David Chapman profile image-290-x-265

Dr David Chapman

Senior Lecturer

Film, Filmmaking, Moving Image Research Centre

Department of Media, Fashion & Communications , School Of Arts And Creative Industries

Dr David Chapman is Course Leader for MA Filmmaking and teaches film production and film history at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and supervises practice orientated PhDs and Professional Doctorates in Fine Art (DFA).

Areas Of Interest

  • Film and television production and history
  • Sonic arts
  • Visual arts
David Chapman profile image-290-x-265

OVERVIEW

David leads and teaches across a number of MA and BA Modules, with a special focus on documentary film, film sound and professional practice in the moving image industries.

He currently leads the MA Modules Documentary Cinema and Audiovision (film sound & sound design) and the BA Modules Employment and Enterprise and Agency 2: Professional Life & Mental Wealth.

He is an active member of the School's research committees (Impact and Innovation and Research Degree) and runs Schema, UEL's Student Film Production Unit

CURRENT RESEARCH

David's current work is as a media artist and researcher with a particular interest in sound and image interaction. He creates video and multichannel sound pieces for both gallery and site-specific exhibitions.

David's most recent work investigates the sonic mediation of the natural world, the durational dimensions of place, and historical and cultural issues through audio-visual installations. He is a founding member of UEL's Moving Image Research Committee.

For more information, you can visit David's website.

Most Recent Research

Art as Problematic Waste (2019) Documentary film and multi-channel installation project, co-directed with Finnish media artist Aimo Hyvärinen. The work is funded by AVEK, the Finnish audio-visual arts council.

  • October 4 - 27, 2019 Turku Art Hall, Turku, Finland.
  • October 7 - 30, 2019 Kulttuuritalo Laikku, Tampere, Finland.
  • March 5 - 12, 2020  Greenwich University Galleries, London. Curated by David Waterworth.
  • April 2021, International Fine Arts Film Festival, Santa Barbara, U.S.A.

Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrection 1946 (2017) Collaborative multimedia installation with leading artist Vivan Sundaram, cultural historians Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Prof. Valentina Vitali (UEL).
(Archived Website) https://insurrection1946.wordpress.com/ 

  • March 17 – 25, 2017, Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Museum, Mumbai, India.
  • Feb 9 – July 20, 2018, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, India.

Chapman, D. (2017) 'Context-Based Sound and the Ecological Theory of Perception' Organised Sound, 22(1), pp. 42-50.

PUBLICATIONS

Publications

  • Chapman, D. (2017) 'Context-Based Sound and the Ecological Theory of Perception' Organised Sound, Vol.22. Issue1 pp: 42-50.
  • Chapman, D. (2016) 'The Undersea World of the Sound Department: the Construction of Sonic Conventions in Sub-aqua Screen Environments', The New Soundtrack, Vol.6.2, pp: 143-157.
  • Chapman D. & Wilson L.K. (2013) 'Falkland: a Sonic Investigation of Place', in S. Giametta & F. Michi (eds) Keep An Ear On: Atti Del V° Simposio FKL Sul Paesaggio Sonoro, Firenze, Italy: Fratini Editore
  • Chapman D. & Wilson L.K. (2011) 'The Caress of the Audio: Re-sounding Falkland', Social Semiotics Vol. 21, No. 4, pp: 517-529
  • Chapman D. & Wilson L.K. (2011) Re-sounding Falkland, (Catalogue) Falkland Centre for Stewardship
  • Chapman D. & Wilson L.K. (2010) 'Falkland: a Sonic Investigation of Place', Journal of Media Practice, Vol.11, No.3. pp: 231-242.
  • Chapman D. (2009) 'Chance Encounters: Serendipity and the Use of Music in the Films of Jean Cocteau and Harry Smith' The Soundtrack, Vol 2, No.1 pp: 5-18
  • Chapman D. (2009) 'Hark', Screenworks Vol. 1, No.1
  • Chapman D. & Wilson L.K. ( 2008) 'Critical Dialogues: David Chapman and Louise K. Wilson,' (Interview by Anne-Cranny-Francis) Scan: Journal of Media Arts Practice, Vol. 5, Number 3 (http://scan.net.au/scan/journal/display.php?journal_id=125)
  • Chapman D. (2005) 'The Ark' [Molly Dineen, 1993]; 'I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like' [Bill Viola, 1986]; 'Video Diaries' [BBC 1990-2001]; 'Interactivity'; 'Multimedia', In Aitkin, Ian [ed] Encyclopaedia of the Documentary Film, New York: Routledge
  • Chapman, D. (1999) 'Downloading the Documentary' in Wayne, M. [ed] Dissident Voices London: Pluto Press.

