BFI Discovery Film School 2016

“Hey kid… you wanna be in the movies?”

The BFI Film Academy are running a film school in Dundee from August to December. It’s a big commitment as you will need to get through to Dundee every Thursday from 6pm – 8:30pm, and participate in a week long film school during the October break. It’ll also cost £25. (BTW: That’s for the whole course, not per week!) It’ll be hard work. And you’ll learn loads!

More importantly, it’s a fabulous opportunity to get experience in professional practice, meet others who have an interest in film-making, and this year, if you complete the course successfully,  you will receive the NCFE Level 2 Award in Preparing to Work in the Film Industry. Given that the next few years will see at least one new dedicated film studio complex opening in Scotland, and that the film industry has been identified as a potentially crucial contributor to the Scottish economy, there has never been a better time to consider film and TV as a future career…

You can see the course timetable here: COURSE TIMETABLE

And full details and application form are here: BFI/DCA Film School 2016

Applications close 8th August… so get busy! 😉

Spectre Opening Sequence

Thanks for the question about the Spectre opening. Made me go back and look at it again, and that’s always a good thing. 🙂

Here it is:

And here are a couple of links that talk about how it was filmed…

How They Pulled Off The ‘Spectre’ of Death…

FXGuide to Spectre…

ASC Interview with Sam Mendes

And finally, here are some behind-the-scenes pics of the filming. Enjoy!

Dollycrane on the rooftops

Wide angle of the set up for the opening

Daniel Craig with his safety harness visible

Rooftops from the front. Where’s the rest of the room?

The collapsing Mexican building… in Pinewood Studios, England.

Dolly tracks on the right

Bond’s costume harks back to an earlier Bond villain

Ready to roll…

Rehearsals…

They’ve made a right mess of that jacket

I can see your house from here…

How Baby Helicopters are made…

I can see right up your nose

Next stop, Cirque du Soleil

Dolly Track to the right…

 

BFI Film Academy Scotland Residential 2016

So, this was forwarded to me. An 11 day, fully-funded (ie: FREE), residential film-making course that you can apply for if you have made a short film (ahem… Assignment, anyone?) and are interested in film-making. Did I mention it was FREE?

You can get details/website here: FILM ACADEMY SCOTLAND

You can download the application form here: PDF Format / M$ Word Format 

You can see examples of work from previous courses here: YouTube Link (and check bottom of the post)

And you can ask me questions via scottishteacher…

Now get busy, get filming, and get happy!

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Subject: BFI Film Academy Scotland Residential 2016

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you with an opportunity for any 16-19 year olds that you know who may be interested in taking part in an exciting residential film making course.

Applications are now open for the BFI Film Academy Scotland Residential 2016 in Edinburgh, and it is open to young people across the UK between the ages of 16-19.

Over the past three years we have run BFI Film Academies across Scotland, and have trained and developed over 120 young people, helping them to produce over 14 short films. Participants have progressed from the Academy onto college and university film and media courses, national residential courses in specialisms such as VFX, Screenwriting, Cinematography, onto film and TV sets and some have even started their own production companies.

Over the course of eleven days, between 2nd and 12th August, we are offering intensive training in; storytelling, directing, production, sound recording, editing and camera with the final aim of devising, shooting and producing a plot driven narrative short film. Working with key individuals within the film industry, we will provide an understanding of commercial and cultural knowledge and skills to help make a career in film a reality.

I have attached an information sheet with further information on the course and where to access the application form. Please do distribute this where you feel is appropriate, and if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you so much for your time.

Kind regards,

Kerri Rolland

BFI Film Academy Scotland Co-ordinator

Screen Education Edinburgh

30 Ferry Road Avenue

Edinburgh

EH4 4BA

Jumpcut Crew

My old keyboard player, Michael Hines, pointed me at Jumpcut. It’s not feasible for you this year (as you’d be working full-time right through the exams!), but it’s definitely a site to check on and they run regular projects.

Clicking on the poster will download the application pack which gives further information. If you are serious about a future career in the media, this could be just the thing for you!

Click on the Poster to download the Info Pack/Application

Go For It!

There are a couple of really interesting MOOCs starting in February that you might be well advised to check out. No, seriously. Especially if you want to get more in depth knowledge for a future career choices (or any approaching SQA exam, possibly).

They’re both free, and both supported by industry bodies. I’ve copied the blurb for each for you to check them out (Click the title to visit the site)…

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Film Production: Behind the Scenes of Feature Filmmaking

ABOUT THE COURSE
Over three weeks, The Production Guild of Great Britain, guided by respected film and television professionals, will demystify the process of making a feature film. You will discover the key stages of how a film gets made and the different types of production.

Want to start working in film production?

We will explore the different departments, and how they interact and work together. We will look at the structure of a film crew – how individual job roles fit into the wider crew – and get to grips with industry jargon and etiquette.

