British Art in Motion

Calling all undergraduate students with an interest in filmmaking which engages closely and critically with visual art materials, including art history, architecture, art and film. Are you interested in exploring the possibilities of filmmaking and experimenting with the ways films can be used to offer new ways of engaging with and interpreting works of art? We want to support you to generate creative and thought-provoking short films about works of British art and architecture.

For ten successful entrants British Art in Motion will provide:

• free, specialist training in filmmaking
• a production fund to make a short film about a work of British art
• guidance and mentorship
• the chance to screen your film at the Paul Mellon Centre’s annual Film Festival
• the opportunity of being named as the overall winner of the British Art in Motion student film competition
• a prize of £1,000 for the winning film, and prizes for the runners-up
• following the Film Festival, all films will be hosted on the Paul Mellon Centre’s website

We are committed to ensuring that this opportunity is open and accessible to all, and there is a discretionary budget in place for access needs. For more information see the Accessibility, Travel and Accommodation section below.

The competition consists of two rounds.

Round One

For the first round, you will be asked to submit a proposal for a film that:

• Focuses on a single work of British art or architecture, from any period
• Is between eight and ten minutes in length
• Offers fresh perspectives and arguments about the selected work of art or architecture, and demonstrates evidence of extended thinking and research
• Showcases creative ways of interpreting works of art in moving image media

This proposal will include:

• A five hundred-word film treatment, in which you offer a description of the film’s content, structure and approaches.
• A “mood board” made up of no more than twenty images, which is designed to give a sense of the film’s visual character.
• A bibliography of no more than five hundred words, listing the sources you have or will consult in your research for this film.
• A completed application form (downloadable from the bottom of this webpage).

All applicants must be available to travel and stay in London during the week 26–30 June 2023 to attend a filmmaking workshop at the Paul Mellon Centre.

Round Two

A panel of judges will assess the submissions from Round One, and select a shortlist of ten proposals.

Should you be one of the ten students who submitted these proposals, you will be invited to a three-day filmmaking and video production course, with the specialist company Learning on Screen. This will take place during the week commencing 26 June 2023.

This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge required to make a short film about a work of art. You will learn how to document archival materials, how to shoot artworks, as well as how to film interviews and make voice-overs. You will also receive an introduction to copyright and creative reuse to learn how you can lawfully use existing content in the creation of new work.

Following this course, you will have until the end of the summer to make and submit your film. For this, you will be granted a filmmaking budget of £500. You will also be assigned a mentor, who will advise you in the making of your film.

The deadline for submission of your completed film will be in October 2023.

Eligibility

British Art in Motion is open to undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at a university in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands and are aged 18 years or older as of 1 April 2023.

The competition is aimed at undergraduate students whose studies engage closely and critically with visual art materials, including art history, architecture, art and film students. We welcome applications from UK-based undergraduate students in other disciplines where there is a demonstrable engagement with art history and methodologies. While we recognise that filmmaking is often a collaborative process, submissions will be accepted only from individual applicants.

Accessibility, Travel and Accommodation

We are committed to ensuring that this opportunity is open and accessible to all. There is a discretionary budget in place for access needs. We will cover the cost of subsistence, travel within the UK, up to four nights’ accommodation to attend the filmmaking course in London in June and the film screening in December for the ten students who successfully progress to Round Two of the competition.

These ten students who successfully progress to Round Two of the competition will each have access to a £500 fund to cover production costs including licensing fees, equipment hire, travel to filming location, insurance and permissions to film on private properties, amongst other things. This will be held and administered by the Paul Mellon Centre.

How to Apply

To apply for British Art in Motion, please submit a proposal for a film that:

• Focuses on a single work of British art or architecture, from any period
• Is between eight and ten minutes in length
• Offers fresh perspectives and arguments about the selected work of art or architecture, and demonstrates evidence of extended thinking and research
• Showcases creative ways of interpreting works of art in moving image media

This proposal will include:

• A five hundred-word film treatment, in which you offer a description of the film’s content, structure and approaches. If you would like to submit your treatment in an alternative format, such as audio or video, please get in touch with Bryony on [email protected].
• A “mood-board” made up of no more than twenty images, which is designed to give a sense of the film’s visual character.
• A bibliography of no more than five hundred words, listing the sources you’ve consulted in your research for this film.
• A completed application form (downloadable from the bottom of this webpage).

All applicants must be available to travel and stay in London during the week 26–30 June 2023 to attend a filmmaking workshop at the Paul Mellon Centre.

Terms and conditions can be found attached to the bottom of this page.

The deadline for Round One has been extended to Friday 2 June, 12am midnight, BST.

Submissions should be sent to [email protected]