But it’s not just the research aspects of the University which have been captured; the success of alumni has also been documented alongside the importance of summer schools and working alongside industry.
The hard work of support staff and the cutting-edge facilities within the University complete the picture of a buzzing and multi-faceted, world-renowned research and educational institute.
Yesterday’s launch was attended by over 100 people, including students and staff who featured in the films, plus representatives from the University’s many partners across the city of Bristol.
All 52 films are now available on the University’s website, acting as a resource for each faculty to communicate its work with a wider audience.
David Alder, Director of Marketing and Communications, said: “The short films showcase the truly excellent and exciting things that go on here at the University. They say that a picture can paint a thousand words and I hope that these short films will really impart just some of the magic that makes Bristol the world-leading University that it is.
“In making the films we were clear that we wanted to avoid any gimmickry. We felt it highly important that the quality of the individuals and the work that goes on here is allowed to speak for itself.”
Highlights of the new film collection include a look inside the Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, which houses some of the quietest laboratories in the world. The film captures the capabilities of holographic tweezers, complete with cyber-glove, which enable the user to squeeze something as tiny as a cell and actually feel it with their hand and fingers. This could play an important role in checking cells for disease.
Computer Science graduate Jenny Griffiths talks about how the technology she developed as part of her final year project led to the creation of her own fashion search engine. Snap Fashion enables users to upload their own images to search for similar garments online while also analysing people’s body shape and identifying clothes which would suit them.
Other attention-grabbing films include medical student Richard Igwe, who performs a rap he composed as part of his studies, exploring the emotional side of being a doctor and a patient; academics and students working in the Human Rights Implementation Centre explain their motivations; and the sight of a horse on a treadmill shows how an endoscope can be used on a horse as it exercises to devise new diagnostic techniques and help with research.
Beeston Media, a Bristol-based film-making company, worked closely with the University’s Marketing and Communications Division to produce all of the films, which can be seen on the University of Bristol’s website: www.bristol.ac.uk/bristolchannel/