Each week, you will have the opportunity to test your own knowledge and understanding via multiple choice quizzes, and post your thoughts and ideas for discussion with your fellow students

Starting out as a Runner

Anyone with a more specific interest in working in the film industry will gain an understanding of entry-level jobs and potential career progression pathways. You’ll also hear hints and tips for how to get on in the industry and pursue your dream.

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An Introduction to Screenwriting

ABOUT THE COURSE
Screenplays form the starting point for most dramatic films, the essential work from which all other filmmaking flows. All of the tender romance, terrifying action and memorable lines begin at the screenwriter’s desk. This free online course will introduce you to the basic elements and key concepts behind a professional screenplay.

The University of East Anglia’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing have built this course with instructors and recent alumni from their famed course in Creative Writing.

Where could this course take me?

The course is a must for anyone new to scriptwriting and for more experienced writers who wish to raise their scriptwriting to a professional level. It will establish a common vocabulary for approaching the screenplay and form the basis for upcoming courses in dramatic adaptation, the crime screenplay, and other genres and skills.

What and how will I learn?

You’ll learn from a mixture of basic theory, script analysis and practical exercises. We will explore key principles as they’re expressed in great films, then immediately apply these concepts. Videos, articles and discussion steps will offer you the opportunity to learn and engage with other learners on key concepts and ideas.

By the end of the course, you will understand the key concepts necessary to write an effective screenplay and be fluent in the language used to discuss the form.

PS: I’ve participated in one of these courses before, and they are really interesting. I’ve also just signed up for them myself!

How do you…? You just…!

Kermode & Mayo Live in Edinburgh 17/10/15

There’s a brilliant meme on Kermode and Mayo’s show that goes like this:

Q: How do you use Snapchat? A: You just use snapchat.
Q: How do you solve world hunger? A: You just solve world hunger.

You get the idea. (Feel free to try it with any of your teachers as the answer to any question that begins “How do you…”. I dare you.) Anyway, the relevant question for you is “How do you make a film?”

Here are some people who have done just that. The 10 finalists have just been announced for second Kermode and Mayo “Well Done U” competition — Well Done U 2. The rules are simple. Your film has to be no more than 2 minutes long, and should be suitable to achieve a BBFC “U” certificate — and, indeed, that is what the First Prize in the competition is.

They are all worth watching, and you will get ideas from each of them. I know you are almost finished your scripts and pre-production, so you need to be thinking seriously about your cinematography… you can learn loads from watching each of these films, and I expect them to inspire you into seeing things with a more ‘filmic’ eye.

Have a look at the films (it’ll only take you 20 minutes to watch all of them!) and feel free to write a comment saying which is your favourite. 🙂

Filming Tricks and Tips

Here’s the infographic I mentioned in class… get yer wheelchairs ready! 😉

Click to embiggen!

Filming Is Easy/Difficult

Just a wee heads up about your first attempts at filming and why I think it important that you have done them.

I’ll start with what you need to realise…

1) Having a script is essential. Think how quickly you were able to get started because you immediately knew what you had to shoot. Remember this when you come to creating your own product.

2) Keep it simple. Yes, you might want to make a new “Terminator” film, but the reality is that we don’t have the facilities or time (or budget!) to make a Hollywood blockbuster… but we do have the tools to make a movie. It’s all a question of making the best use of what we have… which is YOU, and some imagination. (PS: a script helps…)

3) Don’t be constrained by what you think you know. This is important to remember. You have been conditioned to think about filming and storytelling through years of exposure to media products. We constantly evaluate and judge what we see and experience to make sense of it. This drive allows us to make sense… or more accurately, create a narrative… from very little.

4) You can be fooled. Easily. Look at this painting of a leopard.

Notice anything about it?

Cinematography 101

Quick recommendation: I’ve just finished reading Cinematography 101 by Film School Online, and it’s an excellent, easy to read and understand, overview of the role of the cinematography in the film making process (It’s also a quick read… only 41 pages! 😉 ) . It covers the people, the technical considerations of film (and digital), lighting, and much else. The one downside is that it is a Kindle book and costs 99p…

I’ve bought it, so if you want to read it in class just ask and I’ll bring my Kindle in… but bear in mind, I have a Paperwhite (Thanks, Santa!) so the photos are all in Black & White which is a pain when discussing colour!

Some posts coming shortly on codes & conventions. Just writing them now. 🙂

For Pity’s Sake… Think Of The Baby!

And, talking about editing, here are the two clips I showed. The first is from Act IV of Battleship Potemkin (dir. Sergei Eisenstein, Russia, 1925). The Odessa Steps clip is one of the most famous in film history because on a technical level it broke new ground in editing and montage.

The second is an homage to Battleship Potemkin and comes from The Untouchables (dir. Brian De Palma, USA, 1987).

The parallels are obvious (the steps, the baby in the pram, sailors). This is an example of a technique called intertextuality. A prior text is used to shape and inform a new text… or put another way… when you see something in a film (or any other text) and it reminds you of something else, you should consider whether it is evidence of intertextuality. As a final wee example, consider this interesting reading of Terminator: Salvation and its use of intertextuality. Enjoy! 🙂