WITH Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture kicking off recently, Bradford School of Art (BSoA) students have beceme immersed in an exciting cultural project of their own.
Supported by Screen Yorkshire, students had the week to plan, film, edit, and present their own film ready for a private screening and competition at Bradford’s Light Cinema.
All films were put on show, with students voting for their favourite, and the ultimate winner featuring at Spirit of Independence Festival in Sheffield this September.
Screen Yorkshire’s Richard Knight and Dan Shaw, along with a whole host of fellow industry experts, were on hand throughout the week to offer expertise to students.
Richard said: “We (Screen Yorkshire) deliver a range of education and training across Yorkshire, with the main reason behind this being our remit to champion the screen industries in the region and attract incoming productions.
“There’s a misconception that when a production comes to an area, the crew always comes with it – this isn’t true. Companies often want to hire talented, knowledgeable local people, meaning it’s very much in our interest to find and support the potential crews of the future in Yorkshire.”
The brief put to students asked for a short group-made film, which moved from one emotional state to the other, with aspects such as set design, costume & make-up, or randomly-chosen props telling some of the story.
The wider project formed part of the 16-18 creative arts teaching curriculum and was offered to all Higher Education students studying at BSoA.
This has been designed to ensure that students collaborate and work together with team members from other disciplines, just as they will be required to do in the industry post-study.
“We want to reassure students that if they don’t yet know their specific career path in the industry, that’s perfectly fine”, added Richard.
Screen Yorkshire is a public body supporting film and TV production across Yorkshire and the Humber.
The organisation launched its first production fund in 2003 and has gone on to invest in iconic British TV and film productions, including the BAFTA-winning This is England.
* If you are interested in experiences like this alongside your studies, explore everything Bradford School of Art has to offer by visiting bradfordcollege.ac.uk
