Local writer and actor David Foote is currently acting as a casting consultant for the students in the Moving Image department, in a move working successfully for all parties. Moving Image students have often had difficulty finding suitable actors for their film productions, while Foote is involved in Urban Vineyard, an independent theatre cooperative which often requires rehearsal space when producing plays. Cue an invite to Foote from Moving Image lecturer John Mandelberg last year, and a mutually beneficial relationship was born.

“I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from the students and was generally impressed with the standard of work that resulted last year, particularly with Klas [Eriksson's] film [Anthony’s Quest for Love],” said Foote. “In return for the service we have been afforded the use of the Moving Image Studio for use as a rehearsal space. This proved very useful during Fractur’s rehearsal period as well as during the two other shows Urban Vineyard was involved with last year, Robin and Marion, and Death, Lies and Fairy Tales (both directed by Ross MacLeod).”

Foote recently produced experimental play Fractur, which is described as ‘documentary theatre inspired by one of the most notorious psychological experiments in history’. The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard, inspiring director Vanja Draganic to develop the show which examines the effects of power on individuals.

“The primary inspiration for Fractur was a desire to do something which would get people talking in a way that the shows we took to Fringe in previous years had not done. Having met with Vanja and talked over the idea with her I felt that her idea had the potential to do just that.”

Media Arts students were involved in Fractur, both as performers and assistants. Moving Image graduate Klas Eriksson documented the production process and operated the lights during the production’s season, getting involved after expressing an interest in learning more about the actors’ process. Bachelor of Media Arts (Honours) graduate Joshua Drummond acted in the show, along with second year Moving Image student Gabrielle Riggir.

Fractur played in Hamilton and in the Wellington Fringe Festival, and was critically very well received – read reviews here and here.