Shadow sites, peripheral spaces, embodied places: the 48 hour film challenge as a locus for film industry networks of practice

Abstract

This paper argues for a break from the notion of small cinema as a temporally and geographically located space and reconceptualises it as a socially constructed place. A shadow site that mirrors elite forms of cinema in microcosm and as a locus for communities of practitioners that intersect primarily through project networks. This case study of a long-running 48 Hour Film Challenge in the UK asks how identity formation contributes to a sense of membership within peripheral production communities. The socialising process that confers membership, provides a basis for the development of relationships that cement the interconnectivity of the network. Emphasising fluidity over stability the paper argues that networks of practice are a dominant organising principle. The research draws on a rich mixture of auto-ethnographic reflection, observation and qualitative data gathered over a four-year period. The paper evidences the contribution that a 48 Hour Film Challenge, as a locus for networks of practice, can make to the evolution of a regional creative economy. It attests to the ways in which participation in a filmmaking and screening activity has value for early-career filmmakers through an engagement with their own personal narratives.

Keywords:

• Project
• network
• peripheral
• community
• practice
• film

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Roy Hanney

Roy Hanney is employed an associate professor at Solent University and is Course Leader for their Media Production programme. With close to 20 years of higher education teaching experience, he specialises in story, documentary, drama and transmedia production. His research interests include project-based learning and live projects, which have formed the basis for a recently submitted PhD thesis at Portsmouth University. He works collaboratively with other organisations in the Solent region in talent development and to promote opportunities for engagement with media practices.