UK Filmmakers' Careers Boost
16 August 2004
UK filmmakers today received a careers boost from A Bigger Future, the UK Film Skills Strategy, with the appointment of four new film practitioners as careers advisors and the launch of Skillset Film Futures -skills development grants to support 150 individuals.
Skillset Careers (formerly known as skillsformedia) has recruited and trained experienced film freelancers to provide careers advice and information to fellow practitioners and new entrants. Face to face sessions are available at a subsidised rate and can be booked via the Skillset Careers helpline: England - 08080 300 900, Scotland - 0808 100 8094 or by email via www.skillset.org/careers
The four new film advisors recruited to Skillset Careers are:
Mike Fox, Camera. 'Dangerous Liaisons', 'Hope and Glory', 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Dave Humphries, Re-recording mixer. 'This Years Love', 'Rogue Trader', 'The Near Room'.
Nic Jeune, First Assistant Director. 'De Lovely', 'Strictly Sinatra' (second unit), 'Stella Does Tricks'.
Mark Leese, Production Designer. 'The Magdalene Sisters', 'Blinded', 'On a Clear Day'.
Skillset Film Futures are available to freelancers and employees with a minimum of two years experience to fund training in business skills and new technologies. Applications can be downloaded from www.skillset.org/film
There will be five rounds of grant applications between now and March 2005. The deadline for this first round is 12pm Wednesday 15 September. A Bigger Future, a joint initiative between Skillset and the UK Film Council, is supported by the Skillset Film Skills Fund with funding from the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.
Judy Counihan, Academy Award winning producer and Director of Film at Skillset, said:
"We've got experienced practitioners from the front line of film making who will give honest advice about the realities, good and bad, of working in the industry. They'll really tell it like it is giving people wanting to get into the industry or move up the ladder a fantastic opportunity to benefit from their experience and expertise. And Skillset Film Futures is a direct and immediate helping hand for our existing workforce so they can access often expensive, but vital, training and development."
A Bigger Future is a five year strategy to attract and retain the brightest and the best into a film career and covers everyone working in film from top to bottom in all grades from development through to exhibition. It makes provision for a network of Skillset Screen Academies; a Skillset Film Business Academy; a Skillset Guiding Lights mentoring scheme; short courses for the existing workforce; structured new entrants schemes; and improved careers information, advice and guidance services.
- ENDS -
SKILLSET PRESS OFFICE:
Eve Ragout 020 7520 5752 / 07968 010 325
eve@skillset.org
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. Audio visual industries in this context means, Broadcast, Film, Video, Interactive Media and Photo Imaging. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, UK wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are employer-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector.
The UK Film Council is the lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. Investing Government grant-in-aid and Lottery money in film development and production; training; international development, export promotion; distribution and exhibition; and education, with the aim of delivering lasting benefits to the industry and the public alike.
A Bigger Future, the UK Film Skills Strategy is a joint strategy developed by Skillset and the UK Film Council with the support of the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission, Scottish Screen and Sgrin Cymru Wales.
Skillset Careers is the specialist careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) service for film, television, radio, interactive media and photo imaging. Working with trade unions, trade associations and industry employers, Skillset Careers strives to improve the quality of information and advice given on those industries in schools, further and higher education, and through public agencies. Skillset Careers also produces IAG materials such as fact sheets; offers face to face guidance sessions with experienced freelancers from the broadcast and film industries; and operates helplines in England and Scotland in partnership with learndirect.
UK filmmakers today received a careers boost from A Bigger Future, the UK Film Skills Strategy, with the appointment of four new film practitioners as careers advisors and the launch of Skillset Film Futures -skills development grants to support 150 individuals.
Skillset Careers (formerly known as skillsformedia) has recruited and trained experienced film freelancers to provide careers advice and information to fellow practitioners and new entrants. Face to face sessions are available at a subsidised rate and can be booked via the Skillset Careers helpline: England - 08080 300 900, Scotland - 0808 100 8094 or by email via www.skillset.org/careers
The four new film advisors recruited to Skillset Careers are:
Mike Fox, Camera. 'Dangerous Liaisons', 'Hope and Glory', 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Dave Humphries, Re-recording mixer. 'This Years Love', 'Rogue Trader', 'The Near Room'.
Nic Jeune, First Assistant Director. 'De Lovely', 'Strictly Sinatra' (second unit), 'Stella Does Tricks'.
Mark Leese, Production Designer. 'The Magdalene Sisters', 'Blinded', 'On a Clear Day'.
Skillset Film Futures are available to freelancers and employees with a minimum of two years experience to fund training in business skills and new technologies. Applications can be downloaded from www.skillset.org/film
There will be five rounds of grant applications between now and March 2005. The deadline for this first round is 12pm Wednesday 15 September. A Bigger Future, a joint initiative between Skillset and the UK Film Council, is supported by the Skillset Film Skills Fund with funding from the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.
Judy Counihan, Academy Award winning producer and Director of Film at Skillset, said:
"We've got experienced practitioners from the front line of film making who will give honest advice about the realities, good and bad, of working in the industry. They'll really tell it like it is giving people wanting to get into the industry or move up the ladder a fantastic opportunity to benefit from their experience and expertise. And Skillset Film Futures is a direct and immediate helping hand for our existing workforce so they can access often expensive, but vital, training and development."
A Bigger Future is a five year strategy to attract and retain the brightest and the best into a film career and covers everyone working in film from top to bottom in all grades from development through to exhibition. It makes provision for a network of Skillset Screen Academies; a Skillset Film Business Academy; a Skillset Guiding Lights mentoring scheme; short courses for the existing workforce; structured new entrants schemes; and improved careers information, advice and guidance services.
- ENDS -
SKILLSET PRESS OFFICE:
Eve Ragout 020 7520 5752 / 07968 010 325
eve@skillset.org
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. Audio visual industries in this context means, Broadcast, Film, Video, Interactive Media and Photo Imaging. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, UK wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are employer-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector.
The UK Film Council is the lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. Investing Government grant-in-aid and Lottery money in film development and production; training; international development, export promotion; distribution and exhibition; and education, with the aim of delivering lasting benefits to the industry and the public alike.
A Bigger Future, the UK Film Skills Strategy is a joint strategy developed by Skillset and the UK Film Council with the support of the Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission, Scottish Screen and Sgrin Cymru Wales.
Skillset Careers is the specialist careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) service for film, television, radio, interactive media and photo imaging. Working with trade unions, trade associations and industry employers, Skillset Careers strives to improve the quality of information and advice given on those industries in schools, further and higher education, and through public agencies. Skillset Careers also produces IAG materials such as fact sheets; offers face to face guidance sessions with experienced freelancers from the broadcast and film industries; and operates helplines in England and Scotland in partnership with learndirect.