Award-nominated production company Transition Stage Company presents Enter Stage Write, a glittering awards night celebrating new writing from a nationwide screenwriting and playwright competition.

An X Factor style writing event showcasing West Midlands acting talent, the top five playwrights will see their work brought to life in front of a panel of industry heavy-weights. Accompanied by a comedy compere, the evening opens with a surprise celebrity singer with an uplifting tune and ends with the Hip-Hop Dance company ‘Let’s Make It Happen.’

The Industry Judges:

Chris Sudworth – Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome
Sean Foley – multi-Olivier Award-winning actor, writer, director and newly appointed Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Darcia Martin – Director of Hollyoaks and BBC’s Call the Midwife
Lisa Walters – Producer of Backlight TV’s 4Stories series for Channel 4
David Ralf – Executive Director at The Bunker Theatre, London
Corey Campbell – Associate Artistic Director of Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and owner of the award-winning theatre company, Strictly Arts
Martin Sketchley – Published novelist and scriptwriter, West Midlands Chair, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain
Neil Reading – Director of Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
Andrea Montgomery – Director and Writer, Belfast based production company Terra Nova Productions
Zac Hancock- Head of the content of Social Chain

Expect a fast paced night of dance, comedy, live singing and suspense as you decide who wins the £1,000 prize and is crowned Enter Stage Write Champion 2020.

Details
Date: 11th March, 2020
Time: 7pm
Location: Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

Dress code is smart as this is a red-carpeted gala event.

Click here for tickets.

For more industry information, visit our news page.

Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Young filmmakers at Stratford College were thrilled to receive a few tips from a top director during a recent visit to the campus. Coventry-based film director Debbie Isitt dropped by to teach Creative Media students about her improvisational filmmaking style.

Debbie, whose credits include Confetti and the Nativity film franchise, was keen to encourage the students to experiment with improvisational filmmaking, Debbie stressed to them the importance of knowing exactly what story a director wants to tell before any improvisation takes place. She said: “The process of making a film is a really wonderful experience. As a director, I take the cast and crew on a journey that’s physical and emotional, and work with talented people on a project that everybody feels a sense of ownership over… I don’t make up the story on set; we only improvise the dialogue. The story has to be very carefully conceived, structured and controlled. The actual words that are spoken aren’t as important as the subtext and the story.”

During her visit, Debbie also talked to students about the real-world challenges they may face in the industry and how they can successfully overcome them.

“While it’s good to be optimistic about the industry, I think it’s important to know about the hardships as well. That way, you can develop tenacity as well as technical skills.” she said.

Source: www.stratford-herald.com

For more industry information, visit our news page.

Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is excited to continue its new Access NFTS programme with an event in Birmingham. These pop-up events are designed to find, inform, engage and inspire a new generation of talent,  wherever they may come from and whatever their means so that they have the opportunity and support to reach their full potential.

When and Where

Birmingham City University
15 Bartholomew Row, B5 5JU
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Saturday, 29 February 2020
The morning (AM) session will run from 10am – 12noon. Registration is from 9.30am.
The identical afternoon (PM) session will run from 1pm- 3pm. Registration is from 12.30pm

On The Agenda

This event will focus on Producing and Production Management. Industry experts and NFTS Heads of Department, Bex Hopkins and Chris Auty will be leading sessions talking about their personal experience, pathways into the industry and opportunities available at NFTS. They will also give a presentation entitled “What IS the state of British film (and top-end TV drama) production today? And why is drama production in the age of Netflix such an exciting – and varied – career choice?”.

Also planned is the screening of a graduate’s short film with a Q&A with one of the films creators. Bex, Chris and our student will then be available to talk to attendees and answer any questions.

Speaker Information 

Chris Auty began his career as a journalist (Time Out, Sight and Sound, Hollywood Reporter), before launching his first business venture — a successful film distribution company that also acquired cinemas (the Gate in London and Cameo in Edinburgh); and then extended the business into international sales and film finance.  He spent the 1990s building up The Recorded Picture Company for owner Jeremy Thomas; working as a producer alongside him on numerous films; and with him created Hanway Films (one of Europe’s leading film sales companies). In the 2000’s he went on to build up TFC/The Works, a film finance and sales business that backed some 25 films.
As a producer or executive he has worked with a very wide range of directors — from Peter Greenaway and David Cronenberg to Shane Meadows, Bob Rafelson, Bernardo Bertolucci, Vincent Ward and Michael Winterbottom – filming everywhere from Argentina and the USA to Germany, Italy and of course England.
Chris joined the NFTS as Head of Producing in 2012. In 2013 he set up the school’s ground breaking cross-media business program (CBEE – Creative Business for Entrepreneurs and Executives), and in 2016 he planned and established the Marketing & Distribution (MDSE) course which is run by HoD Debbie Rowland.

Bex Hopkins began working in Sports production in 1999 as Assistant Producer and also Production Managing short films. She worked as line producer and producer of a number of award winning films, including the BAFTA nominated and Oscar shortlisted short film Lucky and BAFTA nominated Nits. She produced the feature film Mad, Bad & Sad which was released in cinemas in July 2009. Bex previously worked in the Producing Department at the NFTS and has been course leader of the Production Management course since 2011.

Eligibility

These events are open to anyone over the age of 16 interested in a career in the Film, TV and Games industry. Ideally you will have a special interest in the specific area covered in the event, but if you just want to learn more about it then do come along. Anyone is welcome regardless of your experience or background. The aim of these events is raise awareness and experiences of the industry and inspire you to aim to be a part of it.

To Book

For full details of the event, including  speaker information and to book tickets please go to our Eventbrite booking page .

For further information on the Access NFTS programme please go to www.nfts.co.uk/access

Do you have questions about Access NFTS Pop Up : Producing and Production Management? Contact National Film and Television School

For more industry information, visit our news page.

Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Birmingham-born designer Osman Yousefzada joined the small but growing number of designers who forgo the traditional runway in favour of more creative and / or sustainable options. For his London Fashion Week presentation, Yousefzada collaborated with the Whitechapel Gallery and Livia Firth to screen his film Her Dreams Are Bigger.

The provocative art film aims to highlight the importance of sustainability, the harsh reality of fast fashion and the global concepts (or misconceptions) of beauty. The London-based designer says the idea for the film germinated on a trip to Bangladesh, where he showed a suitcase full of discarded clothing from British charity shops carrying the “made in Bangladesh” label to women who worked in the industry.

“They sat in a circle and started to try on various pieces, taking selfies and posing,” said Yousefzada, himself the son of working-class Afghani-­Pakistani parents who migrated to Birmingham in the 1970s. “I asked them to imagine who their muses were.”

Some of the responses he got – and went on to capture at the London Fashion Week Screening – were: “They are tall”; “They look beautiful”; “Their hair colour is red”; “They wear different types of dresses which makes them look more beautiful”; “They eat different kinds of food, they only eat fruit, they eat frog, they eat different kinds of snake”, “They’re not black like me, they’re much fairer and very pretty”; “Beautiful faces, their lips, they are like dolls”.

“The women who make clothes don’t really know who they are making them for,” added Yousefzada. “They don’t wear those kinds of clothes, clothes that are put on ships and then offloaded halfway around the world to wind up in high street stores. That’s fast fashion.”

Source: https://www.thenational.ae

For more industry information, visit our news page.

Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Regarded as a a pioneering industry-led action plan for better mental health in the film, TV and cinema industry, the Whole Picture Programme has been announced.

Nearly nine people in 10 (87%) working in the UK’s film, TV and cinema industries have experienced a mental health problem, according to a major study commissioned by the Film and TV Charity. That compares with two in three (65%) people in the UK population, prompting an urgent action plan and taskforce backed by leading studios, broadcasters, production companies and cinema groups.

The ground-breaking study was conducted by the Work Foundation and included a survey of more than 9,000 industry professionals

Key Findings

• Workers are twice as likely to experience anxiety compared with the national average
• Workers are three times as likely to have self-harmed compared with the national average
• Over half of workers have considered taking their own life (compared with one-fifth nationally) and one in 10 have attempted to do so

The Work Foundation’s in-depth report, The Looking Glass, says “the survey findings suggest that there is a mental health crisis within the UK film and television industry”. The Film and TV Charity convened a summit on mental health last month. Industry leaders agreed an initial £3 million commitment to fund an urgent action plan, known as The Whole Picture Programme, which will launch in April. The industry-led Film and TV Taskforce on Mental Health will work closely with experts in mental health. The action plan – to be co-designed by industry partners – will include an enhanced 24/7 Film and TV Support Line and industry-wide behaviour change campaign.

Alex Pumfrey, Chief Executive of The Film and TV Charity, said: “I’m pleased to be working with the members of the new Film and TV Taskforce on Mental Health to spearhead a movement for change. Devastating though the findings from our research are, we firmly believe there is cause for optimism.

As a cohort, we are committed to working closely together to address the widespread issues, building an industry that has ‘great work’; where people are much better supported, in which bullying and the stigma of mental health is relegated to history; and where working practices take account of the very human nature of our work. As the charity supporting the film, TV and cinema workforce we often hear the stories that others don’t. We can no longer shy away from the need for real change.”

What Industry Supporters Say

Zai Bennett, Managing Director, Content at Sky, said: “The Film and TV Charity has delivered a compelling case for investment in the mental health of our industry’s workforce. We are proud of Sky’s reputation as a great place to work, and the Whole Picture Programme will allow us to enhance the support available to our own employees and extend valuable services into the freelance community and across the industry. We want to provide an exciting, vibrant and safe place to work, knowing that our industry will put people first.  We are delighted to play our part in the funding and launch of the Whole Picture Programme.”

Jonathan Allan, Chief Operating Officer at Channel 4, said: “Channel 4 actively supports the collaboration with other industry leaders to provide better mental health care and support for our people. An industry’s culture cannot be changed by one organisation acting in isolation, so by working together, we are sending a clear message to employees, freelancers and the next generation that their mental health and wellbeing are our priority.”

Julian Bellamy, Managing Director, ITV Studios said: “Our people, both behind and in front of the camera, are the lifeblood of this industry and as our Duty of Care Charter makes clear, their mental health and wellbeing is our top priority. At the heart of ITV’s social purpose strategy is our Mental Wellness five-year campaign and as part of it, we back taking an active role in the Taskforce and this programme. We support this initiative which brings the industry together to reiterate and say to our teams, we are there to support you.”

Paul Farmer CBE, Chief Executive of Mind said: “The Film and TV Charity’s research has revealed the scale of the mental health crisis in the film, TV and cinema industry – and a collaborative and industry-led approach to tackling this is crucial. I am totally behind the principle that ‘it will only work if we do this together’ and am really pleased to see such widespread and positive engagement from the industry. At Mind we look forward to working with the Film and TV Taskforce to make a real difference for the mental health of the industry.”

Heather Carey, Research Director at the Work Foundation, said: “The film and TV industry is one of the most creative and rapidly growing parts of the UK economy; but the results from the Looking Glass survey paint a concerning picture of working life in this industry.

Across a range of measures, those working in the sector experience significantly worse mental health outcomes. Our research has surfaced the underlying and interlinked causes – from working conditions and culture, to the capability of the industry to provide support to those that need it most. Many of these risk factors are heightened amongst the diverse talent the industry is working hard to attract; and it is particularly concerning, given skill shortages evident in UK film and TV, that 63% of workers have considered leaving the industry because of worries about the impact it has on their mental health.”

About the Film and TV Charity

The Charity works behind the scenes of the film, television and cinema industry in the UK. From research to writing, through casting and production, to editing, sales, distribution and exhibition, the organisation supports the lives of everyone involved.

• The charity recently piloted a free, confidential, independent Film and TV Support Line to provide 24/7 support for everyone working in the industry on issues such as debt, depression and harassment. People can access the service via phone 0800 054 00 00, online chat at filmtvcharity.org.uk or by emailing support@filmtvcharity.org.uk
• The Film and TV Charity was founded as the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund in 1924 and later became The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. Alex Pumfrey was appointed CEO in October 2017 and the organisation and embarked on a bold new mission to extend its reach and impact as The Film and TV Charity. HM Queen Elizabeth II has been Patron of the charity since 1952. Registered charity no. 1099660
• Follow the charity on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @FilmTVCharity

The Work Foundation is a leading British, independent authority that provides consultancy and in-depth research on the world of work and improving the quality of working life.

Source: The Film and Television Charity

For more industry information, visit our news page.

Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.