During half term, 42 Media and Performing Arts students participated in a full day of filming with production and work experience company Film Buddy. The students are working on a live brief from Film Buddy to write, produce and act in a four short films for Kirklees College’s ‘Call It Out’ campaign that tackles gender-based sexual harassment.
The students worked alongside Film Buddy’s Shane Hamill, a producer who has worked with Disney and many more big names. Shane was on hand to support Media students who undertook a range of roles, including directing, producing, camera operating, lighting and sound, and show running. The Performing Arts students had written scripts and spent weeks rehearsing for the film day, collaborating with the Media students to inform storyboards and shot lists.
Kirklees College’s Work Experience team has collaborated with Film Buddy over the last three years but this year the partnership has extended to the Creative Industries teaching team also, with tutors leading on the skills development and being a part of the film day to offer technical expertise.
Collaboration on this scale resulted in a fun, industry experience across multiple creative industry sectors, with amazing results. Film Buddy will be undertaking the editing phase and the short films will be released in the near future.
Tutors Stewart Jackson and Jon Salmon commented:
“This project has given our Level 3 Year 1 media students a great opportunity to experience a range of industry roles that are relevant to the course they are studying. We have been able to teach techniques and skills, and they have then applied it to the brief. Having a partnership with Film Buddy is invaluable to students, they have gained an insight into industry standards with regards to film shots, recce days and how to use lighting and sound effectively. It was also great to see the Media students working so well with the Performing Arts students, all enthusiastically taking responsibility for their own roles.”
Level 3 Performing Arts student Dane said about the experience:
“The day was busy and everyone was engaged in taking part in the film day. Working with other creative students was really fun and we enjoyed creating scripts, coming up with ideas and having a vision. Shane was a treat to work with, approachable and professional, giving us guidance on script writing and giving us examples of existing practitioners to inspire us. This opportunity will strengthen my portfolio and CV, as it shows I understand working in the film industry. It is an experience that should not be missed and is something I hope to do again.”
Commenting on Film Buddy’s partnership with the college, Co-Founder of Film Buddy Ben Sweet said:
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Kirklees College again after two successful years supporting the student’s development and career prospects. Having previously opted to create artistic visual campaigns via two successful music videos, we are really pleased that this year we are supporting such a worthy campaign while encouraging students to develop their skills and awareness.”
Keep your eyes peeled on our website and social media channels for the release of the student’s videos in the near future. To find out more about Work Experience at Kirklees College, head to our Employability Pledge page.
