Oxford: G-Smatt Europe works with Brookes students on digital project

Six final-year students from Oxford Brookes University who are studying for their BSc in digital media production, were given the opportunity to work with Oxford-based company G-Smatt Europe.

Students began the semester working in teams to create a small business with a website, showcasing their personal portfolios and identify an ideal client base. They were then required to pitch to a selection clients provided by their module leader, senior lecturer in film and digital media, Dr Alison Kahn.

G-Smatt was one of several business, schools and charities invited to the work with the student teams, and the clients were asked to identify the best team match.

Dr Kahn explained: "Once the SBT (Student Business Team)-client partnership has been agreed, the students received a brief. The SBT and their client get together again two weeks later to discuss ideas regarding how they might fulfil the brief. In this instance G-Smatt opted to take on two SBTs and asked the students to consider developing an interactive game as content for their glass product. The teams then had another six weeks in total to complete the production, which was screened in front of an invited audience at the end of the module.”

"We were delighted to get involved with the students and to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience. Our media glass is the ideal platform on which these students can develop some of their ideas and show their true creativity," said Orhan Ertughrul, executive vice-president, G-Smatt Europe. 

“Everyone exceeded my expectations and we created a product which we are all proud of,” said one member of OBU student team.

Kahn added that it was a pleasure to work with such a supportive client and the students had risen to the challenge with a can-do attitude that paid off, surprising themselves about how much they could learn and achieve in such a short space of time. “I could see the growing confidence of these students over the semester and I am thrilled with the relationship we have built with G-Smatt. We could not have asked for a more inspiring project in which to test student skills and nurture their professionalism. This has really got them all thinking about how they might develop their portfolios as creative professionals.”