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Katie Dawson

Katie Dawson

Lecturer

Nottingham School of Art & Design

Staff Group(s)
Filmmaking

Role

Katie Dawson is a lecturer – Specialising in Directing craft, short form narrative, music video, experimental film, Branding and Advertising on the BA (Hons) Filmmaking. Katie also advises students how to find placements with renowned TV/film production companies and multi-media agencies.

Katie prioritises & encourages a conceptual thought process that can be applied to various applications across all media platforms. Focusing mainly on creative thinking & problem solving, in an industry that is always changing with developments in technology & business it is important to establish in each student a sense of adaptability & flexibility to their film practice. Instilling deeper learning & understanding of creative thinking that can be applied to a developing and diverse professional environment.

Career overview

Katie Dawson has been working as a commercial freelance film director for the last 25 years; In that time, she has filmed a variety of commercials, music videos, broadcast promotions, TV channel idents & online content. Katie creates stand out pieces of film to engage audiences for brand communications which are becoming more audience-led, thus highlighting the need for films to be conceptually different and impactful. She knows a large network of talented, experienced people that she has worked with for years in all areas of production & post-production and draws from these professional contacts to inform the students of current industry protocol. She offers a collaborative & interactive approach to learning, involving leading industry figures on projects as well as offering real life case studies to work on.

Research areas

Katie has started developing research ideas on the gender in-balance in the creative & design industry. It’s been well documented that females of all ages are equally creative as their male peers, but the design and advertising industry is still a male dominated environment. The main research is ‘Women in design and film’. She is looking into working towards a conference inviting female keynote speakers from the design and film industry. Creating role models and building networks showing potential graduates what is possible for their own futures, highlighting the role of women as creative leaders within a male dominated area.

External activity

Katie’s most recent work “Time Bascule” a short film she co-directed in 2020 with Artist Di Mainstone was originally commissioned by Tower Bridge in Celebration of their 125th Anniversary for an art installation in the Tower Bridge Museum.

The film has won various awards including:

  • Best Director for experimental film at the Garoa film festival Sao Paulo
  • Best Sound design for experimental film at the Garoa film festival Sao Paulo
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for best Experimental Short LA film festival Indiexfest
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for best Fantasy Short LA film festival Indiexfest
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for best Female Director LA film festival Indiexfest
  • Best Experimental Film Award in the latest edition of Montreal Independent film festival
  • Best Experimental Film at Athens International Art Film Festival
  • Finalist for best experimental film in the Tokyo film festival
  • Finalist for best experimental film in the Play film festival in Paris

Sponsors and collaborators

Katie is currently working on various projects as a freelance director, including branding on air campaigns for TV channels. She is also working on new ideas for another short film.

Course(s) I teach on

  • BA Filmmaking
    Undergraduate | Full-time / Sandwich

    https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/art-and-design/ug/ba-hons-filmmaking