London Film School, offer full-time MA Degree courses in both Film Making and Screewriting.

Unit 3 - Synthesis

Industry and Independents

FIFTH TERM EXERCISE:
In the fifth term students make a drama up to fifteen minutes long, in colour and 35mm, on location and in the studio. This continues the form of the fourth term, but at a higher level. Scripts written and developed over the previous year are chosen by the students. Crews are built around the scripts. Scripts are broken down by producers and presented to production conferences with heads of the various departments. Sets are designed; models built and discussed.

The excitement - and successes - of lighting are at an even higher level than the previous term. The programme of directing workshops continues. As in the fourth term, the number of films scheduled is high given the number of students. This means that students work on more than one film, and that students from the lower terms are drawn in as assistants in all departments. The integral learning process of each film is shared widely. Classes and workshops include directing actors, stereo sound and preparation for the Sixth Term graduation project.

MATERIALS FOR EACH UNIT:
35 mm Panavision Gold for studio, 35mm Moviecam Superamerica for location; 3600 feet of Kodak Colour; studio and location lighting equipment; Nagra V digital recorder; edit on Avid Media Composer; Tracklay on ProTools 24 Digital Audio Work Station. Final mix in Dolby SR.

THE GRADUATION FILM:
Students are assigned a budget by the school to build a project. They can work individually, or pool their budgets and efforts. They can shoot on any format and at any length they can budget for. Each project's script, schedule and budget will be examined and discussed with the Term Tutors, and students will be introduced, early in the term, to an ‘honorary executive producer’, someone drawn from the film community who gives some time to advising and supporting the project. Students are strongly encouraged to raise funds and build coproduction deals. They can - and often do - shoot outside the UK. Students have up to three terms to complete. This term requires much more sophisticated production skills: it is a serious preparation for low budget film making beyond the school.

The first four weeks of the sixth term offer a full programme of classes. These are specialist classes, mostly given by professionals between jobs, and usually outside the main school building. Feature directors give directing workshops, with actors, sometimes out on location. DoP’s give lighting workshops. There are Steadicam training sessions, visits to digital post-production suites.

Digital input at all levels is covered. There are sessions helping students prepare projects for commercial presentation, and a series of industrial orientation sessions in which students learn about development, packaging, fund-raising and distribution. Feature treatments and scripts are discussed. Where possible these classes respond individually to student needs. During the Sixth Term the Director of the school and others can provide support in setting up meetings with potential employers for students who can work in the UK, and give general advice and support on resumes and showreels. LFS is committed to supporting its graduates in developing a strategy for their entry into the film and television industry in the two years following graduation, and maintains and develops contacts throughout the world to support this work.

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