The Visual Effects of Kill Command

Home , Alesha Dixon, Mr Bingo

Consolata Boyle Power Dresser Mr Bingo Affront Company Kathryn Sargent Suits You Steve Gomez & Celeste Bothwick The Visual Effects of Kill Command

CREATIVE 14

UPDATESept 2016

CREATIVE UPDATE 01 Contents UCA Alumni Team

Angela Chadwick Head of Communications and Campaign Management

Upfront 04 Charlotte Ellison Latest News Communications Officer Oliver Watts 06 Tim Pilgrim Model Graduate Communications Officer Kayleigh Baker 08 Get in touch Overpowered [email protected] Shona Morrison 10 Designed by UCA alumni She Was Only Noted History shewasonly.co.uk Resh Sidhu 12 Actual Reality Printed by Belmont John Walmsley 14 Welcome Copyfight Kathryn Sargent 16 To Issue 14 Suits You Steve Gomez & Celeste Bothwick 20 On the cover... The Queen. Killer robots. Bags of sour milk and The Visual Effects of Kill Command vinegar. Offensive vintage postcards. Hello and welcome This edition’s cover is from Mr Bingo 26 once again to the ever-eclectic Creative Update. Rachael Harding’s Skin-Deep, In this edition we scoured the world for the a photographical book that Affront Company veritable smorgesboard of alumni now working explores the female struggle to Consolata Boyle 30 in exciting, interesting and quirky roles. In New achieve contemporary society’s York we found an expert in virtual reality and a beauty ideal. The image is Power Dresser man who aims to predict the future of retail. In from a selective series in the Lawrence Simpson 34 Ireland we discovered an Oscar-nominated costume Rachael Harding book which presents a visual designer renowned for bringing some of history’s BA (Hons) Fashion commentary on our obsession The Imitation Fame most powerful women to life on the big screen, and Promotion and Imaging, with dieting and healthy eating, Simon Pruciak 36 in Hungary we met a filmmaker who landed on a Epsom, 2016 with the aesthetics imitating stranger-that-fiction story when commissioned to the excessive retouching of Art From The Heart document the rise of the far-right. Closer to home commercial fashion and beauty Jim Dales 38 we met some of this year’s hottest graduating talent, photography, whilst remaining caught up 20 years on with a history-making tailor, in keeping with Rachael’s own The Man In The Mirror and chatted to an illustrator who has built a business colourful and theatrical style. Danielle Clark 42 sending strangers offensive messages. Having graduated with first Creative Update is only possible with the fantastic class honours in June, Rachael Act Of Redemption? and generous contributions of our alumni, and is now seeking internships Abdulbari Kutbi 44 it’s always a delight for us that those who donate related to fashion, still life, their time to speak with us do so as willingly and beauty photography and Pirouetting Picket Fence enthusiastically as they do. We’re always keen to hear retouching. Anna Verdon 46 about the interesting things you’re up to, so if you’ve got a story to tell, or a burning issue you’d like to To see more of her work, My Letter From A Serial Killer discuss, please do get in touch. please visit facebook.com/ Howard Saunders 48 rachaelhardingphotography The UCA Alumni Team What Does The Future Have In Store? [email protected]

02 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 03 From impressive league table climbs to distinguished awards, it’s been a successful few The Best Womenswear Award Graduate rounded off a successful week for Qiwei, months for UCA, its students and its alumni. who also collected the runner-up prize wins Best in the David Band Textiles Award for the same collection. Womenswear at Asked what she thought had caught the judge’s eyes, Qiwei said: “I think the GFW 2016 collection is innovative and creative, and some new ideas have come out of it. But it still keeps in touch with the emotional A new graduate has won the Marks side of it.” of all the hard work we’ve done over the & Spencer Best Womenswear Qiwei’s win came at the end UCA named Top past few years. To be ranked alongside Award at the highly prestigious of a strong week for UCA’s fashion the likes of Cambridge and UCL in such Graduate Fashion Week. graduates, with Qiwei’s classmates 40 university an important and respected league table Ramlah Wraich and Bareia Ahmad demonstrates that both our students and Qiwei Jiang, who studied BA (Hons) also picked for the Best of GFW gala, employers in the profession hold our Fashion at UCA Epsom, wowed the whilst BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion UCA has made an impressive debut architecture courses in the highest esteem.” judges at a glitzy gala event with her and Imaging graduate Vanessa into The Guardian University League The results come at the end of a eye-catching ‘trompe l’oeil’ (‘deceive the Cuffy won the New Fashion Media Table, comfortably taking a place in bumper year for UCA in which it not eye’) collection. Award, BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion the top 40. only saw a 17% year-on-year increase Now in its 25th year, Graduate graduate Sarah Young won runner-up in applicants and strong league table Fashion Week is the premier event on in the Drapers Fashion Publication Ranked 39th overall, UCA now finds itself standings, but also received recognition as the university fashion calendar and Award, and BA (Hons) Fashion above such institutions as King’s College one of the top 20 places in the world to has helped launch the careers of such Management & Marketing graduate London, Sheffield and the University of study fashion by The Business of Fashion. house-hold names as Stella McCartney, Emma Prevost collected the runner-up Upfront the Arts London (UAL). Despite having Julien Macdonald and Burberry boss prize for the Vivienne Westwood Ethical previously performed well in the individual Christopher Bailey. In attendance at the Award. BA (Hons) Fashion student subject tables, this was the first time UCA star-studded gala were the likes of Dame Ellie-Grace Frost was also shortlisted had been included in The Guardian’s main Vivienne Westwood and Alesha Dixon. for both the Red Carpet Award and the University League Tables. “It’s amazing to have won,” said Sophie Hallette Award. UCA Vice Chancellor Professor Qiwei, who is originally from China. Simon Ofield-Kerr said: “This latest “I’m really excited for the University for league table helps demonstrate what we’ve the Creative Arts and my tutors, who been saying for many years – that UCA is have helped me a lot to grow this year.” one of the very best places in the UK to get a degree. It’s incredibly gratifying to LEFT see all of the hard work that our staff and Students celebrate at students have put in over the last few years this year’s graduation recognised in this manner, and hopefully Cannes Grand ceremony. Photography we can now use this as a springboard ©Liz Carrington towards even greater things.” Jury Prize for The University scored particularly RIGHT strongly in the areas of teacher feedback, Red Turtle One of Qiwei’s winning where it was ranked 3rd overall nationally, designs. Photography and student spend, where it was ranked 5th ©Simon Armstrong overall, just behind Oxford, Cambridge An Oscar-winning animator who premiered at the festival, is a dialogue- and Edinburgh. learnt his craft at UCA has won free animation recounting the story of BOTTOM UCA also performed strongly in the a Special Grand Jury Prize at the a man shipwrecked on a tropical island Red Turtle tells the Course League Tables with increases renowned Cannes Film Festival. inhabited by turtles, crabs and birds. story of a man trapped reported across the board, particularly The film was co-produced by legendary on a desert island within Architecture, where they’re now Michael Dudok de Wit, who graduated animation house Studio Ghibli, whose ©Studio Ghibli ranked 5th in the UK, ahead of such from UCA Farnham’s founding college, previous films include Spirited Away. institutions as Edinburgh, Nottingham and the West Surrey College of Art in 1978, It’s not the first prestigious award the University of Kent. collected the award in the festival’s Un the animator has won over the course Allan Atlee, Head of School for Certain Regard category for his debut of a glittering career, having previously Architecture at UCA said: “This is a feature animation The Red Turtle collected both an Oscar and a BAFTA fantastic result for UCA and the School of (La Tortue Rouge). The film, which for his short film Father & Daughter. Architecture, and is a satisfying validation

04 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 05 BELOW Oliver’s dragonfly was Tasked with a self-directed project in his final year, inspired by Philip Pullman’s Oliver Watts took the opportunity to bring to life novel The Amber Spyglass. one of the creatures found in Philip Pullman’s Photograph ©Oliver Watts fantastical His Dark Materials trilogy – a series he’s read at least 15 times. This finished piece, which was exhibited at the 2016 Graduation Show, is a dragonfly designed for use in either stop motion animation, or as Oliver Watts an animatronic, and features fully-functioning, Creative Arts for computer-powered flapping wings, a soft Theatre and Film, aluminium spine, and a body that can be posed as Rochester, 2016 required. The intricate laser-cut wings alone took over 14 hours to design. Whilst still a student Oliver got the exciting opportunity to work on Tim Burton’s latest film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and he now hopes to take on a full position working alongside the legendary director’s prop master. Oliver, who has cystic fibrosis, said that with the continued support and understanding of his tutors he was able to keep pushing himself throughout his final year to produce his best work. He graduated in June with first class honours.

