It's fair to say that if it wasn't for The School of Sound, I wouldn't be studying my MA in screenwriting at London College of communication today. At the last closing reception of SOS 2005, I met a man whom I informed I wanted to be a screenwriter to. I had just recently completed my BA degree in film and video and was ready for the world of rejection, words on paper, sleepless nights full of endless ideas bouncing around and no money in my pockets.
This gentleman informed of six universities within the UK, which all contained MA screenwriting courses, following a syllabus that enables the graduate to gain writing work successfully in the bussiness after gathering the necessary skills from the course. At this point I said to him, 'who are you? You could potentially change my life and my decisions on what I do from now over the next year or years.' This was the point at which he told me that his name was Philip Parker, which still didn’t mean anything to me at that moment, until he informed me that he was a screenwriter and the creator of these six courses.
What can I say about Philip Parker, he had a way with his words because what he said and how he said it, gelled into my brain and didn’t leave me until I finally got onto the MA screenwriting course after five years, four applications and three interviews later. Thank you Philip Parker, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
My first SOS's, 2003, 2005, both contained the same amount of vast knowledge and were full of immense love for the audio in all it's different forms, amongst a large group of creative, like minded people. I learnt, I met, enjoyed, networked and went away with a sense that this was a festival like no other.
Film festivals is a world I know and understand in many shapes, forms, styles, countries and SOS stands isolated as a unique festival about an art which has always fought to be remembered alongside it's partner, the visual. After the festival of 2005, I knew that I wanted to return and I hoped it would be in 2007, as SOS takes place every two year.
Exchanges of discussions took place between myself and Larry Sider, co-creator alongside his partner Diane Sider over my possible attendance to the festival in 2o07, 2009, the timing sadly never working out. I’m happy to say that I was finally able to return this year, in 2011 and I was pleased to find it hadn't changed. The same quality of lectures, lecturers, people from the world of film, theatre, games, art and music were all there, bringing ideas and wisdom to the world of sound we love and live in.
Without pointing to any lectures specifically, all can be found about the quality of the festival online at http://www.schoolofsound.co.uk/, in the speakers it has had over the years, what the festival's aim is and the books available to purchase. The only part I will mention within the Purcell room is from this year’s festival closing speech from Diane Sider. Before the routine ritual of returning the sound to its silence took place, Diane informed everyone what The School of Sound is actually about. Words that I was truly moved by, I can’t exactly paraphrase the beauty of what she said but it was along these lines.
‘School of sound isn’t actually about films, theatre, art, games, installations, it’s about listening. But are you actually listening or just catching the chatter, whilst thinking about tonight’s dinner. It’s actually a hard thing to do, to listen.’ Diane went onto to talk about freedom of speech and how people around the world are fighting to be listened to.
I sat motionless...left with only the silence.
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