Film and TV Society: Blog Co-Editor-in-Chief

So what's the point of film? I'd say it's the conversation that develops outside the theatre, this is where much of a film's work begins and where we as cinephiles, writers and creatives of the Film Society Journal come in. 

I'm Sophiya and as Sub-Editor of the journal this year, I have seen UCL's talent through the reviews, meetings and podcast roundtables. I have also seen how it can be daunting for those who want to write but are unsure where to start. The EICs this year have done great work bringing the Journal community from screen to in-person conversation, and it would be a joy to continue this work and fully realise the the potential of the journal next year ...

- Channel our diverse weekly discussions into a fortnightly collaborative feature to giving some to our conversation

- Build connections beyond film festival circuits by reaching out to London film journals – our location should not be a missed opportunity

-  The 'Journal' Magazine: Our meetings have shown the demand for short, regular and more creative articles to engage more both our writers and readers. Beginning as a bi-weekly newsletter where columns range from unpacking the top releases to chats with other societies and news from Film Soc productions would help close the gap between the Journal and the rest of the society. Having designed a printed magazine and working as Graphic Designer for FOMI, I know this is achievable.

Let's take the next step for the aspiring journalists of Film Society!

For the past two years, the Film Society Journal & Podcast has been consistently enriching in my film society experience. I firmly believe that the Journal is an opportunity for all Film Soc members to share their love for film, and gain fresh perspectives on it, and I hope to further improve the ways it can achieve this as an Editor-in-chief. If elected as EIC, I will strive to:

• Publish a diverse array of topics, in both written and podcast form. I will encourage members to brainstorm podcasts and/or written columns on topics outside convention, such as examining filmmaking from specific technical perspectives, or one's personal relationships with certain genres/films.
• Have monthly meetings that any members can join, including one roundtable podcast recording session, a session to discuss ideas and determine potential coverage, and a writing session where people can work on journal projects together.
• Expand integration of the journal with other aspects of the society, e.g. film recommendations based on recent screenings
• And finally, to create a magazine that lives up to the “journal” name. Drawing upon the wealth of talent within our society, and my experience in other media societies, I’ll work towards creating the first issue of a publication (digital, with the possibility of some print issues) that will include reviews, essays, and more.

It has been a true joy writing for (and chatting with) the journal, and I hope you give me a chance to bring it to new heights!

My name is Alexia Mihaila, I am a fourth-year Arts & Sciences undergrad and I'm re-running as Co-EIC!

As part of Film Society since I started Uni and running the Journal for two years now, I've grown alongside it and it has significantly shaped my skills as a writer, interviewer, and most importantly editor. I am re-running because I am aware of the need for fresh voices in our society and having been part of Art journalism in-person & remotely both at UCL and at University of Michigan, I've learnt how to overcome the challenges we're facing.

If elected again as Co-EIC my main priority is re-structuring the Journal from the ground up. While our name has changed, we are still at our core a Blog. The Journal hence needs to be rebuilt allowing for more managerial positions & collaboration among our writers & podcasters. We'll have more active positions, thorough publishing schedules for both written and audio content, and other forms of journalism such as video interviews & essays. Additional priorities include having a yearly print issue & more collaborations with other film outlets and societies.

I will do this by combining models I’ve learnt from content producing for publications that have national credibility in the US and following models of other reputed film outlets. By having more transparency and more students managing, we'll publish more content timely and I'll make it more accessible for you to get useful & documentable industry experience in film

“The cinema substitutes for our gaze a world more in harmony with our desires”- Andre Bazin.

Bazin’s quote is an understanding of cinema's innate ability to provoke in critics an attention to not just what they perceive but towards what they feel. I believe that as Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the FilmSoc Journal & Podcast, I could cultivate an environment conducive to nurturing such a passion for the art amongst Society members.

My experience of writing for the Journal for almost 2 years now, from 4000-word retrospective pieces to festival coverage with tight deadlines (as well as for other publications), in addition to my current role as a Journal Sub-Editor, would lend me considerable experience in overseeing editing duties. As EiC, I’d be able to balance not only regular meetings and podcast episodes, but also the bi-weekly film criticism workshops that I’d introduce as a way of familiarizing writers with different criticism modes. Having regularly covered UK festivals, as well as the Venice and Berlin film festivals, my engagement with global cinema would allow me to render the Journal as inclusive as possible by introducing monthly themes for Journal essays, such as Indian and Black British cinema.

Finally, as EiC, I’d also widen the purview of the Journal by ensuring greater integration between it and FilmSoc at large, including regular essays on weekly screenings, coverage of FilmSoc productions and interview opportunities between guest speakers and Journal writers.