To see more of Oliver’s work, please visit oliverwattsart.com

Model Graduates

In this section we meet the brains behind some of the Class of 2016’s most imaginative work

06 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 07 “In 2013, 4,722 people in England alone crystal clear liquid, particularly when light shone committed suicide,” says Kayleigh Baker. “It’s a through, reflecting clarity and recovery. staggering statistic and I wanted my work, in its “The scaffolding structure brought an domineering physical form, to raise awareness of interactive approach to the piece. It was the sheer scale of this on-going issue.” designed to confine and overwhelm the viewer. The piece, Comfort You Tonight II, was a Material elements throughout the work were also large scale installation made up of heavy-duty contrasted. The delicate, easily punctured bags scaffolding and thousands of individual bags – one opposed the heavy weight supporting structure. for every suicide victim in England in 2013 – This structure essentially offered a supporting containing milk and vinegar that had been heated system in a bid to protect the bags, similar to that together. The display was located in its own room of the healthcare system. There was also a ticking to retain the smell and segregate the work from clock in the room, which offered a sound that everything else at the show. subtly broke the silence, resembling a memorial “For those that visited the degree show and graveyard or waiting room.” had the opportunity to see and experience it for The rigorous task of creating the installation themselves, the smell was no doubt the thing added further meaning to the art. “Each and that they noticed most,” Kayleigh explains. “Not every bag brought an individual quality to the only did the smell gain widespread attention and piece and was humanised by the painstaking get people talking, for good and bad reasons, it creation process that became a form of also repulsed many of the visitors, with some endurance. The piece was designed to offer struggling to withstand it all together. In this homage to human endurance and in this regard, regard, it became an analogue of those suffering whilst the statistical figure was reflected within from mental illness. It provided a constant the domineering physical form, the work was also reminder that these issues are inescapable, in the about offering a balance between illness and the same way that the audience was unable to escape possibility of recovery.” the art without physically leaving the room. On where her work will take her next, “I chose to use milk and vinegar because of Kayleigh, who will now undertake an MA in Fine the aroma they create when heated together, as Art at UCA Canterbury, says: “I’m sure I will well as the way the mixture looks. The visual side continue to work with and explore these themes, of the project offered a balance between beauty which I don’t think will ever subside. Art has a and repulsion, reflecting illness and recovery. The powerful voice. I try to make sure that my work separation between both substances could turn is a means of communication that makes people your stomach, so to speak, and the deterioration take note and recognise important issues and process of the mixture that occurred was taboo subjects within our society.” fundamental to the message of the piece. Despite the fact that each individual bag had essentially To find out more about Kayleigh’s work, visit: undergone a quality-control like process, the kayleighbakerstudio.wix.com/kayleighbaker deterioration rates differed from bag to bag. In some bags, the substance formed was vulgar, reflecting illness, while others developed into a

Kayleigh Baker BA (Hons) Fine Art, Canterbury, 2016 Overpowered There was no escaping Kayleigh Baker's compelling piece at this year's Graduation Show

08 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 09 What does your handwriting say about you? When RIGHT Shona tracked down a Shona Morrison began exploring the graphology of classmate of the boy handwritten messages in second-hand children’s books, behind the message she became fascinated with uncovering the identity BOTTOM and stories behind each one She compiled her Shona Morrison, findings into a BA (Hons) Graphic hand-stitched book. Communication, Photograph ©Shona Farnham, 2016 Morrison Noted History

After finding a copy of Biggles Follows On gentleman who was once friends with him, so by W.E. Jones nestled in the corner of her I decided to make contact to see what more I local book store, Shona began an investigative could find out. journey which led her to reconnect with an old “I received a reply and although he had lost childhood friend of the book’s original owner. touch with the book’s owner, he remembered “I love handwriting as an art form – I like their time together at boarding school and told that everyone's handwriting is different and our me stories from when they were children. They personalities are reflected in our writing,” said had actually been close friends and had visited Shona. “Handwriting has become a bit of a lost Cornwall together one summer and enjoyed art as we communicate so much through email going to dances. Finding someone who was and text, meaning that, nowadays, there could connected in some way to the book’s past and be anyone behind a typeface.” identity was such a rewarding feeling and it Having analysed the writing samples in added so much more sentiment to the writing three books to build a profile of who might have sample. Throughout my project, we emailed written each message, Shona began searching every day!” for the previous owners to uncover more about The final piece of the project was hand- the books’ stories and histories. stitched and printed by Shona, and she is now “I wanted my research to add context to hoping to upscale the concept and undertake the samples I had analysed and I was really much wider research into handwritten messages interested in exploring the idea that these books found in second-hand books. belonged to someone and had their own stories,” “Handwriting is a great form of artistic she said. “The writing had given the book an expression because it is so innate and subtle,” identity and I wanted to uncover more about suggests Shona, “I feel the process of writing that identity. in books and what it represents is important “I was particularly interested in Biggles because it makes the book unique. I like the idea Follows On because the lower part of the ‘y’ in that the book has been marked or personalised the handwritten message was drawn in the same and now assumes its own identity.” way as I draw mine.” With the location and name of the owner’s Shona is now hoping to begin a career as school written in the book, Shona began an archivist and, in the future, would like to searching online to see if she could find out any expand her original project in order to uncover more about the person who had once owned it. more stories and moments in history. “I found an online blog for the owner’s school and came across the details of a

10 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 11 “Consumers are Industry hungry for VR but the quality of content and interaction needs to Spotlight vastly improve”

With a client base that includes the likes of Warner Bros, Marvel, Nickleodeon, PlayStation Actual and Xbox, Framestore’s VR studio creates highly immersive interactive experiences combined with reality Oscar-winning visuals. The team films, directs and produces all over the world, working with agencies, brands and individuals, continually Winner of 20 awards at this year’s Resh Sidhu pushing the VR boundaries. Cannes Lions Festival, Resh Sidhu, BA (Hons) Visual “The future of VR and the possibilities the Communications, technology presents is exciting. I imagine a world Creative Director of Virtual Reality Maidstone, 1998 where VR ownership will hit 90 per cent of (VR) at Framestore, predicts VR households, with home use ranging from gaming will be every bit as transformative and entertainment to health, education and as the smartphone news – it will become the most quickly adopted consumer technology in history. Entertainment learn but we are certainly on the way to creating will never be the same again – we will be fully experiences that will transform the world. With VR users expected to reach 55.8 million by immersed in virtual films, news, journalism, “For any emerging technology that succeeds the end of 2016, Goldman Sachs has predicted the documentaries and games.” in cementing itself in our daily lives, there are market will be worth $110 billion within ten years. But despite the seemingly boundless three important factors – the hardware needs to “VR is already fast becoming something we possibilities of this rapidly-expanding technology, be smooth, the content needs to be compelling, can’t live without. There are mind-bending VR there are still barriers and pitfalls that need to be and the price point needs to be right. Currently, theme park rides for example. Engineers, architects successfully navigated and overcome in order for many advertiser-led VR projects are falling and developers are using VR as computer-aided the potential of VR to be realised. short when it comes to compelling content. In design to step inside their creations before they “Over the past two years, we’ve seen a the scramble to be associated with the latest have even been made. VR is educating the world huge increase in VR content, from games and seductive trend, it’s easy to overlook the fact that through the use of global virtual classrooms and entertainment to documentaries and educational a decent campaign requires so much more than ultra-engaging learning experiences. It’s a way pieces. Consumers are hungry for VR but the decent technology. of advancing scientific research and exposing quality of content and interaction needs to vastly “But the fact is VR has, in just a short space previously unreachable worlds as seen in NASA’s improve. The experiences should be powerful of time, begun to infiltrate our day-to-day Mars Immersion. Its empathy-inducing quality is and unforgettable, with storytelling that blurs the lives, from entertainment, to research, design being used by filmmakers and journalists to combat lines between the audience and narrative beyond and education. The potential of VR remains complacency about disasters and wars, and it has recognition. We need to create content that unknown, but if this is how far we’ve come in facilitated a number of healthcare miracles such as makes VR indispensable. just two years, what will happen in the next 10?” curing phobias and treating PTSD. “Everything matters. It’s about sweating the “Virtual Reality is here to stay and there are a small stuff. With a new medium, we need time For more on Framestore’s VR work, number of reasons why it’s better than what we saw to experiment and discover. It took over 100 please visit framestorevr.com in the 1990s. The technology is finally living up to RIGHT years to develop the language and art form of the dream – and now it’s important for the content Resh with her award- filmmaking that tells a story in a 16x9 rectangle. to live up to the technology.” winning team It’s still early days for VR – there’s a lot to

12 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 13 “What have they not paid dozens of other freelance photographers? It’s frightening”

print more.’ The judge said, ‘but you can’t, it’s Agencies – a situation he finds unfathomable when John’s tips for protecting your unlawful to print more’ and threw the book at you consider how many tax-payer funded man copyright Copyfight them.” hours each case has had to take up. John, who has work in the permanent “In general, it’s on a very wide scale,” said collections of the National Portrait Gallery in John. “When I look at what all these people have • Assert your right under the Copyright, Designs & “Most people seem to think that if it’s London and la Bibliothèque nationale de France not paid me, a one man band sitting here with my Patents Act (CDPA) 1988 to be identified as the on the web, it’s free to use. And when in Paris, looked at this and realised that he was computer, I wonder what have they not paid all author. you tell them it isn’t, they say, ‘well, John Walmsley in a similar situation. 75% of his time, he tells the big libraries, and all of their photographers? Photography, me, had been taken up working on projects for What have they not paid dozens of other freelance • Be more business-like. Record all agreements there was nothing there to tell me it was Guildford, 1968 textbook publishers, so maybe they too had been photographers? It’s frightening. and specify what rights you’re granting. your copyright.’ But of course, there’s using his work far beyond what had originally “I once had a competition with a group of no reason there should be, any more been agreed. He decided to ask them. photographers to find the most unauthorised uses of • Include in your T&Cs that fees double if your than if you see a car that doesn’t have “I gave the main two publishers half a dozen one of our pictures on the web. One guy said ‘well, credit is missing. titles each and asked them how many copies I stopped counting at 500.’ All of those are uses of a sign on it saying ‘do not steal this car,’ they’d actually printed. In every case, they’d his work, his property, where he should have been • Register your work with the US Copyright Office you’re free to steal the car.” exceeded the agreed amount. I started to wonder, paid, and not one of them paid him. That’s the so that, if it is published in the States without if they’d done that with the first batch, does it difficulty that individual artists now face.” permission, attorneys would take the case on apply across the board? The basic answer to that John recently exhibited a collection of his early contingency and the awards are much higher. John Walmsley’s battles against copyright infringers was, yes. In one case, they’d paid me for 17,000- B&W work at Guildford Museum, and has now all started one day when he read an article in odd copies, and printed something over quarter released a selection of 26 postcards celebrating the • If you display your work online, complete all the New York’s Photo District News about a fellow of a million. You could say it was an accident, or exhibition. metadata fields (identifying you as the copyright photographer who’d sold his work to a textbook human error, if it were only half a dozen books, holder etc.) and ensure it’s all intact after the publisher. but not hundreds of books. I started to wonder if Visit walmsleyblackandwhite.com for upload. “Textbook publishers license a photograph for they had known what they were doing.” further details a given number of years, a given print run, or a Buoyed by his initial salvo, John returned to • If someone uses your work without permission, single edition, and the fee they pay reflects that,” the publishers with a longer list of works, but this make sure they pay in the end. If you are unable said John, whose photography career stretches time was met with a response from their lawyers. to pursue a case, give it to one of the companies back to the 1960s, when he first gained notoriety “I thought, ‘I can prove what the which will do so on your behalf. It’s important covering a sit-in protest at the Guildford School of arrangement was. They’ve told me by how many for all of us that infringers get the message that Art, one of UCA’s founding colleges. copies they’ve exceeded the agreement, why don’t it’s cheaper to request a licence and pay at the “So if they’re going to publish a million copies, they just hold up their hands and say, ‘we got it beginning than to infringe. You will need good you get a lot more than if they publish, say, 5,000 wrong’?’ But they didn’t.” records to pursue a case. copies. This photographer wondered whether the And so began John’s painstaking legal battles, publishers he’d been supplying had printed more contacting over 20 years’ worth of clients to • We need to change the culture which accepts than they’d told him about. He started asking them, ensure that they’d remained honest about how that artists do not need or expect to be paid. Ask and found that they had. When it ended up in widely they’d used his work. In total, John has LEFT to be paid and explain why. court the publisher’s defense was, ‘we might have had to bring over 100 cases against a variety of Dunquin, Ireland. agreed the run was for 40,000 copies, but that’s infringers, including publishers, online outlets, Photograph ©John just a nominal figure, everyone knows we always and 18 separate government Departments and Walmsley 1967

14 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 15 As the doors swung open on the store that now bares her name, Kathryn Sargent took her place in history as Savile Row’s first female master tailor

RIGHT Kathryn at work Photography ©Reuben Paris Suits You

16 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 17 How does it feel to be Savile Row’s first female What do you think your achievement could mean bespoke pieces fitting into their lives. We would master tailor? for other female tailors? discuss their lifestyle, for example if they will be It feels fantastic! I have been overwhelmed by the Traditionally tailoring has been a male-dominated travelling a great deal, what other pieces they “A good wonderful and positive reaction I have received industry and in the past women may not have have in their wardrobe, and how my garments tailored suit from colleagues and well-wishers from around necessarily felt it was a career that they could might complement these other pieces. I would should feel the world. Launching my own tailoring house pursue and be successful. When I first started work offer recommendations and ideas throughout and now bringing that tailoring house to Savile as a tailor I had to prove myself, as would a man, our relationship, however the process is driven comfortable Row is extremely exciting for me, and I am Kathryn Sargent, through hard work and appreciation for the craft. by the client, as I want to be sure that they are and look really passionate about ensuring tailoring and BA (Hons) Fashion Design, However, I have to say that my peers have mostly happy and the pieces I create work well for them. effortless” craftsmanship remains. Epsom, 1996 been extremely supportive. If my being a woman A good tailored suit should feel comfortable and inspires more women to become involved in the look effortless, and the overall shape should be What inspired your passion for tailoring? industry, then I am flattered and see it only as a flattering to your figure too. I first went to art school and then on to fashion positive thing and a sign of the times. college. It was there that I began to have a passion What is the range of clientele that you cater for? for menswear tailoring, which naturally led me How has your career led to you opening your own I am lucky enough to have worked with a to Savile Row. I completed a work placement tailoring house on Savile Row? wide range of clients, young and old, men and at a smaller Savile Row tailors, Denman and Through consistent hard work and dedication – women, and clients from the UK and overseas. Goddard, and then went on to work at Gieves there are no shortcuts! Working on Savile Row, you I receive a mixture of bespoke commissions & Hawkes, where I worked my way up through have to earn people’s respect and be passionate ranging from wedding suits to casual wear, and the ranks and eventually became their first ever about the training and the art of tailoring. I think I workwear to sporting attire. We also have our female Head Cutter. I decided to launch my own have been dedicated and fortunate enough to move ‘Crafted’ range of products for clients requiring business in 2012, and now I am fortunate enough up through the ranks to a place where I am now high-quality tailoring delivered at a relatively to be the first female master tailor with her own recognized within the tailoring community, and faster pace and keener price than our full tailoring house on Savile Row. now finally have a shop on the street that I love. bespoke offer.

What have you found to be the biggest challenges To find out more about Kathryn’s bespoke BELOW in your career so far? tailoring services visit kathrynsargent.com Inside Kathryn's This is a difficult question as we don’t normally talk tailoring house about our clients, but I worked on the coronation of ©Jonathan Hordie/Rex King George Tupou V of Tonga during my time at Gieves and Hawkes. It was a huge order, including a mix of morning dress and uniforms for both male and female members of the King’s family and his court. It was a huge challenge and great fun working with them, but to create all those garments with the intricate details that go into uniforms was a real challenge. The main challenges moving forward will be as always, keeping the business going, attracting clients, making each of those clients feel special and feel like the service we provide at Kathryn Sargent is for them. I don’t want the business to in any way become impersonal, as customer service and the customer connection are key.

What makes Savile Row so elite in the tailoring industry? Because Savile Row has been around for over 200 years, it is the bastion of fine tailoring. Throughout the years it has always maintained the craftsmanship and heritage at its core, but has been able to modernise and adapt. In my opinion, if you are passionate about tailoring then Savile Row is the go-to place for bespoke well-made and high- quality garments.

What are the most important things to consider when designing a bespoke suit? For me it is imperative that I listen and get to know my clients to find out how they see their

18 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 19 The Visual Effects Of Kill Command

Or how a small UK company took on Hollywood levels of visual effects and lived to tell the tale. By Steve Gomez and Celeste Bothwick

20 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 21 It’s pretty much expected these days for a high 1. TIME of a whole scene. This is a massive incentive and ABOVE & BELOW budget Hollywood feature film to contain an We started our visual effects company Bandito allowed the company to attract talented artists who Before and after Steve extraordinary amount of spectacular visual effects. VFX back in 2002 with one sole aim, to build a wanted something more to put on their showreel and Celeste’s team It’s rare and almost unheard of for independent company that could make quality VFX for our first than just a small part of a shot or just one or added the VFX movies to get anywhere near this level of visual film. When the opportunity to make a film finally two shots from a scene. With time it also became Images ©Bandito effects shots, as budgets demand that they must rolled around ten years later, the company was well obvious what kind of shots each artist would excel scale back their ambition and limit the kind of film versed in producing quality effects for television at and more design time allowed the artists to that can be made. Steve Gomez & documentaries and was enthusiastic to take on its take the shots further than normal. The long post Science fiction films set in the future are Celeste Bothwick first film. schedule meant that inexperienced artists that inherently expensive. To build a futuristic world BA (Hons)Film The big problem was that the shooting script joined the show would learn enough to become requires film makers to not only create believable Production, for Kill Command had seven hundred VFX invaluable by the end of postproduction. machines, crafts and buildings but also to hide Farnham, 1996 shots, a number which would increase after the the present day world. Typically, a low budget shoot to just over one thousand shots. To complete production is shot quickly to keep down costs this kind of shot count, Hollywood employs and has limited production design and access to hundreds of VFX artists working over a period of expensive locations. This presents an even greater about eight months. We had the talent but not the challenge for the production, as it increases the budget to expand enough to take on the workload. amount of visual effects shots that now have to be Bandito has a core group of seven artists that finalised to enhance locations, production design would ramp up to twenty, so the only way to solve and the editorial problems of a quick shoot if the the problem was to have enough time. After many film is to have a quality feel. false starts and extreme patience by the production The script for Kill Command demanded a huge company, Vertigo Films, an extended VFX period budget and was considered impossible to make on was agreed. It’s obvious that this would improve its total budget of one million pounds. Many people the odds on success, but it’s remarkable how involved with making the film questioned whether few production companies would accept this as the film was ever going to be completed. However a solution, preferring to cut quality rather than in August 2015 we finally, and after a great deal of extend the postproduction period. struggle, completed the film with over one thousand The benefits of a small crew having more time high quality visual effects shots supplied by our to get the shots right are huge. As the shots were small company Bandito VFX. not spread across an enormous crew, one artist Here’s how we did it. would have the time to be able to take ownership

22 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 23 2. A GOOD TEAM 4. ONE PERSON IS A WHOLE DEPARTMENT! 5. HAVING THE RIGHT KIT AND SUPPORT Seems obvious, but again it’s amazing how much This is of course not recommended, but brought Stepping up from television to film VFX is a huge people are taken for granted in the process of with it a kind of hand-crafted consistency to the leap. Although we could do without in some areas, VFX. Very often VFX companies will wax lyrical VFX that would be difficult to replicate. It ended we could not do without the right software and on the virtues of a certain kind of proprietary up being the key for us to hit the kind of quality we fast computers. This was a major problem for our software or a piece of hardware, and in truth it all were after. low budget, however, if we wanted to produce helps, but it’s the artists that make all the difference. To give you an idea of what was done, Peter Hollywood effects we had to grow up and use the Even with an extended schedule, the VFX for Kill Duncan, as well as being our VFX Supervisor, same equipment that Hollywood was using or we Command was a mountain to climb. It took real animated two-hundred robot shots singlehandedly would have no chance. character, talent and teamwork for the small team and, along with Jamie Barty, tracked a little over Fortunately, Bandito had developed a good at Bandito to actually scale that mountain. That six hundred shots. Celeste Bothwick served as working relationship with computer manufacturers the film was completed at all was a tribute to their editor on the film as well as supervising hundreds Armari who were keen to support us with ingenuity, goodwill and hard work. of animatics and making sure the VFX would extremely powerful computers and twenty-four- edit seamlessly into the film. Mark Braithwaite hour maintenance, in return for a chance to push 3. BEING DECISIVE and Charlie Ellis composited their way through their computers to the limit. It was a huge boost. With a huge amount of VFX to complete on a nearly six hundred shots using Nuke software. The faster the computer the more time you gain daily basis and whole scenes to furnish with more Pedrom Dadgostar lit and rendered three hundred as an artist to make creative decisions and produce VFX than was reasonable, making firm editorial and fifty shots using Arnold renderer. Michael more work. It’s that simple. decisions proved to be invaluable. After an initial Gardiner produced nearly eighty digital matte It’s been a hell of a ride. The normal ups editing period at Vertigo Films, the edit moved to paintings which is every digital matte seen in the and downs of film making accentuated by the Bandito VFX so that editing decisions could be film. Leah Appleton rotoscoped and supervised the white knuckle roller coaster ride of having to set a made in the company of the VFX artists working rotoscoping of close to five hundred shots. Johnny kind of record for number of quality VFX shots on the shots required. Having VFX artists involved Jenkins made eight hundred texture maps to fit completed by a small team with no money. The in the editing process and in the same room onto thousands of individual parts that made up quality though speaks for itself and is up on the streamlined the communication process. It also the lead bad robot “Multi-Arm”… this was just screen for the world to see. helped them understand the problems with the edit one of Johnny’s robots. and try to help rather than find themselves ordered Kill Command is out now on Blu-Ray, and to fix. through all good streaming services. To read more about Steve and Celeste’s work, visit Bandito.co.uk

LEFT Kill Command included over 1000 VFX shots Images ©Bandito

24 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 25 LEFT The insults cost £50 each. Image ©Mr Bingo

RIGHT Mr Bingo doesn’t research the postcard’s recipients. Image ©Mr Bingo

“There are three main rules for the ‘customers’ who order Hate Mail,” says illustrator Mr Bingo. “No requests. You can send it to anybody. And it’s not my fault if you become upset.”

It all started with a tipsy tweet – ‘I will send an offensive postcard to the first person to reply to this.’ Shortly thereafter a Mr Jonathan Hopkins of Forest Hill received a postcard making a disparaging comment about his legs. Mr Bingo’s Hate Mail had been born. “After posting it on social media it was shared Mr Bingo a lot,” says Mr Bingo, who was bestowed his name Foundation, after winning £141 at Gala Bingo in 1998, “and Maidstone, 1998 I started to get requests from all over the world begging me to send them an offensive postcard. Affront “A few days later I opened a service called Hate Mail which invited strangers to pay me to send them offensive postcards. The demand was so huge that I had to close the service after three days.” The hate mail features a vintage postcard with an offensive illustrated message on the back. Each postcard is plucked from Mr Bingo’s personal collection, amassed over the years at car boot sales Company and bric-a-brac stores. 26 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 27 The £50 service occasionally reopens before RIGHT being swamped and closing a few hours later and Mr Bingo has sold over has so far produced over 1000 postcards, ranging 1000 postcards. Image “The general plan from simple statements like ‘You will never ©Mr Bingo amount to anything,’ written in block capitals, to is to continue intricate pictures of cats captioned with words BOTTOM wholly unsuitable for the hallowed pages of They feature an to make art for Creative Update. insulting illustation on “Despite people over-intellectualising the ‘art’ the back of a vintage people and not with post rational concepts for correlations between postcard. Image ©Mr the front of the postcard and the image on the Bingo for companies” back, actually no consideration goes into it at all,” says Mr Bingo. “I don’t research the people because, A, it would take too long, and B, it would be too close to actual bullying. The only thought that goes into it is: ‘is this funny?’ If it is then it gets the green light.” Having struck up a trade so roaring that he was unable to keep up with demand, Mr Bingo decided to rethink his approach, launching a Kickstarter campaign to facilitate insults en-masse in the form of a book – Hate Mail: The Definitive Collection. Marketed with a music video and a selection of rewards for donating, such as the opportunity to receive an insulting phone call on Christmas Day, the campaign raised over £135,000, making it the most funded UK publishing project to ever appear on Kickstarter. Mr Bingo, who pre-Hate Mail worked as a commercial illustrator for a number of big names, has now chosen to move on from Hate Mail (save for a few pints in five years’ time – another reward) and is currently globe-trotting as a regular on the lecture circuit, giving talks about his work at events arranged by the likes of Vice, The Economist and BBC Worldwide. “I don’t know really what’s next,” says Mr Bingo, “I’m in a lucky position at the moment where I make a living from selling books and prints and flying about doing talks. “This stuff probably has a shelf life of a year or so, so I need to think of some new things. The general plan is to continue to make art for people and not for companies.”

To find out more about Mr Bingo’s Hate Mail, please visit mr-bingo.org.uk

28 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 29 Oscar-nominated costume designer Consolata Boyle has built an impressive reputation transformings some of Hollywood’s most powerful women into some of history’s most powerful

Power Dresser

“Our approach for The Queen was one we all took – it’s an act of the imagination,” said Consolata, a regular collaborator with the film’s director, Stephen Frears. “It’s about a factual happening, obviously, but it’s still a story, and just like any other story, you approach it that way.” “The film’s about an incredibly powerful Consolata Boyle woman – One of the most photographed and BA (Hons) Textiles, recorded women on the face of the earth. One of Farnham, 1976 the most known and recognised – who still has this element of mystery. We were dealing with a period in her life, and a tragedy in her family. It’s about ABOVE how she, personally, dealt with that tragedy as a Consolata dressed Helen Mirren woman, and as a mother, and as a grandmother. for her Oscar-winning turn as It’s a very intimate story, but one witnessed on a Elizabeth II ©AF archive / Alamy large global scale.” Stock Photo

30 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 31 Working alongside the director, senior stress power, and there are rules you work within. crew, and the film’s star, Dame Helen Mirren, It’s almost as if those clothes are more something Consolata began piecing together what would be that are laid on top of somebody, than something required to bring a believable, living Elizabeth II that expresses any inner personality. It’s something to the big screen. that’s handed down, and handed on, that exists “It’s out of the script that the costumes outside of the wearer. There’s an impersonal come,” said Consolata. “Costumes are unlike element to it.” clothes, they don’t exist on their own – they The costumes Consolata designed, working have no logic without a character. One of the with her team, ultimately received an Academy most important things is that right from the Award nomination – one of six the film received get go everybody takes a view and has a vision in total. Such was the success of the film, – the same vision. The director, the lighting Consolata has since been asked to bring other cameraman, me, the production designer, powerful women to screen. everybody has to have the same vision and tell the “Margaret Thatcher’s use of clothes expressed same story, with the same look. power, particularly at the middle and end of “As you can imagine, there’s so much her political career,” said Consolata, recounting documentary material for Queen Elizabeth that her work on Meryl Streep’s 2011 film, The Iron you’re drowning in it. But we managed to talk to Lady. “At the beginning her clothes were softer, people and get access to ex-members of the Royal almost flirtatious. But they became structured Household. It’s a very secretive and closed world, and stronger, with block colours and lots of and there are rules of etiquette, but you can find prints, and a strong shoulder line. Her silhouette things out. And yet, we were only using it to get became much stronger. You can see how her to the next step, to tell our story. It was the most power grew just by looking through photographs fascinating project.” of her. You can clearly see the growth in her self- Once the research is in place, the next step is confidence, in her power, and some would say, in to start to lose stuff. Every piece of clothing, and her arrogance. It was very deliberate – she knew every piece of jewellery, should say something exactly what she was doing. She knew how to use about the character. If it doesn’t, then it can be clothes, and was very clever and adept at it.” removed, says Consolata “It has to belong to the character, to reveal Consolata is now working alongside Stephen them in a very subtle way,” she said. “I think in ABOVE & RIGHT Frears again, bringing to screen possibly to most many cases, especially with royalty, clothes are Consolata’s Oscar- powerful women of all time – Queen Victoria. almost like a uniform. There’s precedence, there’s nominated designs history, there’s tradition, there’s a way of wearing a Images ©Consolata The film, Victoria and Abdul, starring Dame Judi garment that stresses power, there are colours that Boyle Dench, will hit screens in 2017.

