Dr Sabina Shah
| Biography | Dr Sabina Shah currently holds the position of Lecturer in Film Production at the University of Salford. Sabina completed her practice-as-research PhD entitled 'The Portrayal of the Historical Muslim Female on Screen' from the University of Manchester in 2017 and is active within academia, obtaining a HEA Teaching Fellow. Prior to this Sabina studied at the London College of Music and Media where she also worked as a TA with the senior lecturer teaching 'Video Production' to MA students, where she obtained a 1st for her MA degree in Video Production and Film Studies. Sabina graduated with a B.A (hons) degree in Music and Visual Arts from the University of Brighton. To feed previous research practice and to gain knowledge in the field of screen studies it has been vital for Sabina to observe and to be actively involved in the film, media and music industry. Music projects have led to records being released and aired Internationally on radio, including a live sessions and interviews with the BBC. Sabina has been part of a film crew at both Pinewood and Denham Studios, and for Handmade Films. What is more, Sabina has been involved with various production houses and broadcast channels, like Extreme Broadcast Channel, Sansad TV, Black Diamond, Arena Digital, alongside Tiger Aspect; and has experience assisting directors to stage their productions whether for film or theatre. Sabina continues to work alongside community grassroots organisations at home and overseas and as an academic filmmaker, the aim of Sabina's research is to seek human rights resolutions using the film medium. |
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| Research Interests | Race, Gender, Representation, Film Production, Film Studies, Practice-as-Research, Cultural Studies, Islam, Muslim Women's Activism. |
| Teaching and Learning | University of Salford 2019 - Present FILM DEPARTMENT Lecturer in Film Production Sabina continues to teach Film Production to both under- and postgraduate students. The undergraduate practice-based course covers the development of a narrative short film from pre- to postproduction, wherein students develop robust skills relating to their crew role, such as pitching, scriptwriting, budgeting, filming on set and location, handling tech, directing, documentation, scheduling, and editing. Whereas the MA programme’s focus lies in Co-creation and Collaboration. This practice-led research module administers a collaboration between NGOs and students to create a participant led film, one that is representative of that community. Other modules include: the Essay Film; Film Histories, Film Movements I; Critical Approaches to Film; TV Genres; Documentary; Comedy and British Cinema; Contemporary; and American Cinema. University of Manchester 2011-2022 HISTORY DEPARTMENT Sabina led undergraduate seminars on historical source analysis to examine the rise of Islam (632CE) across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and Europe. Whereas, Colonial Encounters covers historical movements with the establishment of European colonialism from the Sixteenth Century leading to Nationalism, Protest and Revolution in the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, and the Americas. Subjects include: the legacies of colonialism, orientalist fantasies, merchant trading, sexuality, and citizenship. DRAMA DEPARTMENT Sabina co-taught on the Documentary module, wherein the student’s assignment was to make a 5-minute documentary, supported by a reflective essay. The course investigates a hands-on approach to documentary filmmaking, concepts, framing, cameras (Sony X5FE), sound equipment (booms, lapel mics, onboard directional mics, channels, and headphones), recce, editing, risk assessment and consent forms. This module follows on from the Art of Film module, which Sabina also delivered, which sets the theoretical underpinnings to film practice by examining cinematography, lighting, the mise-en-scéne, sound, editing, audiences, stardom, and authorship. SKILLS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM Whilst at the University of Manchester, Sabina delivered several skills training workshops for postgraduates and post doc researchers: such as Practice-as-Research; Shut Up and Write; and Creating an Academic Poster. Thames Valley University 2006-2007 FILM DEPARTMENT Upon completion of my MA, Sabina co-taught Video Production to oversee MA students’ projects from pre-production to post using Panasonic PD150s and Avid editing software. |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | Research interests lie in practice-as-research, race, gender, representation, film production, film studies, and cultural studies. |
Dr Sabina Shah - Book Review - Animation in the Middle East
A summarised version of Sabina's book review on 'Animation in the Middle East: Practice and Aesthetics from Baghdad to Casablanca' for Sage Animation Journal