Activity under our UK film skills strategy, A Bigger Future 2 is steaming ahead into the new year, with new film skills funds open, closing, and soon to be awarded, not to mention a flurry of Skillset-funded training schemes and courses open for application and registration, and taking place right now across the country.
Let’s quickly look back at what was achieved in skills and training for the film industry in 2011, and pick out a few highlights and success stories for A Bigger Future 2.
Firstly, some numbers to give you an idea of the reach of our activity: In 2011 the Skillset Film Skills Fund invested a total of £1,068,351 in training for the film industry, supporting 42 different training courses for professionals or for those new to the film industry, as well as 124 funding awards for individuals to help them pay for training. All together, 1,082 individuals received training through A Bigger Future 2 last year.
The high quality of training funded was without a doubt reflected in the success and calibre of the trainees, many of who went on to work on top film productions including Jack The Giant Killer 3D, Thor, Prometheus 3D, Dark Shadows, Skyfall (Bond 23), My Brother The Devil, John Carter, Captain America, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, The Dark Knight Rises, The Bourne Legacy, Rush, A Captain’s Duty, Total Recall, The Magnificent Eleven, 47 Ronin and The Comedian. To name a few…
And now a taste of some of the exciting moments for film skills and training last year:
January:
Principal Large Format delivers Skillset-supported Advanced 3D. Keynote speaker, Phil McNally, stereoscopic supervisor from DreamWorks acknowledges that he has ‘been involved with all kinds of training, workshops and events for stereoscopy for years now, but I haven’t ever seen anything quite like what we have had here for the last three days. This really has been the best 3D training to have taken place so far, anywhere in the world.’
Phil McNally delivers his keynote at Advanced 3D. Copyright Valentina Schivardi.
NFTS film The Confession, produced by Skillset Bursary recipient Emily Williams, is nominated for Best Short Film (Live Action) Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards.
February:
NFTS film Until the River Runs Red, with sound design by Skillset Bursary recipient Dario Swade wins Best Short Film at the BAFTA Film Awards 2011.
March:
The SIF-funded Skillset Craft and Technical Skills Academy launches. The BFI’s Amanda Nevill says “The Academy will have an enormous impact on the success of the film industry, both now and in years to come, building the foundations of craft and technical skills for our current and next generation of filmmakers.”
Amanda Neville delivers a speech at the launch of the Skillset Craft and Technical Skills Academy
April:
‘Skoonheid’ is selected for the Cannes Film Festival. It is the second feature of director Oliver Hermanus, a MA Filmmaking graduate from London Film School, a Skillset Film Academy.
July:
The Skillset VFX and Animation Showcase takes place in Soho, London. It attracts over 300 guests, many from the UK’s animation and VFX companies, to view talent from Skillset’s accredited Animation courses.
Ravensbourne show off their skills....
August
Skillset supports the Screen International Stars of Tomorrow. Screen’s “Rising Talent” award nominees include filmmakers who have been through Skillset-supported training: Stefan Georgiou (Directing MA at NFTS), Scott Graham (The Bureau’s “Cinema Extreme”), Colin Kennedy (DiVA’s “Marketing Movies Online”), Robert McKillop (Directing MA at NFTS) and Michael Pearce (Directing MA at NFTS and The Bureau’s “Cinema Extreme”).
September:
Warner Bros., a studio that has provided over 10% of the total SIF payments to date via its film productions in the UK, helps take the Skills Investment Fund (SIF) past the £8 million mark with a contribution from its recent blockbuster movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
October:
Feature film Strawberry Fields, made under Film London’s Skillset-supported scheme Microwave, premieres at London Film Festival. Simon Beaufoy (Academy Award winning writer of Slumdog Millionaire) described Strawberry Fields as “Fearless film-making –bold, visceral, beguilingly beautiful with performances that are utterly committed to unravelling the complexities of love in its many forms.”
Strawberry Fields, directed by Frances Lea
November:
Sundance announces its 2012 selection, which includes “My Brother the Devil”, written and directed by Sally El Hosaini, a previous participant on Skillset-supported scheme “She Writes”.
What a year!
And with awards season upon us, we’re certain there’s more opportunities to celebrate the brilliant filmmaking talent we have here in the UK who have been helped along by Skillset-supported training – watch this space for more highlights and success stories as they unfold this year.
It’s that time of the year in the awards season, when rumours on what will score BAFTA nominations are silenced and speculation turns instead to what will win.
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