Dr Sarah Bowen

A Timeline of Victor Newsome's life and work for Tate Britain Archive

Animation Producer, testing impact of musical gesture research to One Small Step, Children's Educational Programme in collaboration with Leeds International Piano Competition for International distribution.

This article explores how music organises dance and how dance organises music in vernacular forms of performance. Using a case study of a choreographed flute solo performed on Cuban television by dance band Orquesta Aragón in the mid-1960s, the dynamic relationship between musical improvisation/composition and dance is examined. The interplay between social dance, Afro- and Hispanic-Cuban culture, improvisation and individual creativity is examined through analysis of the Aragón performance on video and through animation practice research. Analysis of this particular performance by flautist Richard Egües and dancer Rafael Bacallao reveal how music-choreographic gestures are related to Afro-Cuban religious culture and Cuban vernacular dance traditions and performance aesthetics. Analysis of the ‘musico-choreographic’ elements of this televised performance by Orquesta Aragón thus offers a case study for reflection on the interrelated nature of music and dance, exploring how shared cultural histories can be embodied in both sound and movement simultaneously.

550 miles walking the ancient pathways of England, Experimental Film and Installations, Q&A

Film screenings and talks with book launch in unconventional setting

Screenings and talks in unconventional settings

Pełny polski przekład książki w opracowaniu Jana Słodow- skiego, przełożony z francuskiego oryginału przez Katarzynę Tołwińską ukazał się na łamach „ Iluzjonu" w ... KINO POLSKIE: REINTERPRETACJE Kino polskie: reinterpretacje.

Screenings and talks in expanded cinema settings

Review of DreamWorks live-action re-make of the 2010 original animation

15 video interviews for Victor Newsome archive

Video screening and exhibition of art works about the artist Victor Newsome (1935-2018). Material for the Tate Britain archive.

MANSFIELD 66/67 is about the last two years of movie goddess Jayne Mansfield's life, and the rumours surrounding her untimely death.

McKerrell, in ‘Towards Practice Research in Ethnomusicology,’ advocates for performance to be used as ‘a central methodology,’ as a ‘translation of artistic performance aesthetics’ and as a ‘research outcome sited in original performance.’ (McKerrell 2019: 1). The translational role for performance is demonstrated in this article through a practice-led investigation into the dynamic relationship between improvised music and dance. The research is based on the analysis of a live performance on Cuban television of ‘Los Problemas de Atilana’ by Orquesta Aragón in the early 1960s, where musical gestures are shown to be embodied in the flute and dance solo ‘duet’ performed by Cuban flautist Richard Egües and dancer Rafael Bacallao, revealing the shared memories of a community bound by common cultural experience. Interdisciplinary in nature, analysis is undertaken by a musician-scholar, a film scholar-practitioner and a professional Cuban dancer-animator in order to unearth details of this embodied repertoire, thus translating and making overt culturally implicit knowledge for those outside of the artistic community of practice, and, in some cases, within it. Through re-performance and re-presentation in the form of a recording and animations, the many meanings embodied in the original performance are examined through analytical text, musical notation, visuals, recordings and animation film.

This research introduces a parametric framework to address the lack of educational resources for teaching realistic facial animation in digital characters, focusing on developing a Parametric Framework and Tool for Posing Photorealistic 3D Character Facial Expressions. The research applies the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), essential for understanding a wide range of realistic facial movements and enhancing digital characters' emotional depth and reliability. A novel innovation of the thesis is a tool that offers animators control over the range of movement of facial expressions. This tool's parametric functionality enables detailed, incremental adjustments, capturing human emotions' subtleties in digital form. The study demonstrates a systematic approach to developing a Parametric Framework and Tool for posing photorealistic 3D character facial expressions. It employs a Design Science Research Methodology, focusing on practical solution-oriented research. Key stages include problem identification, defining objectives, design and development of the tool, demonstration, evaluation, and communication. The process is iterative, integrating knowledge from facial expression theory, animation, computer graphics, and user interface design. The methodology emphasises user testing with animators and learners, incorporating feedback to refine the tool, ensuring practicality and utility for its intended users. The thesis emphasises successfully developing a Parametric Framework and Tool and highlights advancements in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in facial animation. The thesis concludes by underscoring the potential impact of this work on the animation industry, improving the emotional depth and realism of digital characters. Future directions for research and development are suggested, focusing on further enhancing the tool's capabilities and exploring new applications in various digital media contexts.

Interview about landscape film and walking to promote exhibition

Interview promoting an exhibition.about landscape film & installation work.

The boundaries between live action and animation become increasingly blurred as most live-action films, involve frame-by-frame manipulation at some point in the production process. There are however, fine art filmmakers and animators who have been combining these techniques in their personal films for years. This paper describes the techniques of live-action and animation in the making of the film 'Daze'.

This talk presents a very recent collaboration between academics in film animation and creative technologies with the educational wing of Leeds International Piano Competition. The creation of a music performance-based animation designed for young children internationally and the musical synchronicities involved in its production are reflected on here.