The Rough Cut Workshop offers a practical introduction to filmmaking for smaller groups of students in schools (up to 25 students). Run by professionals currently working in the film industry, the Rough Cut Workshop focusses on the creative skills and choices necessary to filmmaking. Students get the inside track on how images are used to tell stories, and how the visual choices a filmmaker makes impact the viewer. Students learn in the best way possible – by getting behind the camera themselves!
The morning sessions include an introduction to careers in filmmaking, followed by dynamic exercises in screenwriting, in-camera editing and camera operation. The afternoon sees students working in teams to complete a short film, each film receiving feedback and the chance to win a coveted Best Film Award!
We conduct The Rough Cut Workshop on school campus and bring along all the equipment to give the students a truly hands-on experience. The practical requirements for the school are:
This was a day of outstanding film education, led by a knowledgeable and expert tutor who communicated his enthusiasm to the pupils very effectively. The day was fast-paced, with a variety of theory and practical exercises that quickly gave our students confidence in their ability to construct a visual narrative. The results were outstanding, and the final showing of the 10-shot films took on a real festival atmosphere. This was first-rate teaching, and hugely enjoyable.
We had a lovely day and the boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The day always zings along and the chaps are instantly captured by the mix of film clip examples, practical activities and anecdotes from behind the scenes of the movie world. I have now seen the presentation three years in succession and still love every minute of it.
For the third year running the YFA have provided an excellent day’s activities. The pupils were hooked immediately and all had an active part to play in the creation of their 10 shot films.
Young Film Academy was perfect for our introductory Sixth Form weekend. The silent-film format challenged the pupils to think beyond their usual expectations of making short videos on their phones. Having to break down their films into individual scenes pushed them to think in greater depth about what they were doing and encouraged them to work together more effectively. It was very satisfying as a teacher to see pupils that had only just met creating some very sophisticated and clever films in such a short space of time.
Our students really enjoyed the Rough Cut workshops. The tutor was excellent and the award for best film at the Oscar ceremony at the end of the day provoked a good deal of enthusiastic debate. We are certainly planning more Young Film Academy workshops next June for the fifth consecutive year. Highly recommended.