Two of Signal Film & Media’s young participants on our Cumbria and North Lancashire regional BFI Film Academy, held at Cooke’s Studios, spent their Easter holidays at the National Film & Television School (NFTS). Amy Steel, 18 from Barrow and Matthew Edwards, 18 from Penrith managed to secure 2 out of the 66 highly competitive places on offer at the national intensive talent campus where they worked at one of the best film schools in the world making a short film with professional filmmakers.
Amy and Matthew were both part of our BFI Film Academy group 2014. The project runs each year from October to March; 15 participants from around the region were selected for the opportunity in 2013-14. During the specially designed course participants made their own film from concept, to script, to production with the guidance of professional tutors through master-classes and workshops. Their short film ‘Driven’ is a dark, eerie thriller in which a man’s Sat-Nav begins to take over his destiny. The film was shot in December by the Ormsgill reservoir with the helpful assistance of Barrow Borough Council and the Cemetery Cottages.
The young people attending the NFTS talent campus were split into smaller groups to work on 6 different short films. Amy was the sound recordist on ‘The Wonderful World of Work’, and Matthew Edited ‘Canned’. It all culminated with a glittering showcase of the young participants films at the BFI IMAX London Southbank on Thursday 17th April hosted by BFI Chair, Greg Dyke and NFTS Director Nik Powell.
Signal were invited to an open day at the NFTS to see what Amy and Matthew had been up to, we were extremely proud to see the films that they had both helped to make at the BFI IMAX, London. We’re proud that Barrow and Cumbria are being represented nationally and hope to see our young people continue to develop their film making careers.
Nik Powell, NFTS Director said:
‘It’s inspiring to see the hunger for knowledge among these young filmmakers. We hope that the skills we’ve given them at the NFTS will provide the launch pad and confidence they need to fulfil their ambitions.’
See the Film DRIVEN Click here
Behind the Scenes Driven Click here
Photos of the Project – Click here
More information about The National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School is one of the top film, television and new media schools in the world as evidenced by the Hollywood Reporter placing the NFTS in the top three non-American schools in the world.
The NFTS delivered an intensive two-week residential craft skills course, held during the Easter break, for 66 young people aged 16-19, of which 2 of the young people were from the Cumbrian cohort at Signal Film and Media, there were around 900 applicants from around the UK. The course featured master-classes from leading film industry figures and offering students practical experience of using high-tech, industry-standard equipment. The main requirement is that they be passionate about film and want the opportunity to develop the skills and ambition to forge a career in film. Some of the Guest speakers during the residency included comedian Lenny Henry, actor David Morrissey (Walking Dead, State of Play), directors Mike Newell (Harry Potter films, Four Weddings and Funeral) and Destiny Ekaragha (Gone Too Far), producer Brian Tufano (Trainspotting, Billy Elliot), and visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (Gravity, The Dark Knight, Avatar). This year’s training also included a trip to Andy Serkis’s performance capture facility, The Imaginarium Studios.
More information about the BFI Film Academy:
Signal Film and Media are a selected provider of the British Film Institute’s national Film Academy. The BFI’s flagship Film Academy programme is supported by the Department for Education in England who have committed £1m pa funding from April 2012 and 31 March 2015 and by the National Lottery. The BFI developed the Film Academy following recommendations from both Lord Chris Smith’s Film Policy Review and The Henley Report, Darren Henley’s Cultural Education Review around arts and film education. The Film Academy is a cornerstone of the BFI’s ambitious new 5-19 Film Education strategy which aims to support the development of 5-19 film education across the UK, working alongside partners in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We will work closely with our film education delivery partner, Film Nation UK, to ensure benefits for young people are maximised across the UK.
Useful Links
Full details of the BFI Film Academy and links to all partners can be found here: click here
Details for BFI Film Education Scheme: click here
The National Film and Television School: Website
