Common Ground is an immersive documentary film that takes viewers on a journey into the history and politics of the UK housing crisis. It puts a human face on the housing system, allowing audiences to explore the Aylesbury Estate, the biggest social housing project in Europe and home to thousands of South Londoners. Viewers follow the estate’s history, from its inception in the 1960s to its controversial redevelopment today. Stereoscopic 360 video, photogrammetry, 3D modelling, archive footage and interactivity allow this multifaceted VR documentary to explore notions of community, examine the disenfranchisement and demonisation of the working classes, and capture the sense of betrayal that residents feel when forced to move on.

Common Ground had its world premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival 2019, and its UK premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest 2019.

Production company: East City Films
Writer, Producer, Director: Darren Emerson
Executive Producers: Darren Emerson, Ashley Cowan
Head of Post Production: Conan Roberts
Consulting Producer: Dan Tucker
Contributors: Jean Bartlett, John Boughton, Kevin Holland, Aysen Dennis, Judi Bos, Anthony Badu
Camera Operators: Jessica Curran, Conan Roberts, Darren Emerson, Erfan Saaditi, Andrew Yardley
Rover Operator: Sununu Hernandez, Ben Huss-Smickler
Drone Operator: Sununu Hernandez
Sound Recording: Oliver Kadel, Giacomo Corpino, Ashley Cowan, Darren Emerson
Sound Design: Oliver Kadel, 1.618
Production Manager: Alexa Pearson
Runners: Yinjie Yang, Luck Mitchell, Owen Davis
Photogrammetry Capture: Conan Roberts
Editor: Conan Roberts
Animation: Marco Sandeman
3D Modelling: Laine Kocaine, Aaron Hicks
Unity Creative Director: Ollie Lindsay
Unity Technical Director: Adam Child
Unity Creative Lead: Ollie Kay
Unity Developer: Jason Walters
Unity Developer (prototype): Andy Overton
Music Licensing: James Cooper (ATV)
Track: The Order of Death
Writers: Levene/Lydon/Atkins
Master: Public Image
Track: Daytime Television
Writer: Jon Cooper
Master: Turtle
Additional Composition: Oliver Kadel, 1.618
Archive Courtesy of: BFI, BBC Motion Gallery, Getty/ITN Source, The Badu Family, Kevin Holland, Southwark Archives
Special Thanks: Charlotte Benstead, Nils Bendle, Patrischia Warmington, Sarah McCarthy, Wesley Von Evans, Elani Harwood, Ben Campkin, Caspar Sonnen, Wotienke Vermeer, Emily Emerson
Commissioned and funded by: Creative XR, Arts Council England, Digital Catapult
Additional funding: StoryFutures Academy