Session 3

Today we were joined by Damien Robinson and John Attwell.

Damien played the students the results of their sound recordings from last week. They discussed what they were listening to and how they knew.

Elsewhere John explained his work as a freelance cameraman and explained how long it can take to shoot and advert.

He then discussed interview techniques and the importance of establishing a good rapport with the interviewee.

The students were then able to try out the equipment and practice shooting each other.

After lunch we discussed the overall aim of the project. To produce a film about a day in the life of the school. Filmed footage, overlaid with ambient sound recordings by Damien and interviews of old girls memories. So for, instance, footage of an empty corridor with sound of girls footsteps and some narrative of an old girls perhaps recalling her first day at SHSG.

We also discussed asking old girls to bring in photographs of their time in school and recreating those images, either with the old girls themselves, in situ, or with current girls retracing their footsteps. All of this would be underpinned by referring back to the school motto and the impact that may have had on the thousands of girls that have passed through our doors.



SO ENTER THAT DAILY THOU MAYEST BECOME MORE LEARNED AND THOUGHTFUL, 
SO DEPART THAT THOU MAYEST BECOME MORE USEFUL TO THY COUNTRY AND TO MANKIND


The sound group discussed what sort of questions and the order in which they could ask the old girls. They set up the microphone and recording devices and had a practice interview with an old girl. They then discussed the importance of asking leading questions and not being afraid to ask the subject to expand on their answers if some interesting points came out. We then listened to the interview and discussed what they could have done differently. Questioners could have been louder but then we considered that we probably wouldn't use them in the final edit.

The film group learnt how to set up the cameras using lights and reflectors and analysed how to compose, frame and focus shots.

One action five different times, how to work the camera and the importance of lighting using the LED lighting to create natural light

Session 2

Damien met with a group of 20 Year 7 and Year 8 students.
She explained the outline of the project, collecting memories and sound recordings of old girls memories of their time at Southend High.
Damien asked the students to think about when the school will be 150. She presented the idea of the current students coming back and what kind of legacy they could leave their school.

We looked at a selection of previous work Damien had been involved in.

Talked about 'sound memories'.
Oral memories that aren't written down, what is important? Bending rules, changing uniform, rolling skirt bands over. Trying to find the stories.

How has this room changed over 20 years? It wasn't here! How will it be in 20 years time?

What might people want to know in the future about how the school is now?

Discussed the work of Essex archive and the different types of recordings. They have records of meetings and planning but no oral history or sound recordings.
Archival- about an event that has happened
Environmental- about surroundings which can show how things have changed. A sense of atmosphere.  and recordings, discussed the example of police sirens.
Oral history.

The Group splits.
One to record environmental sounds, the other devised questions to ask old girls and trialed them on a group of soon to be old girls in Year 13.

Session 1

Damien Robinson came into school and met with the teaching staff who will be involved in the project. A combination of historians, geographers, textiles, citizenship and media staff.

In the afternoon we discussed the school motto with a small group of Year 7 students. We also looked at the old whole school photos and thought about the huge amount of girls that have passed through the school.