BFI FILM ACADEMY KENT
In late 2020/early 2021, I was lucky and grateful to be selected for the BFI Film Academy.Â
This was one of my first experiences working in such a large, creative filmmaking team.Â
It was a wonderful and extremely educational experience that has helped me to develop as a filmmaker to an incredible extent.
THE FILMMAKING
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and subsequent winter lockdown, we had to conduct the academy online. This meant that, from conception to final product, the films were created entirely online. We worked together in teams without ever meeting each other face-to-face. This had it's pros and cons (mostly cons). It was certainly a challenge and it showed how resilient and determined we were; we finished with four short films-Â normally only two are created. I was the writer and co-director for 'The Last Day of Winter' and the producer for 'Unfiltered'.
We also hosted a showcase of our films and roles on Zoom (this happened to be on the last day of winter in 2021!). I had the pleasure of hosting the first half of the showcase and a Q and AÂ to around 100 attendees.
THE LEARNING
I learnt an incredible amount from this course. About the industry, variety of roles, how to make films, how to work efficiently in large teams, even how to direct actors over Zoom!
The course helped me to narrow down which areas of the industry I am interested in and, essentially, how to get there. I found that I work better in the production sector, where I can explore my creative ideas but also use my organisational skills. I still use many techniques that we were taught, namely how to create production documents like call sheets and shot lists.Â
Thanks to this course, I am able to work at a high level taking on numerous roles but still organise my ever expanding and expansive production workflows with multiple cast members.
THE PRESENTATION
As a young girl, I struggled with my confidence. As I grew older, I made it my mission to defeat this and I found that filmmaking (both being a director and actor) helped me to find my creative and literal voice. At the BFI Film Academy, I put myself forward to help host the event. This meant I introduced the showcase, introduced presenters/speakers, hosted a Q and A and kept the event running smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed this, to the extent that I am now planning another showcase with my school. Of course, this experience taught me many skills and I am grateful for the support of my tutors.
THE SILVER ARTS AWARD
As part of the course, we had the opportunity to complete the Silver Arts Award. This award allowed me to spend time doing in-depth research on the industry and reflect on my work during the BFI course. It prompted me to get feedback on my role, which I listened to intently.
