Envy Academy

Tuesday 26 February 2019

SoFT Cinema, 6pm

Tickets

We are delighted to welcome ENVY back for their annual visit, where they talk about the amazing opportunities afforded by their ENVY Academy scheme for graduates, and how our students (you!) and graduates (you!) can benefit!

ENVY Academy: Preparing the Next Generation of Runners

When ENVY came up against the challenge of finding the right staff, it decided to take matters into its own hands and form a specialist training program – ENVY Academy. Nine years on, and 54% of ENVY’s workforce are a product of the academy.

Runners are the backbone to the creative world and nowhere is this more acute than in the post production industry with its incessant demand for good people. But the role remains one of the most misunderstood outside the industry, with few grasping its true value or what it takes to be successful. With a glut of graduates from high-quality universities to choose from, you would think that there is no shortage of talent. But how many really fit the bill?

Not many, was the conclusion ENVY came to in 2008.

“ENVY Academy was created because of the challenges we faced finding the right people,” explains Tom Morgan, Head of Client Services at ENVY. “The company was growing rapidly and we needed staff to fill these positions. We were keen to hire, teach and train them in a way that suited ENVY. We also promote from within, so our runners are vitally important. ENVY Academy is the brainchild of our Facility Director and co-founder, Natascha Cadle.”

When employing from a pool of graduates we encountered two main problems: the first was the distorted view of the industry held by graduates, particularly by the most qualified ones from the top universities, who expected to be in freelance roles straight away or to be starting as editors. Graduates are often dismayed to find the only entry into post houses is at runner level, which they mistakenly consider to be the bottom rung; in reality, many experts start off as runners, the majority of the management team including Tom himself and ENVY’s Managing Director, Dave Cadle, to name just two started that way. (Courtesy of envybroadcast.co.uk)

Tom Morgan, mentioned above, will be here at SoFT to start the 2019 recruitment process. If you are interested a career in film and television production and/or post-production this is a not to be missed event.

Andrew Kötting

Thursday 28 February 2019

SoFT Cinema, 6pm

Tickets

Andrew Kötting is a British artist, writer, and filmmaker. He studied BA Fine Art at the Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in 1984 and MA in Mixed Media at the Slade School of Art in 1988.

Kötting released Gallivant, his first feature-length film, in 1996. It premièred at the Edinburgh Film Festival, where it won the Channel 4 Best New Director prize. Kötting released his second feature, This Filthy Earth, in 2001. It was loosely adapted from Émile Zola's novel La Terre.

His recent films have seen him develop a unique blend of narrative, fiction, essay and performance and cemented his place as one of the most innovative and imaginative cinematic artists working in Europe presently. His 2018 release Lek and the Dogs, is further proof of this with its experimental techniques, multiform approaches and focus on collaboration with the performer Xavier Tchilli in its tale of cultural and personal memory and trauma.

He is currently a Professor of Time Based Media at the University for the Creative Arts Canterbury. (Content edited from Wikipedia)

We are truly honoured to welcome Andrew to Film at Falmouth to screen Lek and the Dogs and talk about his career and working process. The following day, Andrew will lead a day-long filmmaking workshop for intrepid cinematic adventurers.

Festival Formula Talk

Tuesday 5 March 2019

SoFT Cinema, 6pm

Tickets

Founded by Katie McCullough, Festival Formula is the culmination of over thirteen years experience strategising film festival submissions. They cater for a large slate of films, offering consultancy at different points in a filmmaker’s career. Festival Formula is all about enabling filmmakers to realise their potential and a film’s impact within the global industry. (Bio adapted from festivalformula.com)

“Katie is amazing. As a filmmaker who makes comedy and with so many festivals to choose from worldwide it can be very difficult to know which festivals your film might suit taste wise. Katie’s years of experience and expertise makes sure your film is getting to the right people and is achievable on a budget you set. I really can’t recommend her enough. It’s brilliant to have Festival Formula handling and making sure my entries get to festivals on time, no more running to the post office in a panic sweat or watching a loading bar, all I have to think about is my next script”. – Kate Herron

Katie and Ian from Festival Formula return to talk about what they do, share some of the films on their slate, and talk to students about how to make the most of their work on the film festival circuit. In addition to a talk for all, there will be the chance to have a one-on-one consultation about projects you have in development.

Paul Dudbridge

Thursday 21 March 2019

SoFT Cinema, 6pm

Frequent visitor to Film at Falmouth and regular masterclass provider Paul Dudbridge returns to talk about his work as a Director and DoP and to discuss his second book, Making Your First Blockbuster. This book follows hot on the heels of Paul’s successful first book Shooting Better Movies.

The evening is a chance to immerse in the fundamentals of filmmaking from a working practitioner and maybe pick up a discounted copy or two.

Praise for Making Your First Blockbuster:

"What a great book! Can’t recommend this enough. Practical, experienced advice on all aspects of film making, from start to finish. I’m going to recommend this to my students. I wish I’d had this book when starting out”. - Dean Cundey A.S.C., Director of Photography (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future trilogy, Apollo 13)

“An absolute wealth of filmic knowledge. Jam-packed with essential skills and techniques for both amateurs and veterans alike.” - John Badham, Film Director (Bird on a Wire, The Hard Way, Drop Zone)

“Intelligent, informative, and creative in all areas of film making. A must read if you have any visual effects in your movie.” - John Swinnerton, Visual Effects Artist (King Kong, Casino Royale, London Has Fallen)

“Making Your First Blockbuster is a must-read for anyone producing or directing anything, and I wish I'd had it at hand from my earliest student film days. With clarity and a passion for excellence, Paul Dudbridge demystifies some of the most challenging aspects of film storytelling, covering everything from script and character development to making explosions look real. If you read this and absorb its lessons you can show up on set with confidence and lead your crew to blockbuster success.” - Christopher Vogler – Author of the best-selling book “The Writer's Journey”

Paul will be on stage with Dr. Neil Fox for an in-depth discussion about his career and the filmmaking process.