Selected exhibitions and art events

  • March 2020 'Art as Problematic Waste', Greenwich University Galleries, London. Curated by David Waterworth (collaboration with Aimo Hyvärinen).
  • Oct 2019 'Art as Problematic Waste', Kulttuuritalo Laikku, Tampere, Finland (collaboration with Aimo Hyvärinen).
  • Feb-July 2018 'Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrection 1946', (installed as part of Vivan Sundarem’s career retrospective) Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Curated by Roobina Karode, New Delhi, India.
  • Feb. 2017  'Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrection 1946', Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Museum, Mumbai, India (collaboration with Vivan Sundaram & Ashish Rajadhyaksha).
  • March 2016 'River', Curated By Peter Cobb and Richard Wilson, AVA Gallery, UEL.
  • Sept. 2015 'Decade / Decayed', Curated by Anne Bean, Dilston Grove, Café Gallery Projects, London.
  • March 2014  'Tottenham Takeover', V&A Museum, London.
  • 2012 'I Hear Too-2' (Group Show) Guildhall, York, curated by Damian Murphy & Jude Bereton
  • 2011  'Phono:Graphic' (Group Show), curated by Helen Frosi, Galerie8, London.
  • 2011 'To the Field and Yonder!' (Group Show), curated by Helen Frosi. Gorey Art and Film Festival Gorey,Ireland
  • 2011 'Touch Too', (Group Show), curated by Anne Cranny- Francis, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
  • 2010 'Re-sounding Falkland', series of multi-channel sound and video installations, Falkland Centre for Stewardship, Falkland Scotland (collaboration with Louise K. Wilson)
  • 2009  'I hear Too' (Group Show), York Minster, curated by Damian Murphy and Jude Brereton
  • 2009 'Falkland Audiowalk’' headphone based audiowork, Falkland Centre for Stewardship, Falkland Scotland (collaboration with Louise K. Wilson)
  • 2008 'Arcadia', 8-channel sound installation Palace of Falkland, Fife Scotland (collaboration with Louise K. Wilson)
  • 2007 'Hark 2' (with David Cottridge) (Group Show) Matrix East Research Lab, University Of East London
  • 2005 'Hark', (with David Cottridge) Gunpowder Park. Waltham Abbey. Funded by Gunpowder Park and Arts Council England
  • 2005 Reap, (Group Show) Curated by Anne Bean, Café Gallery Projects, London

Selected media work

  • 2007 Connecting Art and Anthropology (Sound Designer) Audio Notebook (MIRIAD)
  • 2006  'Robert Wilson Project', Sound Work / Publication (Sound Designer), Gunpowder Park, Waltham Abbey.
  • 2004 Steel Cello / Bow Chime Director, Editor, DVD Author
  • DVD documentary of the performance work of Bob Rutman, Adrian Palka and Wolfram Spyra. Collaborative research project with Adrian Palka [Coventry University] Funded By AHRB
  • 2004 Flows and Levels (Radio work), Art Trail, Soundworks', Cork, Ireland.
  • 2004 Revelation Online Art project. With Paul St. George & Maureen Kendall [London Metropolitan University] Funded by Lea Valley Park
  • 2002 Wigs of Wonderment - Producer / Video editor
  • Interactive CD-Rom based on performance work by Keith Khan and Moti Roti. For African and Asian Visual Artists Archive / Live Arts Development. Funded by London Arts Board.
  • 2002 Finding the Way Home - Producer / Director
  • Documentation of ERSC funded study of youth issues and cultures in East London and Hamburg. 30min. for the Centre for New Ethnicity Research - UEL. Funded ERSC
  • 2002 Artists and Cosmonauts - Co-director/ editor
  • Video documenting artists working in zero-gravity conditions. Screened at Artists and Cosmonauts [Lilian Baylis Theatre, London; Strange and Charming Sci-art seminar series Royal College of Art , London and various symposia in Britain, USA and France. For The Arts Catalyst
  • 2001 Chanting Heads - Producer / Video Editor, CD-Rom documenting recent work by 12 British artists for African and Asian Visual Artists Archive, Funded by the Athene Trust
  • 1997 The Hum, Broadcast documentary, Splash/Faction Films for HTV / Westcountry TV (Producer).

COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

  • Black Leaf Films
  • Discover.film
  • Dreamstudio Virtual Reality
  • Film and Video Umbrella
  • Highlife Productions
  • Just Runners
  • NICOLA (New International Company of Live Arts)

TEACHING

MA Filmmaking

Master the art of filmmaking at the University of East London. Elevate your skills with our specialised master's programme in filmmaking.

Find out more about this course

BA (Hons) Film

Unleash your cinematic passion with a film degree at the University of East London. Dive into BA Film and explore diverse courses on your creative journey.

Find out more about this course

MODULES

MA modules

  • MS7502 Audiovision
  • MS7515 Documentary Cinema
  • MS7533 The Moving Image
  • MS7000 Professional Practice & Research Methods (Mental Wealth)
  • MS7001 Final Project.

BA modules

  • MS4013 Documentary 1 - Documentary and Representation
  • MS5038 Enterprise & Employment
  • MS5031 Mental Wealth: Professional Life - Agency 2
  • MS6201 Cinematics 3 - Dissertation projects

PhD supervision

David has supervised the following PhDs to completion:

  • 2020  Orson Nava: Eastern Promise? Race, Innovation and Inequality in the Creative Industries-Driven Regeneration of East London, (Director of Studies).
  • 2019 Najat Alsheridah: Women and Dance in Kuwaiti Cinema, (Supervisor).

He is currently supervising the following PhD and Professional Doctorate in Fine Art (DFA) candidates (with Due to Complete dates).

  • 2022 Paul Greenleaf: Illusory Truth: Temporal Dislocation, Place Memory and Object Afterlife, (Supervisor) DFA.
  • 2022 Ralph Overhill: Monsters and Margins, (Supervisor, DFA.)
  • 2024 Julian Alexander: The Cinematic Hip-hop Narrative: Using Rap as the Primary Storytelling tool on Screen, (Supervisor) PhD.
  • 2025 Hannah Beadman: Cinematography and Indigeneity: decolonizing Land / land/ land'scape', collapsing the apparatus-camera's gaze, (Director of Studies) PhD.

Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository