New film course

Calling Colchester Film Buffs

Signals Media Arts Centre is delighted to announce a new course for film lovers.

‘Introduction to film’ is a six-part film evening course where you can learn more about the history of film, each week students will be able to watch a great all-time classic of cinema and learn more about the film’s stars, director, context and genre.

Dr Lance Rickman will be leading the course, he teaches film studies at the University of Essex and the Open University and has a real passion for the subject. The course will begin in the silent era and travel though the musical, film noir and British cinema to come up to date. There will be lots of opportunities to discuss the films and ask questions.

The course will be informal and fun and will be great for budding critics or filmmakers and anyone who wants to know a bit more about the language of film.

‘Introduction to film’ starts on Tuesday 15^th May at 7.30 pm and will continue once a week for 6 weeks it will cost £50 for all 6 sessions including film screenings.

For more information or booking please call Signals 01206 560255 or email info@signals.org.uk

You can also book though our website (booking fee applies) www.signals.org.uk

Bollywood Colchester

Signals has come over all Bollywood this month. The colour and energy of a good Bollywood film is enough to get you through the dullest of February days.

On the Saturday the 25th of February we will be screening ‘Main Hoon Na’. This modern classic was the directorial debut of choreographer Farah Khan, the film was a great box office hit and won numerous awards.

The film was ground-breaking in many ways, it was among the first to look at the Indian Pakistan conflict and also presented strong female characters. Director Farah Khan help lead the way for a new generation of woman working behind the camera in Bollywood. http://nyti.ms/oyVJ7b

The film stars the ‘King of Bollywood’ Shahrukh Khan, who has made scores of films in his long career including ‘My Name is Khan’ in 2010, which became a international success and is the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time in the overseas market.

See Bollywood legend Shahrukh Khan interviewed last year for the BBC Asian Network here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qp0tr

Before the film there will be a talk by Nina Ludgate who worked on the film as Effects Producer. She took a multi-camera array to Bollywood to create the frozen-arc effect that is seen in action movies and commercials around the world. Nina will be sharing her experiences of working in Mumbai and shedding some light on Bollywood production methods, as well as letting us know all about the films stars and Director.

Free screening of ‘Main Hoon Na’ on Saturday 25^th Feburary 2012 at 7.30 Signals Media Arts Centre. Call To book a place 01206 560255

10 things to do in Colchester

Colchester is the oldest recorded town in Britain. Once the capital of Roman Britain, it is now home to a much fiercer army - Colchester United. Sons of the Colchester area include the band Blur, Dermot O'Leary and singer Olly Murs. But what is there to do in the town? Here is a list of 10 things to do in colchester to keep everyone entertained whilst School is out for Summer. It's in no particular order...except for number 1... which is an absolute must.

10. Get your skates on at Rollerworld

9. Get your swimming cozzie on at Leisure world

8. Colchester Castle

7. Row a boat down the River Stour in Dedham

6. Watch a Colchester United game

5. Castle park

4. The Beach: Walton, Frinton and Clacton are only a short drive away.

3. Go Bananas

2. The Zoo

1. A signals Media Arts workshop. Click here for more information

A summer of fun, film and photography

The Summer Holidays are fast approaching and for many people it will mean sun, sea and sand...for a short while anyway. Closer to home, the British Summer never fails to disappoint. The expected heatwave never arrives. The kids are under your feet. "I'm bored mum." "I'm bored dad" they moan. There is only a certain amount of times you can visit the zoo, go to the cinema or take them to the beach before they become 'boring' too.

If you're short on ideas and looking for things to do in Colchester, then Signal Media Arts Centre has a variety of workshops that will not only keep them occupied doing something new, fun and interesting but it will give them skills in new areas that they never knew they could do. If you were impressed with the drawing you've got stuck on the fridge door then you'll be blown away when they come home with their very own comic book, which they created themselves in the Comic Book Heroes Workshop (7+)

When its mid August and it starts raining, instead of sitting indoors watching Wallace and Gromit boxsets with the kids, wondering

"how do they make those little plasticine figures walk, talk and eat cheese?"

let your child spend the day at our Claymation workshop and they can come home and inform you on how it's done! Our most popular workshop teaches them the basics of stop frame animation using modelling clay to create a short animated film.

Signals Media Arts also provide a Five Day Film School that will really give them something to talk about when they head back to normal school in September. Taking them through storyboarding, scriptwriting, camera work, sound skills and editing, the Five Day Film School gives young people aged 12+ a real hands on experience in filmmaking.

So you're probably feeling a bit left out now. Your Summer sounds boring compared to the kids. But you can get the whole family involved with our Family Photography and Family Claymation workshops. Then you can tell all your neighbours how your family feature in your very own film. Take a look at the full list of courses and workshops here

Now, who said there aren't things to do in Colchester?