Jane Thorburn
Position
- Principal Lecturer
- Course Leader BA Television
Biography
Co-founded the production company AFTER IMAGE in 1979 , directing, editing and series editing the majority of the company's productions. One of the early successes was the Arts Magazine programme ALTER IMAGE which ran for three series.
The programmes established an important reputation for quality and innovation and received a number of international awards as well as having seasons devoted to the companys work at the Pompediou centre in Paris and the Taomina film Festival in Italy. In 1989 THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH was the official entry by Channel 4 to the Montreaux Television festival. In 1994 the After Image production THE EMPRESS won the Royal Television Society best production design award and a special mention at the prestigious IMZ Opera Screen. Other productions include THE SCORE, a classical music magazine series for BBC2, CAMERA an opera written specially for television featuring Dagmar Krause, 2 documentaries for the Discovery Channel and PULL a sculptural ballet made with Bruce McLean and AshleyPage, S.O.S. Songs of Seduction and THE LIFT a Dance for Camera for BBC/Arts Council. Recent productions include documentaries made in Africa and Cuba .
Research Area
Current research interests include the rapid growth in the creative and business aspects ofthe Nigerian Film and Video Industry, resulting in the production of two documentaries. This research directly influenced the production of the drama ‘THE FAMILY LEGACY’ adapting a Nollywood narrative style to reach a West African audience living in London. Jane is currently collaborating with Joy Elias Rilwan filming in the UK, Spain and Nigeria.
Selected Publications
- NOLLYWOOD 2 Doing it Right. 2009 A follow up documentary on the creative and financial issues facing Nigerian producers.
- THE FAMILY LEGACY 2008. Drama about a family of Nigerian origin living in London. Addressing prejudices & issues surrounding Sickle Cell Disease.
- NOLLYWOOD Just Doing it, 2008, A serious look at the creative and commercial drive behind this rapidly growing industry, enabled by increasing access to new technology.
- THE EMPRESS. Channel 4. A new opera written for television. Composer Orlando Gough. Designed by Bruce Mclean.
- CAMERA. Channel 4. A new Opera written for TV. Written by Peter Blegvad & Anthony Moore. Starring Dagmar Krause
- ALTER IMAGE. 3 series of 10 programmes. collaborating with artists & performers to create work for the television medium.
- ALAGBA. A water spirit masquerade. Filmed in Southern Nigeria. The beginning of a new cycle of masquerades that will take 17 years to complete.
- BALLET AFRICAINS. Performance of the National Ballet of the Republic of Guinea. Channel 4
- S.O.S. Songs of Seduction. A sound on film production with composer Jenni Roditi for BBC2
- PULL a Sculptural Ballet. with Ashley Page & Bruce Mclean. BBC2
Selected Screenings
NOLLYWOOD 2 Doing it Right. Transmitted Hi TV. Screened 'Amakula Kampala' Film Festival Uganda 2010- THE FAMILY LEGACY. Transmitted on Community Channel, Hi TV, Ben TV, OHTV, SLBC (Sierra Leone National TV). Screened at the ICA as part of bfm International Film Festival 2009/10
- NOLLYWOOD Just Doing it. Transmitted HiTV 2010. Screened 'African Screens' Festival Berlin & Portugal 2009/10. Curated by Manthis Diawara. Screened MUNDOS LOCAIS Local Worlds exhibition Portugal 2008.
- ALAGBA. Screened at the British Museum as part of the exhibition 'The Kingdom of Ife' 2010
- EL SABOR DEL SOLAR and LA FAMILIA ASPIRINA. Screened Latin American Film Festival, London. Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, Havana, Cuba. Independent Film & Video Festical, New York
- THE LIFT. Dance for Camera. BBC2. The Place Dance Screen Festival. Raindance Film Festival. Palm d'Or Wide Screen Film festival. Cannes.
- GOD IS GREAT but what can I make of my life? Transmitted Community Channel. HiTV. Internet link from UN site.
Awards
- 'THE FAMILY LEGACY' Commissioned be NHS Sickle Cell Screening Programme
