Impact films and REF2029

Film can be an excellent medium with which to conduct and publish research. Even if you wouldn’t ordinarily engage with film production, collaborating with us to produce a film can open up new dimensions to your research. 

• We can exploit the capacity of film to ask and answer different kinds of research questions than those possible in written media 

• We can engage thoughtfully with any kind of making or performing, materiality and sensoriality, explore and examine archives and collections, and help cohere multiple research strands or themes 

• And we can co-produce qualitative research outputs with participants or professional and public communities engaged by your research

REF actively encourages this kind of approach to research; its Research Diversity Advisory Panel promotes and ensures ‘equitable recognition of diverse forms of research’ (REF2029 Overview, para 8.0.5). Like all research outputs, REF will assess research films in terms of ‘originality, significance and rigour’ (REF2019/02, para 39).

A well-made film can be both an impactful output and evidence of impact. That is, a film can be produced directly to have ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life beyond academia’. It can also present evidence of such impact taking place across your project.

REF assesses impact in terms of ‘reach’ and ‘significance’.

• Reach

  How far has the impact been felt? What constituencies, number of people or groups of beneficiaries have you reached? (REF2019/02, para 288)

  A film can reach wide and diverse audiences. When we create a film – as a research or impact output or both – we always discuss performance and distribution. Not only is the film one output (‘non-textual’), its screenings might also be considered separate, impactful outputs (as ‘performances’) (REF2029 Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding Guidance, para 5.6.4).

• Significance

  What is the degree to which the ‘impact has enabled, enriched, influenced, informed or changed the performance, policies, practice, products, services, understanding, awareness or wellbeing of the beneficiaries’? (REF2019/02, para 289)

  What has changed as a result of your research?

  A film can inform debate in the political or cultural sphere, lead to policy changes and other decisions, create visibility for under-represented and marginalised communities. Film can be used to convene a variety of viewpoints on a given issue, subjecting research to public or professional scrutiny; ultimately, it can change behaviour, practices and understanding.

We also make legacy films for research, presenting individual projects (or groups of projects) and their stories as clear and coherent narratives. A legacy film is a strategic tool designed to evidence the impact of all research and engagement activity – not only that pertaining to the film.

We can arrange, record and present short clips as evidence of impact – testimonials, interviews, discussions, qualitative data. Such clips create convincing and verifiable links between research and impact, while also offering convincing and verifiable evidence of your work’s reach and significance.

We often work at the organisational level with communications teams, development leads and Deans of Impact. This work centres on engaging public bodies and statutory funders, trusts and foundations, UHNW and HNW individuals, regular giving, legacies and alumni.