Philip’s winning documentary ‘Leave Only Footprints’ focused on urban explorers who cover abandoned buildings across Northern Ireland. It was completed as part of his QUB MA Media & Broadcast Production postgraduate dissertation project which was supervised by Frank Delaney, Snr Lecture, QUB. Philip who is originally from Glengormley undertook the part-time postgraduate course, while working in the art and design sector and is married with two young children and currently lives in East Belfast.

 

Philip says: “This project really felt like the culmination of everything I learned during my time at Queen’s. The course not only equipped me with the editorial skills to take an idea from concept to screen, but fostered an environment that gave me the confidence to explore and find my creative voice. Winning a National RTS Student Award is a huge honour, and felt like a milestone that recognised not just the final project, but the growth that led to it.

 

“Leave Only Footprints was particularly inspired by Vault Artist Studios, a collective who transform abandoned buildings into studio and rehearsal spaces for artists. Many of us pass by these buildings every day without registering what's been lost. Coming from an art and design background, I’ve always been drawn to stories about creative expression and the rich visual language of urban exploration seemed like the perfect lens to highlight those questions about how we value our built heritage.”

 

The RTS jury admired Philip’s film’s beautiful shooting and editing, praising its pace, strong use of archive, and engaging sound design. They felt it was an excellently executed, topical piece that drew the audience in with care and precision.

 

Sarah McCaffrey, Chair of RTS NI said: “An RTS National Student Award is recognised as a symbol of excellence in the creative industries and the competition to secure one of these accolades gets tougher every year. Congratulations to  Philip and the broadcast team at Queen’s University Belfast for highlighting the amazing talent and quality of film making being produced in Northern Ireland universities on the national stage. I wish Philip every success in his filmmaking career and look forward to seeing his future work on the big screen in the near future.“