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Leeds Beckett student crowned winner of national film competition
Bradley Shaw, a final year BA (Hons) Filmmaking student, was one of seven national finalists and beat off stiff competition to be crowned the winner of the £2,500 prize.
Leading CO awareness campaign Project SHOUT launched the competition in January 2016, challenging film students across the UK to create an informative, short film that will educate on the dangers of CO poisoning and how families can protect themselves with a simple and affordable CO alarm.
Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide takes the lives of around fifty people in the UK every year, when it leaks from boilers, cookers, fires and other appliances that burn fuels such as gas and coal.
The results were announced at a private screening in London, at which speeches were given by Baroness Finlay, Co Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APCOG), Roland Wessling, a CO victim who has carried out extensive research into the gas since his wife passed away from poisoning in 2011, and Leigh Greenham, an advisory board member of the Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (COGDEM). Roland and Leigh also took a place on the judging panel where they were joined by a handful of retailers including Tesco, Safelincs, Wicks, B&Q and Robert Dyas. Stacey Rodgers, founder of the Dominic Rodgers Trust, named after her son who was tragically killed by carbon monoxide, was also a judge.
Speaking after being announced as the winner, Bradley explained: “I spotted the competition online and the brief appealed to me as it allowed me to harness my creativity. The topic of carbon monoxide poisoning is a common issue amongst students who are living in questionable accommodation, so I wanted the film to appeal to this audience.
“By using special effects and close up shots I was able to develop a concept which was dramatic and memorable. I really enjoyed taking part in the competition and I’m so proud to be named the winner.”
Philip Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Cinematography at Leeds Beckett University, added: "Bradley is a hardworking, dedicated student. I was particularly impressed by his practical exercise and pitch as the Cinematographer on his “single shot scene”, which told the story well and was well constructed and thought through. He also ran the crew in a very organised manner. I look forward to see the results of Bradley’s future work.”
Project SHOUT Campaign Director, Rob Lyon, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the high calibre of entries and it’s fantastic to see so many students across the country joining in and playing a part in helping to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Bradley was named the winner after all the judges were really impressed with his artistic and memorable interpretation of the brief.
“Raising awareness of the deadly gas is crucial, especially amongst families and young adults, as children can be more vulnerable to the effects of CO and students who are often living away from home for the first time can be unaware of the risks. As you can’t see, smell or taste CO, it’s very hard to identify and it’s also often mistaken for other things such as food poisoning or flu, as the symptoms are very similar, making it so important that as many people as possible know about the dangers.”