‘Music’ – Deep-dive Course Video

Client: University of Hull
Project: The Future of Music

Slate and Mortar were brought in by an external marketing agency, to produce a series of subject-specific, deep-dive mini-documentaries that could be used as part of the University of Hull’s student recruitment campaign. Rather than the standard facility and course-focused content, the idea with this video was to produce something that showed how the students were equipped for the wider sector they were going into. We wanted to show how the students had an understanding of contemporary issues facing the industry and an idea of the career pathways they might take. We also wanted to see the students being creative, making music, developing as musicians, and facing their futures with energy and optimism. The films were produced over two days and one night, with filming taking place across campus and in one of the city’s most celebrated local music venues – capturing a musical performance by a student band, which was a great opportunity to really show Hull music students in their element.

Rather than the traditional talking-heads format, the film uses a recent University of Hull music graduate as a presenter, who is a familiar guide and face to the interviewees but also offers a representative perspective for the viewers (and potential applicants), asking questions and sharing responses that the audience might also have. The films were shot with a crew of three, allowing for less intrusion, more mobility, and enabling more intimate, candid responses from contributors. The filming and editing style again reflects a contemporary, youthful approach, and camera work is kept fairly loose, creating movement and energy, with nothing too corporate, overly stylized, or contrived.

Alongside the main edit, the deeper dive documentary was broken down into a range of social and online media content, designed for various formats, channels, and durations in mind. Soundbites were selected and our editors utilised many creative framing and split-screen devices to create, vertical and horizontal layouts suitable for mobile platforms. To see a selection of formats from the campaign, please visit our portfolio page, here.