(SHR6E032F~001) WRI23084436 Project Viability Study James Wright
by
Wright,James (STUDENT)
Project Proposal
The projects are interdisciplinary art, sound and visual media. Project 1 is a film collaboration, to compose and develop SFX for Fragile Trust, a drama by Martin Sunderland. Project 2 is a documentary expanding on Pippa Hale’s sculpture, Ribbons, to push awareness for local histories and feminism, accompanied by storytelling music.
The aim is to develop the projects effectively and collaborate in a professional manner to complete two viable outcomes.
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Project 1 – Fragile Trust (Short Film Collaboration)
Fragile Trust is a short film in collaboration with filmmaker Martin Sunderland. It is a 20-minute independent drama currently in post-production (IMDB, 2025).
My roles include:
Original composition and production
Foley and sound design
Delivering stems and demos for feedback
Using the director’s ideas and feedback constructively
Supporting the film throughout festival submissions and competitions
The project started after the original composer withdrew, providing an opportunity to contribute to a real production.
Project 2 – Ribbons Documentary
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Ribbons is a documentary expanding on Pippa Hale’s award-winning sculpture Ribbons, in Playhouse Square, Leeds (Ribbons Sculpture Leeds, 2025)
The project involves:
Interviews with women who appear on the sculpture
Collecting contextual research
Creating musical responses inspired by the stories
Editing the documentary into a short film
Presenting the work with public-facing potential
Collaborating with Pippa to fulfil her ideas
It connects sound, art, community and history, offering a societal value with potential for future development.
Goals
Creative and Technical:
Develop compositions which showcase my sound and fit the project briefs
Strengthen skills in scoring, composition and sound design
Experiment with foley and texture
Produce professional audio for real-life scenarios (festivals, competitions)
Learn skills that can be applied to future projects, i.e., filmmaking, collaboration
Professional and Ethical:
Build connections and network outside of Leeds Conservatoire
Produce work suitable for a professional portfolio
Ensure work is suitable for the collaborators’ needs
Follow copyright laws and ethical codes
Make a difference through art and music, ethical/cultural considerations
Collaborators: Direct and Indirect
Direct Collaborators
James Wright (Myself – Musician)
Provides music and sound effects
Creative direction over music and documentary filming/editing
After developing the initial projects, I made a timeline to gauge how the project would turn out.
Gantt charts for what is achievable help to understand the progress of the projects (APM, 2025), and from the timeline, the project seems to be viable.
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Methodology and Rationale
Methodology
The methodology for both projects follow practice-as-research, where creative work is a form of research as suggested by Nelson (Nelson, 2013). This encourages development, for example figuring out filimmaking myself, and reacting to scenes and interview stories with music through trial and error, which is essential in these projects.
Collaborative Workflows
The projects rely on communication with professionals outside of my discipline. I made sure that my workflow was viable by communicating and sharing creative ideas.
Fragile Trust
Attending meetings with Martin
Reviewing and annotating scripts
Responding to demo scenes with compositions (First response to intro below)
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Working with feedback
This mirrors professional practices, where music development is tied to editorial pacing, as proposed by John Williams (Karlin & Wright & Williams, 2004, p. Foreword).
Ribbons Documentary
Visiting the sculpture for influence
Creating interview questions
Planning documentary themes and influences
Rationale
Cultural and Social
Both projects centre on storytelling and public-facing work. Ribbons aligns with regional arts initiatives such as Leeds 2023, which emphasised public art and participatory stories (Leeds, 2023).
Feminism is the focal point of the documentary, giving it cultural purpose pushing the meaning of the sculpture in a more expanded way.
Professional
Working with real practitioners provides:
Constructive criticism
Authentic collaborative pressure
Portfolio outcomes
Industry-standard workflows
Artistic
The projects allow me to explore:
Narrative structures
Different emotive languages
Sound as emotional and informational content
These will strengthen my portfolio and develop my versatility
Market Analysis
Both projects exist within identifiable markets; by analysing these, the viability can be demonstrated through reach and cultural positioning.
Fragile Trust Fragile Trust sits within the independent film market, including festivals and online platforms like Vimeo. These are key spaces for emerging creatives to develop and exhibit work.
Ribbons Documentary
The Ribbons documentary fits the community arts market. It also links with regional projects such as Leeds 2023, which focuses on local storytelling (Leeds 2023, 2023). This makes it relevant to arts audiences and local organisations.
Costs and Budgeting
Hypothetical Budget
Having a budget shows the viability of the projects if they were industry standard. To prove the viability of the projects as a student, I included my actual budget, showing awareness of costs and where they come from.
