Jacob joined our City as Studio online film-making residency in April 2021. In the midst of a national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the group met only online and explored DIY film-making from the confines of their own surroundings.
Read about what Jacob learnt during the residency, including using found objects and sounds to create films about important issues.
Words and films by Jacob
Throughout the week-long residency, we explored what it means to be a Citizen of the Universe, the language of film, creating meaning through text and image and making sound collages.
I chose to take part in this residency to develop my skills and artistic passions. I’ve realised I simply don’t dedicate enough time towards being creative!
My primary focus was on creating my short film. I decided to focus on the media’s portrayal of the coronavirus and because of this, how it has changed the way I consume the news. Before the pandemic, I enjoyed keeping up with current affairs, hearing about what was happening around the world.
However, during the first lockdown, I began to grow tired of the repetitive headlines and endless numbers. Whilst the pandemic is the greatest threat I have ever experienced, being stuck at home and swarmed with these day after day made me think about how to keep up with the news in a more mindful way. I completely understand the severity of the pandemic, but sometimes I had the desire to completely switch off and escape from this nightmare.
I created my film with the intent of encapsulating the overwhelming effect the news had on me. Employing what I had learn from the workshop with the sound artist Poppy Tibbetts, I made an accompanying soundtrack, adding effects to each snippet of news.
I think my biggest achievement over the course of the residency was achieving an end result. I usually find it difficult to know when to stop and the time constraints allowed me to simply be satisfied with my work.
I thoroughly enjoyed this experience as it has encouraged me to pursue artistic endeavours with a greater passion. I obtained many new skills and hope to have more opportunities like this in the future.
Find out more about City as Studio, here.