This week we hear from UBTV’s head of features and the brains behind the recent ‘Strangers Kissing’ video, Gemma Wilson. Working with her this year for the features department and after helping to produce the recent video, I sat down to chat with Gemma about her role in UBTV…
Why did you decide you wanted to get involved in UBTV?
I wanted to get involved in UBTV and especially features because it I thought it would give me the chance to be experimental with filming and editing. The fact it was a student society made the subjects a unique and I liked the challenge of targeting this group I guess.
What do you have as the vision for the features department this year?
I see the features department as a excellent forum for thought provoking, current and diverse material. There is flexibility for any type of film and nature of filming. I’m especially intrigued by social experiments and interaction, giving people the time on camera that might otherwise be neglected. Moments that are often side-lined or missed in life can now be captured on camera and I think in features we should aim to pin down these moments and film them.
What made you decide to produce a remake of the strangers kissing video?
That brings us to the kissing video, the manufactured environment matched with something as vulnerable as a kiss really focused in on the individuals. It’s raw unlike acted films, the reacions were all real. The adaptation of the original brings the unique element of students who wouldn’t think twice to kiss a stranger in a club, but on camera become totally exposed.
Did you anticipate the success that has come from the video?
I really did not anticipate the success at all, its crazy how the film has reached over 100,000 views. My aim was to get 10,000 views to overtake our last video ‘freethenipple’ but I guess the bar is now set.
What is the next project going to be for the features department?
Next we plan to do an exposé on drugs, a topical feature within student recreation so keep an eye out for that!