BFI Skills Cluster Training
OVERVIEW
Train to fill skills gaps in the UK film and TV industry.
The BFI is awarding £9.6 million from The National Lottery, over three years, to support screen production, workforce development and training across six ‘clusters’ in the UK. As part of the Metro London Skills Cluster (London, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire), in partnership with Film London, the NFTS will be running a variety of free sessions to inspire you and develop your creativity!
We offer a variety of Bootcamps and Taster Days – dates for which you can find below.
In the coming months, we will also be running Shepperton Studios short courses – dates to be confirmed. Please sign up on the Pinewood Group website to receive updates.
BOOTCAMPS
Places Available: 30 | Age range: 18+ | Experience: Entry Level | Duration: Two days (Fri-Sat)
Aimed at new entrants, the 2-day Bootcamps will run bi-monthly and are delivered by Joseph A. Adesunloye, an award winning British-Nigerian screenwriter and director, who will offer up a unique insight into the fundamentals of the film and TV industries.
Discover the thrilling possibilities that await in the film and television industry. Our Bootcamp workshops are designed to spark your passion and ignite your creativity. Whether you dream of directing, designing, or captivating audiences through your work, these workshops are your first step toward making cinematic dreams a reality, with sessions including:
Director's Cut: Ready to command the set?
Cinematic Wonders: Are you the visionary behind the lens?
Design Dreams: Does world-building fascinate you?
Soundscapes Unleashed: Love the magic of sound?
Editing Enchantment: Are you a puzzle master?
Lights, Camera, Production! Are you the next whizz producer?
July Bootcamp
Friday 12 – Saturday 13 July
Apply by: Thursday 20 June (midnight).
APPLY NOW
TASTER DAYS
Places Available: 20 | Age range: 18+ | Experience: Entry Level | Duration: 1 day (Saturday)
Taster Days will be dedicated to a different specialism, from Directing to Model Making with a focus on industry skills gaps and shortages.
Overall there are six nationwide BFI Skills Clusters and our programme is strictly limited to residents of London, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire only.
Content Tabs
Model Making: Brick By Brick
In this introduction to Modelmaking , John Lee Head of Department, will show examples of his work which has featured on many well-known films and explain how models are made and captured, as well as providing an overview of the skills and experience necessary to enhance your career in the field of professional model and prop making. This fun workshop you will develop a story idea from scratch through the medium of Lego! Teams will be given a large bag of random Lego, from which you will literally build a story, brick by brick!
Runners
Runners are the hands and feet of the production team, they are on the front line and go anywhere and everywhere to ensure a production goes from prep to wrap without a hitch. Through interactive and informal sessions join us in learning about this route into the industry.
Apply by: Thursday 9th May (midnight).
Line Producing
Identified as an industry skills shortage this training will help you understand what the role of LP encompasses - from working with your producer during financing, setting up the production, reporting during production and finally handing over during post production
Apply by: Thursday 9th May (midnight).
CV Clinic: Marketing Yourself
Your CV is still the most effective tool in marketing yourself and there are simple but effective ways to make it stand out. Get tips on writing and updating a cv, the common mistakes everyone should avoid and where and how you should be making your presence known.
Apply by: Thursday 20th June (midnight).
Camera Trainees
The Camera Trainee role is the first step on the ladder within the Camera Department; it’s a crucial role which helps to support the camera team as a whole.
During this session, you will learn the information you need to apply for a role as a Camera Trainee. You will also learn about the equipment a Camera Trainee is expected to manage and gain a full understanding of the responsibilities of a Trainee and the camera team as a whole.
Apply by: Thursday 20th June (midnight).
Makeup, Hair and SFX
We will be recreating a Viking battle scene, discussing researching, prepping and the logistics of getting hundreds of Vikings ready for the shooting day. There will be a live demonstration using hair, makeup and SFX to create this authentic character for the pre-battle scene and then changing the same character for post battle. Demonstrating the application of injuries, mud, blood, sweat and tears. You will have the opportunity to try out some of the SFX techniques - not for the faint hearted!
Apply by: Thursday 25th July (midnight).
Indie Game Development
With freely available tools and game engines, making games has never been easier. Yet games development remains a multi-disciplinary undertaking that can seem daunting to take on and has as such been identified as an area of skills shortage
In this session we will demystify the games development process by looking at the various hats small indie development teams have to juggle.
Apply by: Thursday 25th July (midnight).
Logging
One of the best routes into the industry, Loggers are the first responders of the production process. They watch everything that happens and create a record of it to assist edit producers in the creation of a show. Identified as a skills shortage Logging is a crucial role in high demand across multiple areas of TV and film production
Apply by: Thursday 22 August (midnight).
Music & Composing
Gain an understanding of the skills it takes to have a successful career as a composer writing and producing music for film, tv and games. It will cover composing-techniques and the nuts and bolts of writing and producing music with an originality that makes it stand out from the crowd.
Apply by: Thursday 22 August (midnight).
Editing
Ever wondered what goes on in the edit suite? Using both drama and documentary examples we’ll introduce you to the concepts of editing from grammar to storytelling and outline the different routes into this area that has been identified as a skills shortage
Apply by: Thursday 26 September (midnight).
Storyboarding
Covering the process of creating a storyboard from a script, this is for anyone interested in storyboarding. You will cover the essential elements of visually communicating a script or creative brief, with plenty of examples of existing storyboards
Apply by: Thursday 26 September (midnight).
SHEPPERTON - DATES TBC
Email to be added to mailing list for infomation on Shepperton based days shortcourses@nfts.co.uk
Production Co-ordinators
Production Co-ordinating offers an exciting career path into the industry and as an identified area of skills shortage offer high levels of employability. Discover what a Production Co-ordinator does - how, why and when!
Apply by: Thursday 24th October (midnight).
Unscripted
Unscripted has been identified as one of the areas of skills shortages within the industry, as coming up with amazing ideas is one of the hardest things in un-scripted television. If you crack it, it could make you millions. If not, the rejection letters will make you cry into your cornflakes. You will be shown fool proof methods to generate winning concepts that will deliver for you
Apply by: Thursday 24th October (midnight)
Art Department
This day will provide a general introduction to the Art Department and the role it plays within film and television productions. It is aimed at early entrants to the industry and may also be of interest to those transitioning from other creative areas in art and design.
Apply by: Thursday 21st November (midnight).
Assistant Directing
Very few people outside the film and TV industry understand the critical role of the Assistant Director. Working closely with the top creative talent, being an AD is one of the great undiscovered and rewarding careers of the industry. We will equip you with the knowledge and skills to help you start pursuing a successful future career in the AD department.
Apply by: Thursday 21st November (midnight).
Terms and conditions:
Bootcamps/Taster days: please note that places are limited and an application does not guarantee your place.
Funded by National Lottery funding this training addresses industry skills shortages and supports skills development and training across London, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire, and priority will be given to those from underrepresented areas.
If you have any questions or need to contact us regarding your application please email shortcourses@nfts.co.uk
Provided with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery and in partnership with Film London.