Interior Architecture graduate aiming to build a career in film

Graduating this month with a BA(Hons) Interior Architecture, Jemma's interests evolved through projects looking at the sensory experience of the city – such as how a blind person may sense Brighton & Hove – as well as designing stage sets. Now she is focusing on writing and making her own films, from short animations to full-length features- backed up by achievements such as earning an internship place on the Cannes Film Festival student programme.

Talking to the university's Art Design Architecture Media blog, Jemma said: “My time at Brighton has been full of unexpected realisations. Studying Interior Architecture has led me from a foundation in formal architecture, to set and production design, to writing and directing. This process has been fluid and easily adapted to the course, with my final project being heavily narrative based – which was encouraged by the tutors. The course has taught me a lot, mainly in drawing skills which have been beneficial in designing sets and storyboarding.”

As a member of the design studio Near Futurists Alliance, and under the teaching methodology of 'experimental realism’ Jemma has used her final degree project to speculate on the near future of film, as thrown into sharp relief by the impact of the pandemic – both for the industry itself and how audiences engage with the medium. She has conceived her research in architectural terms as 'watch towers' placed around the Black Rock site on the Brighton seafront, inspired by the mysterious monoliths in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Jemma said: “It ended up manifesting into an interactive exhibition which questioned the future of streaming compared to cinemas in relation to the experience... (How) a social event - going to watch a film - has become somewhat solitary, spurred by lockdowns and the rise of streaming services which allow for greater access, but limit the experience.”

You can see a selection of Jemma's work on the Art Design Architecture Media blog, while a wide selection of work by University of Brighton graduates in those subjects will be available to view at the university's dedicated graduation art show website from 18 June.