Research: Online petition from the public

As we were researching information about the closure of Devonshire Street shops we came across an online petition that had been set up for those who were in favour of stopping the demolition plans. This signifies the importance that the shops have on those in the area and how much an impact it causes.

http://publicaccess.sheffield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=NC1WIKNYFY000

More articles about the demolition

Throughout our research, we also came across other online articles discussing the demolition plans to Devonshire shops. This signifies the huge impact that the plans have had on the community that want the area to stay how it is.

.http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/the-northerner/2014/oct/23/sheffield-devonshire-quarter-petition-development?CMP=share_btn_fb

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/arctic-monkeys-drummer-backs-fight-to-save-sheffield-shops-1-6892207

Research: The Sheffield Telegraph

http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/demolition-plan-threat-to-state-of-independence-1-6900184

While researching into the Devonshire Shops demolition plans, we came across a number of articles covering the story and in The Sheffield Telegraph it gives an overview of the plans, with opinions from both sides of the argument.

One objector says: “There has been a sad loss of a number of independent shops in the Devonshire Street and West Street area and there is now an over-abundance of coffee shops and food outlets, many of them chains. Devonshire Street has a unique character due to the types of independent shops which do still remain.”

We as a group also agreed that it is a sad loss having these independent and quirky shops demolished in order to make way for more mundane flats/buildings. There aren't many areas in big cities anymore that feature independent businesses, as the takeover of high street chains and coffee shops expand constantly.Unfortunately, as The Telegraph states, despite objections to the closures there still isn't enough business in the shops as hoped:

Support may be flooding in for Rare and Racy and its co-owner Alan Capes, but he admits: “The business is not going fantastically.

“Everybody says we have an amazing place, and it’s a business everybody loves, but they don’t spend enough to keep it going.”

Adam Murray, the planning director of Coda involved in the demolition tries to give The Telegraph a positive perspective on the event: 

“However, we believe that the character and cultural significance of the street is crucial and we want to retain that, so we have worked with our architects to achieve a design that respects this character but also creates internal space more suitable for use.

“Therefore the future appearance of the new building will be almost identical to the current structure and allow occupancy of the building to continue.

Idea - Devonshire Demolition Plan

For this project we were told to create a documentary based on a topic that we felt passionate about and affects our lives. As we thought about ideas, we came across the news about the demolition plans for independent shops on Devonshire Street. As we found out about this we immediately were keen to create a documentary around the topic as the Devonshire area has been apart of our lives; despite only moving to Sheffield a year ago it still made a big impact on us and feel the voice of independent shops should be shared.

Devonshire Street has been full of vibrant and quirky independent businesses that were a pleasure to walk past as you look through the window on your way to University or a casual day out. The area is a nice breakaway from the city's cement and mainstream high street chains that you come across in almost every city. Devonshire Green is the polar opposite of this with it's open green field and skatepark surrounded by independent shops and pubs, for example Race n Racy, Syd & Mallory and The Forum. Although Ark is not an independent business, one of it's stores was situated further down the road of Devonshire Street and has already closed down; signifying the beginning of the area being transformed.

We felt this topic is important to as we would look forward to the days where a group of us could go to Devonshire Area to relax and spend time together as well as explore all of the vintage shops. We feel it would ruin the colourful and independent image of Devonshire Street that it has been widely recognised as. So many cities are looking identical with mainstream high street chains such as Starbucks, Topshop and New Look whereas Devonshire Street features Rare n Racy, Syd and Mallory and The Green Room.

Facebook Group/Keeping in contact

In order to share ideas and discuss meeting arrangements, we felt it was beneficial to create a Facebook page and this has proved very useful. We have posted on this Facebook page about where/when to meet to discuss ideas, discuss the response from certain contributors and share links that we have found during research. Hannah also created a Production Schedule on the group page that allowed each of us to fill in the spreadsheet to show which days we are all available for filming and editing days.

Brief and Roles

The brief for our documentary piece was to create a 10 minute piece focussing on a certain topic that we feel passionate about. Our first task for this brief is to produce a 2 minute poetic piece that explores a creative approach to visual and aural storytelling of a topic that we are passionate about sharing with an audience.

