 6 Post War child from Smallthorne, Staffordshire mining tow

Armistice 2018

A 4K digital film of World War One battlefields from the Somme in France was created to exhibit for the centenary at Staffordshire University. The moving image was exhibited at the University during the commemorations in 2018. The film was directed by Fiona GRAHAM and filmed by Paul OTTEY in collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Untold Holocaust and Hitler's Testing Ground

Note: This project is in progress there are three clips at the following links that demonstrate the outputs and development so far. This is a HEIF funded project that is designed to investigate the creation and dissemination of digital materials in support of subject specific academic work. This project records the work of Professor Caroline Sturdy Colls as she works to research the early history of the holocaust. The digital content is designed to research the new possibilities in commissioning and accessing historical content. This includes application of technology and production methodology to make content suitable for TV commissioning, museum and archive resources and integration of virtual technologies. The digital artifacts record personal testimony, research methodology and captures the ongoing historical research for dissemination to the public. Outputs will inform the public through museums in the UK and Poland including the IWM, Oswiecim Jewish Centre and Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum