MediaMagazine Production Competition 2021: Making Lockdown Creative!

Welcome to the MediaMagazine Lockdown Production Competition 2021 final showreel!

There’s a real treat in store for you. This year we’ve divided our showreel into two parts, so make sure you catch them both.

The first section is introduced by Eva Riley. (Click on the 'Who's our judge?' tab to find out more about Eva.) She will introduce each film with some individual comments (wonderful material for your portfolio if you are going on to continue your media journey) and will announce the winning entries for Best Experimental Film, Best Cinematography, Best Screenwriting, and Best Direction. Eva found it very hard to judge these entries because despite their variety they were all so interesting, well-made and inventive. We agree – while we had a brilliant range of entries overall, all of you who made it through to the showreel are winners and should be very proud of your work.

The second showreel is for those we shortlisted for special consideration for the Barney Oram Creativity Award. Barney was a much loved teacher of Media and Film Studies for many years at Long Road Sixth Form College, one of the biggest media cohorts in the country, and was passionate about film and developing his students’ creativity and film-making skills. The award in his name has been judged by two of his colleagues at Long Road, Tom Woodcock and Andrea Joyce. Again they will screen the shortlist and announce the final award.

All of our shortlisted entrants will shortly receive a certificate, and our five winners will in the fullness of time receive an individual trophy through the post. If you have not yet sent us your full postal address, please do so at [email protected]. It may take a while for them to arrive, but they will be on their way very soon. The films will be online on the MediaMag competition page for the next year. We know that you’ll enjoy them, and hope that teachers will use them in the classroom as inspiration for next year’s students. They really are amazing achievements, especially in this tumultuous year of Lockdown.

Finally, many thanks to Eva, Andrea and Tom for their judging duties, to Lucy Webster and Fran Stowell at The English and Media Centre, and of course to all of you who entered the competition this year. It’s been a real pleasure. Have wonderful holidays and good luck on the next stage of your journeys. See you next year.

Claire and Jenny

Eva's first feature Perfect 10 premiered at BFI London Film Festival and was screened on BBC2. It is now available on BBC iPlayer. You can see an introduction to the film here.

Eva is currently developing her second feature The Circle with BBC FIlms, as well as developing her first TV projects.

Eva has tutored for several years at the BFI/NFTS Craft Skills Academy Residential, working with groups of young filmmakers creating their own short films, and so is the ideal judge for our Lockdown Production Competition.

Winners

Best Cinematography: Leo Kelly, Northampton College, Lost Without You

• A music video inspired by John Lewis Christmas advertising – an emotional journey with a feelgood factor.

Best Screenwriting: Finlay Gibbs, Finham Park School, Lockdown Project

• Intro to a teen film representing the personified consciousness of a boy trying to tackle his workload during Lockdown.

Best Experimental Film: Rhiannon Hanlan, Long Road Sixth Form College, Old Wives’ Tales

• Short film addressing the mental health issues, societal pressures and cultural expectations exacerbated by Lockdown.

Best Direction: Lauren Dawkins, City College Southampton, Recipe for Happiness

• An experimental take on 1920s slapstick comedy, exploiting the technical restrictions of Lockdown. Filmed entirely on iPhone using stop motion and live action sequences.