32 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 33 Team Four Star began life when a group of because too many times people have said to us, ‘I got likeminded video makers, who’d only ever met in back into watching Dragonball because of you guys. “It showed me that the online realms, decided to pool their efforts to You’ve rekindled my enthusiasm for it’ which is the internet personalities begin Dragonball Z Abridged – a comedy series best thing we can hear.” parodying the childrens’ anime, Dragonball Z. With the blessing of the distributors in place, get as much attention, Since then it has grown from a fun side-project into and a legion of fans eager to lap up Team Four if not more, than actual thriving, multi-armed commercial operation with Star’s content, it was perhaps only a matter of time ten staff and big ambitions. before those behind the voices started taking a more celebrities” “When we hit one million subscribers back in public profile, attending conventions and expos 2013, we had to take a long hard look at ourselves around the world. and work out, where do we go from here? Do we “Panels are something we’ve started doing just carry on making silly stuff, or do we make this now,” said Lawrence. “In fact, the first time we a company?” said Lawrence. “It started off as a actually met each other was back in 2009, at a small bunch of people screaming into their microphones, convention in Detroit, where we had to do a panel. and has ended up with us launching ourselves as an We didn’t know how many people would turn up entertainment platform. to see us, but we filled the room, twice. We had so “We now have three board members, three senior many people there was a queue out of the hotel. editors and content creators, two editors, a social That was our first time ever. It was very intimidating media account manager, and a logistics coordinator, for someone who was just 23! plus a pool of about 30 actors we can bring in for “It showed that internet personalities get productions. We want to bring in more people, but as much attention, if not more, than actual we’ve found ten is good enough for the time being.” celebrities. As a case in point, I was in Newcastle Now with 2.1m subscribers, it’s all starting to feel a couple of months ago for a convention called a long way from where they started in 2008, when SunnyCom, one of the best conventions I’ve been the still-student Lawrence, who’d been making his to in this country, and Johnny Yong Bosch, best own parody videos in his spare time, was brought on known as the The Black Power Ranger, was the board to voice a couple of the characters. main guest. His autograph line was miniscule. Our “It was literally a month before I graduated line was massive!” when I voiced two of the main characters, Son Despite the super-star attention, Lawrence says Lawrence Simpson, Goku and Son Gohan,” said Lawrence. “Now the Team Four Star are staying grounded and being Digital Screen Arts, team has progressed into a company, my role is realistic about where they can go next. Having made Farnham, 2008 effectively that of Senior Editor. Scott Frerichs [co- Dragonball Z parodies since 2008, they’re now founder and director] edits Dragon Ball Z Abridged, about two-thirds of the way through the available and I edit smaller projects and create graphics. I footage, so the projects shelf-life will likely have also work on branding, helping to create a consistent arrived within the next few years. look across our channels and think about how we “That’s why we’re trying to move away from The present ourselves to the world. And sometimes I just that a bit now – we’ll still always do it, but we have like to make things for fun and say, ‘hey guys, look to take into account that there are other things what I made!’” we need to do,” said Lawrence. “But people want The company’s growth is funded through a Dragonball Abridged, that’s what they subscribe to Imitation mixture of ad-revenue, sponsorship and merchandise, us for, that’s what 2.1m people have signed up for. although Lawrence says that given the slightly grey It’ll be tough.” area the videos sit with regards to copyright, the Whatever happens post-Dragonball Abridged, company have to think outside the box when it comes Lawrence takes heart from being part of a project Fame to making money. that kept a much loved anime alive for its fans, “All the parodies we do are made up of other recounting a story of when he met the real show’s people’s intellectual property, so we don’t put ads on Voice Director, and now friend, Christopher Sabat. them – we don’t make any money off the episodes “When we came along in 2008, Dragonball Z themselves,” Lawrence explains. had been and gone on TV, the DVDs were selling IRL (In Real Life) he’s Lawrence Simpson, an “But we have adverts on the pages where they’re at their own pace, and the games had got stale. The TOP hosted on our site, as well as other pages on the site first time I met Christopher I told him who I was Fans will flock to see editor and voiceover artist whose client list includes and merchandise – although we can’t attribute the and instead of getting sniffy about it, he said, ‘that’s Team Four Star talk the likes of Comic Relief and Microsoft, but merchandise to the characters themselves. Things awesome! Can I have your autograph?’” have tended to relax a bit now though. Funimation, “He’s on record as having said that Team Four MIDDLE online he’s MasakoX, part of a troupe of parody who are the distributors of Dragon Ball in American Star helped keep Dragonball fresh, when not much Team Four Star filmmakers who have clocked up over half a and the western territories, have given us their was going on.” billion hits on YouTube and have fans flocking to backing, or more accurately, they look the other way, BOTTOM because they’ve started to cotton on that they can To watch Team Four Star in action, visit Lawrence takes a selfie conventions around the world make money out of this. It’s free advertising for them, teamfourstar.com with a fan

34 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 35 Speaking to us from Rio de Janeiro, Simon explains relatively unexplored and with advancements that, in addition to his exploration of creative in image-making technologies, there is a lot of geographies – the way that geography and the potential to push these boundaries. Our aim is to contemporary visual arts interact – an important investigate common territories and boundaries of part of his expedition will be delivering creative art and geography by crossing physical borders and educational workshops to people living in of diverse cultural contexts to better understand deprived areas along the way. the similarities and differences in cultural and “I’ve travelled on personal projects as well physical landscape. as on the University's behalf into many parts of “With the current [political] tension and the the world and art education isn’t usually part of growing visibility of peoples' identification with the public education curriculum,” says Simon. the concept of nationhood, belonging and “Students barely ever have access to it, even movements through space, the findings should privately. Art was such a formative part of my prove interesting to many different groups.” own educational and personal development that I The project has received patronage from the believe it’s important for people from all cultures UN and will be documented by photography and and backgrounds to experience it. video. Updates of the expedition are also being “While the main goal is to delve into the published regularly on vlogs, blogs and social relatively unexplored territory of creative media. geographies and develop a project which will be “I’m a lens-based artist so I always exhibited from next year, we will be delivering think through this medium,” Simon adds. these workshops, mainly in community centres, “Photography and moving image are the most Art From which will explore lens-based media and drawing, appropriate methods to record an expedition such all with reference to geography.” as this, but the work will be displayed in many Simon Pruciak Simon is carrying out the momentous forms, including installation, in galleries around BA (Hons) Photography, motorbike expedition with his partner, Alex, and the world.” Rochester, 2009 over the next 12 months, their journey will take Alongside the exhibitions, Simon will also The Heart them from South America, through to Central be showcasing his experiences and research by America, the USA and Canada, and then on to publishing a book and creating a film. Asia and Europe. Simon is due to start exhibiting “Studies of Art and Design shaped me as an artist as well as a person,” UCA lecturer his work and findings on creative geographies at The progress of the expedition can be followed Simon Pruciak says as he embarks on an epic, around-the-world research project. LEFT a number of locations worldwide, with the first on Twitter @UniCreativeArts or by visiting Simon’s epic journey presentation set to take place at the Palais des journey-limitless.com. “I’d like to give people, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity, access to an will take a year. Nations in Geneva. art education so that they can enjoy and benefit from it in the same way that I was Photography ©Simon “The research part of my trip is exciting fortunate enough to.” Pruciak because the concept of creative geographies is 36 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 37 Maidstone graduate Jim Dales has maintained his practice as a professional artist for almost half a century. Now upon the release of his first novel – RHL, The Man in the Mirror – Professor David Buss visits Jim at his Wiltshire studio to talk about his career and recent journey into new creative territory

The Man in Mirror The

By Professor David Buss

Jim creates drawings, paintings and prints employing both traditional and experimental techniques and materials. His work has been exhibited in galleries across the world, with pieces now in private collections in England, France, Spain, Denmark, Australia and the USA. He responded enthusiastically to my question Jim Dales about his experience at Maidstone. “For me, the Dip AD Fine Art, greatest advantage was the unique atelier system Maidstone, 1968 operated by the college in the 1960s,” he said. “We were given the opportunity to live and work with established artists in their studios. This enabled me to spend much of my second year working at Woburn with the painter and printmaker Derrick Greaves – an inspirational teacher and an outstanding role model for aspiring artists.”