For this project I am working with Sarah Cooper, Hannah Grencis and Emily Spokes and we all have a range of abilities throughout the roles so will be able to work well together and learn from each other. Our roles will be:

Myself - Editor

Sarah - Cinematographer

Hannah - Director/Producer

Emily - Sound Recordist/Editor

We were keen to work in these roles as they fit in with the module strands that we have chosen for this year as well as still working together so that everyone has equal amounts of work and not left on their own.

British Movement

John Grierson

• Responsible for creating a film unit
• Wanted to explore a new form of filmmaking
• Gathered with some creatives to start a film-based movement
• 'Creative interpretation of actuality'
• Believes in finding the drama in mundane everyday life
• Responsible for setting up the first UK film board

Humphrey Jennings

• GPO Film Unit
• Mass Observation Project - still existent as an archive of everyday lives
• Poetic approach to subject matter
• Films include 'Listen to Britain'

Listen to Britain (1942)

Humphrey Jennings' 20 minute black and white film opens with a foreword from Leonard Brockington

'You too will hear that heart beating, for blended together one great symphony, is the music of Britain' 

(Brockington, L. 1942, Listen to Britain)

Talks about war effort in Britain; mainly about the strength of the country and how we will march to freedom and be successful.

'the clank of machinery'

Then cuts to a field with people working and watching the sky with spitfires/war planes flying overhead; in order to signify the population of Britain working just as usual during the war effort.

'roar of spitfires'

BBC Radio news comes on and a shop sign in the window advertising 1/2 price offers for those in the H.M Forces. We then see a ballroom dancehall; a long shot to connote the sense of community and optimism despite the war carrying on.

'the dancers in the great ballroom at Blackpool'

Another scene then shows soldiers walking through a field at night, singing Home on the Range and playing guitar

Feltham Sings (2002) - Brian Hill

For our first seminar for Documentary we were advised to watch a documentary and from the suggested list we were given I decided to watch Brian Hill's Feltham Sings (2002). I suspected this may have been based around a community related to singing yet I found out the documentary was based on a group of convicts in Feltham Prison who create songs in their spare time. I found this documentary very interesting as I find the world hidden behind bars is a fascinating documentary topic since they are meant to be hidden from the public and not experienced by those abiding by the law. It allows us to witness what life would be like in this environment without suffering the consequences ourselves.

There are many long shots down corridors of the prison, featuring groups of
The opening scene features a peacock roaming a grassy area surrounded by dull, grey prison buildings and later on we see shots of prisoners walking down corridors. The film consists of interviews with the convicts as they reveal personal stories; creating a relationship between viewers and the convicts. The songs and raps featuring in the film are performed by those in the prison and allow the audience to see the convicts using their time behind bars to use certain skills and hobbies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glrA7XjPw7g

Short Documentaries

In one of the seminars Debbie showed us some short documentaries to prepare us for the module and the first one that we watched was Kevin Macdonald's Touching the Void (2003). This was a dramatic reconstruction of experiences and follows to mountain climbers who tackle Siula Grande in 1985. This is a gripping film that consists of dramatic shots of the climbers tackling challenges such as snowstorms and falling down certain parts of the mountain. This documentary allows the audience to experience such a huge challenge through the journey of two brave men. The shots in this film were observational rather than interactive, as it is showing the journey the two men took rather than their experiences.

Another documentary we watched was Grizzly Man (Herzog, 2005) which was a documentary retelling another person's story through the filmmaker's videos. Based on the tragic death of Timothy Treadwell, a grizzly bear activist, who created mini films of his journey and Herzog used these videos to share his story with the world. I personally enjoyed this film as it was the original footage of Timothy's work but only revealed to us through Herzog, due to Timothy's death. Due to the film being based on Timothy's own films, this is an observational documentary as we are watching his journey through his own footage and due to his death; no aftermath interviews were possible.

We also watched a documentary called 'The Alcohol Years' by Carol Morley (2002) and this was a personal film based on other people's opinions of Morley during the 1908s; when she was in her 'wild years' of partying and drinking. This documentary, unlike the previous two, features an interview style scene where old acquaintances and friends from Morley's past reveal their honest, and mostly brutal, opinions of Morley as she has almost no memory of these years due to the alcohol consumption. This was also an interesting documentary as those involved were not afraid to reveal their honest opinions of Morley and keeps the viewers taking an interest, as it is more of a social norm for people in front of a camera to say positive things in order to seem a good person.