Bill Vinten GTC University Awards Winners

The University for the Creative Arts won the prestigious Bill Vinten Guild of Television Cameramen (GTC) University Award Trophy, at the recent GTC University Awards event, hosted by the University of York at their Heslington Studios.



Bill Vinten OBE, presented the award to the Vice-Chancellor of the University for the Creative Arts, Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr who said, ‘It’s a great honour and a great prize. I’m proud of the staff team from the School of Film and Media who’ve made winning this award possible for our students.’

Course leader at UCA, Claire Barwell, who was at the event with lecturers Noski Deville and Chris Pinnock said,

‘I had not prepared a speech, so I missed the opportunity to say how close the values of the GTC are to what we try to teach our students – that the technical proficiency of the camera department must serve the story above all! I also particularly welcome the Bill Vinten GTC University Awards for recognising the importance of the craft skills in our teaching. Too often the reward and recognition goes to the directors and the films rather than the crew, so this award is especially important to us.’

Vince Knight from Bournemouth University won the individual prize for his work on ‘The Domestic Life of Mollusks’. The judges said it was a ‘beautifully filmed drama with a variety of camera skills used to enhance the storyline’ with ‘a style and pace that was hypnotic.’ They said the results were ‘absolutely astonishing’. Vince will be taking work experience with the production team and crew on the BBC daytime drama ‘Doctors’.

Three of UCA’s student films were in the shortlisted six, scoring more points collectively for the camerawork than the other universities that entered. The runners up, Daniel O’Flaherty and Thomas Read, are both from the University for the Creative Arts. Dan’s film, ‘Sunday Dinner with the Morgans’, mixed ‘a range of different movements into this one film seamlessly as each element fitted the storyline’. One judge said ‘ I can’t find anything to drag this film down’. Tom’s work on ‘Flypaper’ was ‘very mature and confident’ with ‘great hand held work’ and ‘fantastic underwater photography’. Dan will also be gaining experience on the set of ‘Doctors’ while Tom will work with Lion Television in the New Year.



GTC Chairman, Keith Massey, hosted the award ceremony attended by GTC members, sponsors and representatives of the eleven competing universities. On hand to present the individual awards were judges GTC President Dick Hibberd, Karen Hall and Graham Reed. Judge Anna Carrington said ‘The quality of student work this year was fantastic, all of those who entered should feel very proud of their work and what they have achieved.’

At the time of writing, all the shortlisted films can still be viewed on the GTC website, please click on the button below.

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