Jim and Caroline, who also studied Fine Art Earring (Vermeer), The Agony and the Ecstasy poverty were like in Holland in the early 17th ABOVE effectively mirrors reflecting different aspects of at Maidstone College of Art, moved to Wiltshire (Michelangelo), and Lust for Life (van Gogh). century. And the reader is also given insights Jim with his work. Rembrandt. He was mortal and displayed negative in 1977 where they still live and work. They What gives RHL, The Man in the Mirror its into the challenges and frustrations of creative Photography as well as admirable characteristics. In RHL, ran Inside Art Tours for 25 years. Participants particular and unique nuances and perspectives is production, the exhilarating and rewarding ©David Buss The Man in the Mirror, Rembrandt is depicted appreciated Jim’s knowledge, anecdotes, and that it’s a novel written by someone who is himself moments, and the routine and mundane aspects. as misogynistic despite painting very sensitive his ‘insider’ perspectives on art. He said: “We an accomplished painter. One of the aims of the I asked Jim whether his visual practice had portraits of women. particularly enjoyed the frisson of going to Russia author was to draw upon his personal experience helped or influenced his writing in any way. “My Now that this imagining of Rembrandt has where we also managed to meet artists and to counter the romantic view of what being an paintings and prints always had a strong narrative been published, Jim is working on the final draft of printmakers, taking them materials and bringing artist was like and to focus on the sometimes element,” he replied. “It was this storytelling a second novel for Yolk Publishing. prints back for Peter Ford, owner of the Off Centre routine and boring aspects of life in the studio through image that really informed my approach Gallery in Bristol, to sell or to enter into exhibitions together with all the other matters – such as to writing the novel. Once the text was written, I To see more of Jim’s work and to read more such as the Royal Academy Summer Show.” family relationships and the business aspect of created a collage or montage, moving the chapters about RHL, The Man in the Mirror, please A great admirer of Rembrandt, Jim became being an artist. around to find the most effective sequence.” visit JimDales.co.uk very familiar with many of the works of the As might be expected, Jim’s novel is rich This ‘collage’ makes for a rich reading Dutch Master and his contemporaries as a result in visual observation and descriptions of the experience. Using both the third person and, for RHL, The Man in the Mirror ISBN 978-1-910130- of conducting the art tours. Novels based on the tactile aspects of painting and printmaking, a number of chapters, the first person, we are 11-7 is published by Yolk Publishing Ltd and lives of famous artists are not in short supply. and the smells that are strongly associated with presented with varying perspectives of Rembrandt distributed by Bertrams. It can be ordered from Amongst the best known of this genre are The art materials and processes. His book conveys a - his mistresses, students, and even the philosopher good bookshops or from Amazon UK. Moon and Sixpence (Gauguin), Girl with a Pearl persuasive picture of what middle class life and Spinoza are deployed as narrators. They are

40 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 41 “Keep Quiet is based on a leading figure in Hungary’s far-right Jobbik Party who discovered that he had Jewish ancestry,” said film producer Danielle Clark. “Now with the support of his rabbi, he has turned 180 degrees and become an Orthodox Jew.”

Act of Redemption?

Recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival “I think it’s always best to be upfront so I told we approached this story. It allowed us to create in New York, Keep Quiet is Danielle Clark’s latest him, ‘look, I don’t know how this film is going to turn ABOVE something that was like a buddy film.” collaboration with fellow alumni and filmmaking out. I’m going to be truthful with the audience, and Szegedi was the With the film now complete and looking for a partner, director Joseph Martin. you might not come across very well. We’re going Vice-President of the distributor, Danielle said she hopes audiences will “After we’d made Scientologists At War for to be speaking to people from your history, to your far-right Jobbik party see Szegedi as he presented himself to them, and Channel 4 we were approached by AJH Films current friends in the synagogue, to the rabbi. We’re make up their own minds about how genuine his about a film that looked at the rise of anti-Semitism, going to be building this picture of you, and if you’re RIGHT intentions are. particularly in Hungary. So we went out there for a not happy with that, let’s part ways now.’ He got on Danielle Clark He has converted to “What I think is most surprising is that when couple of weeks, looking for a story, and came across board. I think he felt it was the right time to have his BA (Hons) Film Judaism with the you hear about his story you forget that he’s actually Csansad Szegedi. story told. Production, guidance of Rabbi really young,” said Danielle. “He’s now 33, but when “He’d been ousted from the Jobbik Party With the principle character in place, Danielle Farnham, 2010 Oberlander this was all happening he was in his late 20s. It was when revelations about his Jewish heritage became set about looking for a strong narrative hook, a way a bizarre situation because this guy symbolised so public and was reeling from the situation. When we of telling Szegedi’s remarkable story that could Images Courtesy of much hate, and so much distaste. Obviously he’s a approached him he was studying Orthodox Judaism. captivate audiences. AJH Films & Passion politician, so he’s ridiculously well media trained, but We followed him for over a year, charting his journey, “One of the things that really landed on our laps Pictures the more we got to know him the more he opened and throughout the film you see this change.” was Rabbi Boruch Oberlander,” said Danielle. up. Hopefully the film shows a very frank and candid Szegedi was sceptical when first approached, “Boruch acts throughout the film as Csansad’s depiction of his story.” said Danielle, but following negotiations – which mentor. They have a really classic teacher, student needed to be conducted through a translator – they relationship, and he really allowed us to navigate Danielle and Joseph have recently completed their gradually brought him round to the idea of taking the story through his learning about Csansad. debut feature film, Us and Them. part in the documentary. That wasn’t something we’d known about when

42 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 43 Seeing his Master of Architecture course as the perfect opportunity to explore new territory, Abdulbari Kutbi set about designing and developing a robot that could navigate obstacles and solve basic spatial problems using only its morphology and motorised feet. Now, one year on, Abdulbari has just returned from Lisbon’s Architecture in Play conference, where he has been presenting his work. Pirouetting Picket Fence One Year On

“The idea is that the robot can make decisions in response to its environment through the use of a series of simple mechanical parts, so while it appears to be able to think for itself in order to navigate an environment or an obstacle, the robot doesn’t actually possess any centralised computation,” Abdulbari says. “It solves these problems through the interaction of its body with the world and this is Abdulbari Kutbi, known as embodied intelligence.” MA Arch, The robot has a skeleton frame made from Canterbury, 2015 PVC tubing attached to battery-powered wheels. “One of the key things about the frame is that it is lightweight, easily reconstructed and highly flexible. The frame itself is designed to overlap, allowing it to change shape in order to move around any obstacles that it encounters. When it reaches a point where its form is no longer suitable for its environment, it changes its configuration and is even able to reverse direction.” The first exhibition of the robot took place last year in the Herbert Read Gallery at UCA Canterbury at a show entitled Agency without Intention. Since then Abdulbari has gone on to submit papers on his work, attending conferences such as the European Meetings on Cybernetics and Systems Research, held in Vienna in April. “The conferences have enabled me to see how my work fits into the broader discourse of me to consider my own practice and the architecture, interactive design and automation. kind of work I wish to make. Mostly I have They have been a good opportunity for me to become interested in making works in between develop the way I write about my work, and I am LEFT architecture and art as a way of freeing now looking for the opportunity to display my The robot navigates architecture from accepted limitations. I find project as part of a second art exhibition.” using ‘embodied installations and art a way to bring architecture Abdulbari’s focus is now on becoming a licenced intelligence’ into focus much more than it being the site of architect and furthering his art career, and he has other activities, and I hope to keep doing this in designs on running his own interaction design and RIGHT the future.” art installation firm within the next five years. The work has now “Throughout the research, I’ve been able to been exhibited For further information, visit explore a number of conceptual paths, allowing internationally Abdulbari’s website: kutbi.co.uk

44 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 45 When journalist Anna Verdon was looking for a new angle on a developing story, she decided to get creative and break out the stamps and envelopes My Letter from a Serial Killer As told to Creative Update