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Doing most of the project alone means costs are low. Compared to industry standards, it is a difference of almost £5000, which is currently unattainable.
Potential Funding
The projects have viability for funding due to their cultural and grassroots natures. Ribbons has endorsements from MPs and other important figures so it would be highly likely to be given a grant.
“It will celebrate the achievements of women who have made Leeds the city it is today.”
Rachel Reeves, mp and chancellor (Westleedslife, 2024)
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Inspirations and Influences
Music and Sound
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The inspirations prove the viability of the projects musically. By using ambient and field recording influences, there is space for trial and error while exploring soundscapes that fit within the brief of film and documentary. These styles make it easier to react to a brief, i.e., film scenes, women’s stories.
Visual and Story – Ribbons Inspiration
Reclaim The Night – 1977
The documentary is heavily inspired by Reclaim The Night, a feminist movement in Leeds which aimed to “demand that public spaces be safe and welcoming for all.”. Ribbons is reflective of this and can be used to remind people of these sorts of movements.
“A hugely significant step for women’s liberation”
(Reclaim the night, 2025)
8Pinterest Board Inspiration (9)
Contingency/Risk Assessment
Contingency
As I have two projects, they act as a contingency for each other. The amount that is already completed contributes to knowing that either can be used as a fallback.
In case of both projects falling through, my contingency is:
Salford University: Photography Exhibition
Potential Collaborators:
PhoebeBluePhotos and TaylorHarrisonPhotos
In contact with both, have diverse portfolios and upcoming exhibitions
Risk Assessment
To ensure the viability of the projects, I evaluated the risks and their mitigations. If parts of the projects fall through, there are contingencies within them.
“Riskmanagement is important for minimising negative impacts and maximising the potential for opportunities” (Knowledge Train, 2025)
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From the assessment, the risks are quite low, and when they are not the mitigation covers any damage that may affect the projects.
I presented my viability study presentation in week 9 showing the material and evidence to prove the viability.
Tutor Feedback– Strengths
Variety offered by the two projects
Effectiveness of early networking, communication
Strong feasibility through scripts, demos and materials
Clear indication of planning
Thoughtful awareness of potential issues
Improvements
Develop contingency plans
Embed Panopto videos of scenes
Refine timeline for stricter deadlines
Peer Feedback– Strengths
Strong progress
Clear communication
Professional quality of material
Improvements
More planning for documentary i.e. storyboards, now added (Fig 8)
Balance between both projects
I adapted the Gantt chart to show clearer deadlines, one for each project, expanded my audience research, strengthened my contingencies and embedded more material. This helps gives a “clear, visual representation of the plan” (APM, 2025).
Updated Gantt Charts
Ribbons Documentary
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Fragile Trust
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Evaluation
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Documentary and film work on local histories aligns with research in community-based filmmaking, proving the projects are viable to public audiences. Public art programmes like Leeds 2023 emphasise participatory storytelling, making the documentary culturally relevant (Leeds, 2023).
Research into field recording and communities also supports the viability of the projects, as these are the primary methods I will be using. These are often used to explore identity in community art projects, relating to the community themes of Ribbons (Lane & Carlyle, 2011).
Based on evidence gathered so far, both projects are viable within the timeframe I have set.
Each project shows excellent management with:
confirmed collaborators
clear communication
early creative materials
planning, scheduling, Gantt charts and timelines
emails, scripts, photographs, scores and storyboards
I have learned to effectively communicate with collaborators and develop a viable project.
If I were to improve, I would rethink the feasibility of balancing projects, make a clearer plan for filmmaking, or find someone else to do it.
The tasks have contingency plans and budgets. Market research shows clear audiences and relevance, allowing pathways for distribution and visibility.
From this, the projects are demonstrated to be viable and achievable to a professional standard within the timeframes, also enabling the further development mentioned.
Bibliography
Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow. 2015. Ex Machina (soundtrack) [Apple Music].
Brian Eno. 1982. Ambient 4: On Land [Apple Music].
Freelance filmmaker: Only £99/Hour: Professional filmmaker london (no date) Freelance Filmmaker | Only £99/hour | Professional Filmmaker London. Available at: https://www.filmfolk.com/services/freelance-filmmaker (Accessed: 26 November 2025).
Hildur Guonadottir. 2022. Women Talking (soundtrack) [Apple Music].
Home – aesthetica short film festival (no date) Aesthetica Short Film Festival –. Available at: https://www.asff.co.uk/ (Accessed: 20 November 2025).
