The Film Factory

Introduction:

Brief: The city of Leeds is to bid for 'EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE' 2023. This project uses the Leeds 2023 European Capital of Culture as a vehicle in the development of an urban scenario, using this scenario to frame and contextualize a building proposition where one of the cultural strands highlighted within the urban scenario is then selected for use as the basis for the built intervention. The building proposition is then to be developed in detail.

Location: Leeds, United Kingdom.

Cultural Strand: Film & Television.

Cinema is Dying:

The decline of cinemas and theatres in Leeds raised the following question: How can movie theatres ensure their survival? In the past, going to the cinema brought people and the community together, whereas today moviegoers will go to the cinema as a get-together with friends or family, and/or to see the latest films. Otherwise, people will be satisfied relying on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video. Cinemas need to start focusing on experience rather than convenience. They need to offer more than just a way of watching the latest films by adding value to the whole cinema experience. One such model that succeeded in achieving this is the Secret Cinema company.

Secret Cinema specializes in live cinema experiences, combining film screenings with interactive performances in purpose-built sets. The desire to experience a film communally – and to become part of the film itself – is what makes the Secret Cinema model successful. There, the cinema becomes a communal experience where the audience are connecting with each other, and the sets are specially designed to suit a specific film and create a unique atmosphere.

The Film Factory:

The Film Factory is a proposal for a building and urban intervention in Leeds that creates a sense of community and participation through the medium of cinema. The name is inspired by the building acting as a factory where unique film experiences are manufactured and assembled before being provided to the public. Inspired by the Secret Cinema company, the design integrates cinema and theatre to produce film-specific environments for the audience/public to interact with.

Of the nine cultural strands researched (Art, Festivals & Events, Film & Television, Food & Drink, Museums & Heritage, Sport, Textiles & Fashion, Theatre, Music & Dance, and Digital), I selected 'Film & Television' as the main focus of the built intervention because the city's illustrious past in the film industry since the invention of the motion picture camera in 1888 by Louis Le Prince. The number of cinemas and theatres in Leeds has declined due to several reasons, but mainly due to depreciation of the movie theatre 'experience'. My aim is to develop a structure/space that offers more than just watching films, but also one that provides a uniquely immersive experience for moviegoers.

The end result, is a building that provides the necessary production (private) and performance (public) services without compromising flexibility to provide a variety of film screenings with unique film-specific sets. Central to the building's design is its operation at street level. A key factor in the design is to invite and engage those on the streets to experience the film screening, and in the process bring people closer together. The Film Factory building opens up to reveal its interior to the public, as well as have the inner spaces and events spilling out such as performances, film screenings, lectures and workshops.