“I was working at Ferrari Press Agency and a story After reading it, my boss got off the phone and about Levi Bellfield confessing to Millie Dowler’s I told him what it was. He swore a bit in disbelief murder had been in all the papers for days. Surrey before reading it too. That was the first time Police had said he’d finally admitted her abduction, Bellfield had denied the admissions and we knew rape and killing during an interview into whether we had a great story and were thinking about which or not he had an accomplice. This was obviously newspaper we could best place it. huge news and put the case back into the spotlight. I received the letter late afternoon on a At the agency we were trying to find a new Anna Verdon, Thursday and we knew it would make for a great line on the story. Police had said he had admitted BA (Hons) Journalism, exclusive in a Sunday paper, so we sold it to The to new crimes and were liaising with other forces Farnham, 2012 Sun. They obviously had a lot of questions about regarding other criminal investigations. We wanted how we got the letter, if we were sure it was from to try and get the views of past victims who may him, what I wrote to him in the first place and have had something to do with Bellfield or try and when, which we obviously had to answer for it to be talk to those connected to Bellfield in some way – proved legitimate. but we weren’t having much luck. So, we thought Every time an agency sells a story it is always why not write to him? – he might have something assigned to a reporter at the buying paper. They to say. often rewrite it to fit in with their house style or add It seemed no one had yet contacted him, or in extra comments etc. In this case I wrote a story if they had they hadn’t received a reply. So I put around the letter, what it said, when it was written, together a letter, addressed it to his new name, and Tom Wells of The Sun re-wrote it, adding in Yusuf Rahim, included a stamped, self-addressed comments from a handwriting expert and Colin envelope, and sent it to the prison. I wasn’t really Sutton, the detective who originally worked the case. expecting to receive a reply. Despite our best efforts though we were slightly It was a week or two before anything came pipped to the post. Between me getting the letter through the door and to be perfectly honest I’d and it being published, Bellfield’s lawyers came forgotten all about it – I genuinely thought he forward claiming a covert tape was used to record wouldn’t get back to me. But when the postman the interview and that the allegations were false. So came in and handed out our letters that day I although it was the first letter he’d replied to since looked down and recognised my own handwriting 2011, and it made a bit of a splash, as a journalist on the envelope. I stared at it for a little while and I it would have been a better story if the lawyers had felt sick, excited and nervous. I knew exactly who it come out after the letter was printed. was from. It was a really busy day in the office and I replied again to Bellfield’s letter to try and get my colleagues were all on the phone and I opened some more information but unfortunately I didn’t the envelope, hands shaking, and read it. receive another response. After the article was I’m not sure if I was just lucky and wrote at the published it was picked up by other news outlets. right time, or if it might have been the fact I was OPPOSITE In hindsight I think Bellfield knew exactly what female – it was mentioned in previous news stories Anna’s letter from Levi he was doing by replying to my letter, this was one of that Bellfield responded better to females than Bellfield, now known his games, just an attempt to gain back a little bit of males – but I’d got a reply. as Yusuf Rahim control of the situation from inside his prison cell.”

46 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 47 Retail futurist Howard Saunders “There often tends to be a long-term negative gravity to future prediction and history just does has spent the past decade fighting not bear this out,” Howard Saunders explains. pessimism with optimism as he looks “Generation after generation believe it's the beginning of the end and that the good days to shape the shop of tomorrow have gone forever. When it comes to retail we are no doubt in the midst of a revolution, with new Howard Saunders, technologies and the increasing threat of digital Graphic Design, versus real world. I believe we are just beginning to Maidstone, 1981 (re) learn what retail is actually for.” Now an independent retail designer tasked with studying trends and shifts in consumer attitudes, Howard began his career as a junior graphic designer with Edward Briscoe Associates before joining retail and brand consultancy Fitch, where he was mentored by the late Rodney Fitch. Currently based in New York, Howard explains that it’s the emotional connection that we crave and that the stores reacting to and embracing this need are the ones surviving and evolving the retail experience as we know it. “Ultimately, retail is about getting out, seeing and trying things, feeling a part of something and being inspired. Currently, too many stores are just that: stores. They haven't changed for decades and we have just grown bored of them. “In this digital age we could talk about new technologies, beacons, bots and social media, social commerce even, but I'd prefer to talk 'revelations' rather than 'innovations'. That is, the realisation that retail is about community, about emotional connections and making us feel alive, relevant and inspired. The cleverest retailers and brands have reacted swiftly by engaging us with their stores, making us feel central to their spaces as if we are a part of their 'club'. They've moved on from just selling us 'stuff' to building their own communities where they share ideas with us. If you're a store just selling 'stuff', I think you'll be in trouble, if you're not already. “Smart brands like Nike, Lululemon and Samsung have created stunning flagship stores here in New York that are more like clubs with a daily calendar of events. Then there are the niche food brands that are changing the way this city eats.” The internet has been shouldering much of the blame for what is being described as ‘the death of the high street’- it’s more convenient, cheaper and a What Does quicker way to shop – but Howard argues that the retail experience will continue to flourish as long as brands adapt to the emotional connection that consumers so desperately crave. The Future “Every day we get news of another failure but we can't keep blaming the internet. The truth is that we are witnessing what I call the death of mediocrity. There are so many brands out there Have In Store? selling us the same stuff shipped in from China and we've become bored of it. We want something

48 CREATIVE UPDATE CREATIVE UPDATE 49 better now, products with some meaning or provenance. So, the stores that are 'getting it “The choices wrong', so to speak, are the ones that continue we now have to act as if nothing has changed: Gap, Banana Republic, Sports Direct, Sears and Macy’s to name are already a few. We are also witnessing the beginning of the reshaping the end for many of the big supermarkets who gave us way we shop” nothing in return for our decades-long loyalty - not even a decent restaurant. “If you’re selling commodities on price alone then yes, Amazon will be cheaper and easier than getting into town. But if you have a brand with a purpose, a story, one that you have nurtured “You can't be interviewed or give a talk now and grown, based on products with quality and without mentioning Big Data. My view, again heritage, then you should be enjoying business optimistic, is that this will see a huge improvement with your customers both on and offline. Online in customer service. If brands and spaces know food shopping will never compete with the full who we are then they will surely tailor things sensory experience of shopping in a bustling fresh around us. When Big Data gets creative then the food marketplace, though it clearly trumps the ABOVE possibilities are enormous, with brands offering us trip to the supermarket. The choices we now have Shopping should be a bespoke products and experiences that we can't are already reshaping the way we shop. We are sensory experience says imagine. witnessing a huge rise in the number of fresh food Howard “Virtual Reality (VR) too promises to open up markets and ‘hipster’ food halls, whilst things are not an incredibly exciting future. Imagine what the VR looking good for household electrical retailers and RIGHT Levi's experience could be, for example. One thing department stores, for example.” Shops should make you is for sure, it won't be wandering through a store But, as well as the convenience of being able to feel part of their ‘club’ full of neatly stacked shelves. Now do the same shop online, digital and technological advancements exercise for Marmite or Cadbury's. The future for also have exciting possibilities for how the retail Photography ©Howard brands will be more creative and engaging than experience will reinvent itself over the coming years. Saunders ever before.”

50 CREATIVE UPDATE And finally...

Graduate Fashion Week International Residency Award winner Billie Jacobina has jetted off to Indonesia for three months to work on designs for Jakarta Fashion Week. The International Residency Award is an annual prize announced by The British Council with the destination of the residency changing each year. Billie will be working as an assistant designer for the Indonesian brand Lekat and has been tasked with putting together a collaborative collection for the major fashion event, which takes place in October. She impressed at Graduate Fashion Week with her C-LYF collection, which involved printing onto many different textures, including sequins. “Printing onto sequins interested many industry people at Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers. Hopefully this will stay as my signature style, and something I can take further. I was inspired by designs I saw when I was in Marrakech and wanted to combine these styles with the theme of a magical underwater wonderland. I created a narrative about a mermaid, named Luna, who discovered a range of underwater creatures – each piece of my work was inspired by a different creature. I really wanted to show myself and everything I love through this project.”

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