Mel is a Senior Lecturer and Post-production editor, with a background as a factual documentary director/editor, working in mixed media, animation and live action. She has worked within the Broadcast industry for over 25 years starting her career in post-production, working for companies such as BBC Newsgathering, World Affairs and Technology, Sony Broadcast, Royal and National Ballet, and the Imperial War Museum. Having studied for a degree in Animation at Norwich School of Art and Design followed by a Master’s degree in Visual Communication (specialising in Animation) and completing a PhD in 2019 looking at narrative through imagery, Mel has continued to develop her research portfolio and is currently working on a research project in partnership with Staffordshire Farmer’s Union and MIND.
Professional memberships and activities
- Member of Women in Film and Television
Academic qualifications
- PhD, ‘Aristotle, Persuasion and the Un-Palatable Message’, Staffordshire University.
- MA. in Visual Communication, Birmingham City University.
- Postgraduate Certificate Visual Communication, Birmingham City University.
- BA. (Hons) Graphic Design (specialising in Animation), Norwich School of Art and Design.
Expertise
- Film and Broadcast Production
- Animation
- Illustration
Research interests
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Victim experience and victim support services
- Child welfare
- Community narrative
Enterprise and commercial interests
Mel has worked continuously within the School of Research working on ‘End of Life Care’ projects in collaboration with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, followed by a co-collaboration project led by Associate Professor Fiona Graham, creating visual content, testimonials and edited drone footage with secured access and permits at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Further research followed developing a framework for fact based narrative and audience engagement.
Mel is currently engaged in research in collaboration with the National farmers Union and MIND.
Teaching
Postgraduate
PhD Supervisor
Masters Supervisor
Undergraduate
Module leader;
Digital Compositing PPT Specialism
Production Skills for VFX
Introduction for Digital Art
Senior Lecturer
Interactive Film Making
Non-fiction film production
Publications
- 2019 ‘Aristotle, Persuasion and the Unpalatable Truth’ (PhD)
- 2017 Auschwitz – The Holocaust - Investigating the new mass genocide of Hitler’s testing ground. (HEIF funded collaborative project. Role: Visual editor).
- ‘Aristotle, Persuasion and the Unpalatable Truth’ Exhibition Stoke Your Fires Media Festival, Stoke-on-Trent.
- 2015 ‘Aristotle, Persuasion and the Unpalatable Truth’ Exhibition, Rugby Warwickshire.
- Symbols and Metaphors: Perceptions, Transformations and Representations, Postgraduate Research Conference, Faculty of the Arts, University of Leeds.
- End of Life Care Conference, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Birmingham.
- Reflections on the 36th Denton Conference, Denton.
- 2013 End of Life Care for the Muslim Child (team member). Presentation of prototype teaching aid designed to assist medical staff working with children from minority religions. Funded by NHS Trust: Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
- 2013 Medical Teacher (Journal) Co-author
- Virtual Religions: Teaching clinicians about death
and end-of-life care - a preliminary study.