Trophy for Two Short Nights international film awards

Helen Snell has designed a new film award for the Two Short Nights film festival 6th – 7th December at the Exeter Phoenix, but her 3-D images pop up all over the place. Lee Morgan speaks to her about paper, popcorn and photocopies. Helen has been commissioned to design and make the awards at the Two Short Nights international short film festival at the Exeter Phoenix, sponsored by Devon and Cornwall Film. 'The trophy is based on a commercial packaging net for popcorn', she says. 'I didn't want the award itself to be intrinsically precious, i.e. silver , crystal or bronze. I thought I'd make a trophy out of paper.' Each of the five trophies is screen printed, then individually customised and hand coloured for each recipient. After a conversation with the media manager at the Exeter Phoenix media centre, Helen agreed to collaborate with Ben Goldstone, aka George Lazenbleep, who currently holds this year's media bursary. In between subverting old and new technologies as part of his work as a VJ, he also interested in circuit bending to create random patterns of sound and light. Ben has worked with Helen to create an electronic light and sound show within the trophy. She enthusiastically explains about oscillators and flickering lights that change frequency and glow and sound sensors that click like a cricket. 'The process started to give me ideas about what I could do - the sort of electronics that I could hybridize into paper'. Extract from a feature in Dec/Jan 2008 issue of Art in Devon. Helen's design are also featured on front and back covers. Lee Morgan Editor