The Making Of

One giant leap towards YOUR future.

Ever wondered what you could create at college?

Meet our astronaut in New Horizons, a film made with East Sussex College students both in front of and behind the camera. From Performing Arts students starring in the film to our T-Level Media students working behind the scenes, it’s a real team effort.

Our students and staff also designed and made the astronaut’s backpack and modified the helmet to create the final look.

Imagine what you could be part of at East Sussex College.

Building the helmet

The astronaut’s helmet was an important part of bringing the character to life on screen. Students and staff worked together to modify and finish the helmet, developing its appearance to fit the film’s space-themed concept.

The process involved more than finding the right look. The helmet needed to work as part of the overall costume, helping make the character believable on screen.

Designing the backpack

The astronaut’s backpack was another prop designed and made in-house by students and staff. From developing its shape and appearance to assembling and finishing the materials, the team worked to create a practical prop that complemented the helmet and completed the astronaut’s outfit.

Together, the two pieces helped establish the character’s look, bringing the film’s space-themed concept into the real world through the creativity and practical skills of the people involved.

Behind the Scenes:

Bringing the film to life

From filming on location to capturing the right shots, New Horizons involved a range of creative and technical contributions.

Performing Arts students helped bring the story to life on screen, while T-Level Media students worked behind the camera. Filming involved different locations, aerial footage, carefully positioned cameras and lighting to create the film's distinctive visual style.

The behind-the-scenes images offer a look at the production process, showing how the team captured the scenes that feature in the finished film.

A drone flying above the landscape during filming — Aerial filming during production

The astronaut character inside a modern building during filming — A cinematic moment from the production

The astronaut character illuminated in the field during filming — Creating the scene in the landscape

The astronaut standing in a field at dusk — A cinematic moment from the production

The soundtrack behind East Sussex College’s new student video

What does it sound like when you bring together students, performers, dancers and different areas of East Sussex College in one film? For the College’s latest video, the answer comes through a cinematic soundtrack created by composer Donald Macdonald, helping bring the story to life alongside the students and staff featured on screen.

Watch the new East Sussex College video:

The video takes viewers on a journey through College life, featuring students from different courses, Performing Arts performers and dancers, as well as a range of College locations. Rather than creating a traditional corporate soundtrack, Donald wanted the music to feel more artistic and immersive.

“My intention was to really stay as far away from ‘corporate’ as possible.”

The space-themed concept gave Donald the opportunity to work with the deep ambient soundscapes he enjoys creating. With so many departments and performances featured, the music needed to guide viewers through the different sections of the film.

“The video has a lot of sections with a lot of departments represented and for that I knew the music would have to be a journey,” Donald explains.

That journey was particularly important during the dance section, where the music was shaped around the movement and energy of the Performing Arts students.

For viewers, the aim was to create a sense of wonder while reflecting the emotions that can come with taking the next step in education. Donald wanted them to develop “an emotional relationship to the story” and connect with the main character as the film explores the uncertainty and reassurance of starting a new chapter.

Ultimately, Donald sees his role as bringing together what was already happening on screen.

“The video already had the belonging, my purpose was just to apply a vibe and complete an already very well put together package.”

As Donald puts it: “The music is an emotional cue, it lets the viewer know what you’re trying to convey and how they’re meant to feel.”

Check out Donald's YouTube channel here

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