How The National Film and Television School Filmmaking Certificate Helped Mina Barber Pursue A Career In Screenwriting And Get Her Scripts To The Screen

Mina Barber knew she wanted to make the move from a career in theatre to one in film and TV. The National Film and Television School Filmmaking Certificate equipped her with a 360-degree understanding of the film production process and helped her hit the ground running in her transition over to this exciting industry.
 

She is now a successful writer for children’s television and recently co-wrote Closing Time for Channel 5’s Play for Today, an anthology of original one-off dramas exploring modern social issues, airing its second season revival later in 2026.

We caught up with Mina to find out what she has been up to since her time at the NFTS and how the Filmmaking Certificate helped her take her career to the next level.
 

What were you up to before the course and what made you want to apply?
 

Before taking the course, I had been working in theatre as a writer and director, but for a very long time had wanted to move to film and TV. That transition started in 2021 when I was selected for the BBC Writers' Room: Drama Room, a year-long development scheme for screenwriters where I wrote a pilot script. Following that, I was selected again in 2022 for another writer’s scheme, but this was with CBBC, where I gained my first TV credit writing for The Beaker Girls, a Tracy Beaker spin-off. As a writer, I had already started work in the industry as a screenwriter, but felt at the time there was a real learning gap for me between being a theatre director and wanting to become a film and TV director. I wanted to start right from the beginning, so I decided to look into courses at NFTS.

Was there anything that surprised you about the course?

There wasn’t anything that surprised me about the course; I was just glad to throw myself in and learn all of the basics and soak up as much as I could. I think with any course, it’s about the course outline and the teaching, but it’s also about how much attention and effort you put in.

How did your experience on the Filmmaking Certificate shape your next steps?

I knew that the Certificate course in Filmmaking was just the beginning for me and that I wanted to learn more and more, so I applied for the NFTS Directors Series, a brilliantly intensive, practical, month-long short course over the summer. It was literally four practical weeks of going straight in, shooting in the studio with a crew, editing, then viewing and receiving feedback for our work in one of the on-site cinemas. It was perfect for me over the summer because, along with all my theatre work and then TV writing work, I had also been working in schools as a welfare officer to pay bills, so being able to take a shorter intensive course was perfect.

What advice would you give to someone considering this course now?

I think a lot of people come onto the course knowing what area they want to go into, but I would say learn everything and throw yourself into everything. Your goal may be to be a director, but it's really useful to understand all of the creative machinery of filmmaking, the hierarchies, the creative processes of each department, and to understand that all of the other roles, ultimately, are your collaborators. I have a fondness and respect for the sound department after being a Boom Operator and Sound Mixer over a couple of days on our final projects - the boom, what a killer...I didn't mind the odd boom dipping into shot after that because I knew how heavy it was, and I realised how much the Sound Mixer could hear in the room!

Where are you now in your career, and how do you see it developing next?

I recently wrote my first hour-long drama titled Closing Time for the re-launched Play for Today format by Channel 5, which has already filmed and, with post-production complete, will air soon. I also continue to write for children's TV. My next move is to direct three of my own shorts.

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If you are keen to gain a thorough understanding of the filmmaking process and start forging a career in the creative industries, we are accepting applications for the October cohort of our Filmmaking Certificate. 
Graduate with an insight into practical filmmaking from one of the top film schools in the world: taught by industry practitioners and including a 5-day in-person workshop at NFTS Beaconsfield.

Filmmaking Certificate
6 months
Part-time
Apply today! nfts.co.uk/filmmaking