19 Oct 2024
The rapid growth of film and TV production in Hertfordshire means there are now five major studios in the county – Elstree, Warner Brothers, Leavesden, Sky and BBC Studioworks – but just how easy is it to break into the industry?
David Jenkins, owner of the new Brilliant Film Academy, wants to bridge the gap for up-and-coming movie makers by using his experience and contacts to set them on the path to becoming professionals.
Having originally trained as an actor and travelling around the world, he eventually moved into production, building up a network of filmmakers and helping to produce The Wheels of Heaven, starring Mickey Rourke, with Goldfinch and numerous other projects like The Players with Jason Isaacs.
In his role as a producer he realised that due to the potential demand in studios and hiring, the next 10 years are vital to ignite young people’s interest in the industry and create fresh new talent.
“We’ve got the biggest influx of studio space being built in Herts, as far as I know since Hollywood, we’ve got this big push within local communities to provide supply chains for the film industry locally, but while we can offer them catering, what can we offer young people who are looking for their first break?”
Having already made a success with his Brilliant Theatre Company, he set up a new film school using the same model, which is learning through doing, focusing on filmmaking rather than analytical approach of academic courses like media studies.
“I set up the Brilliant Film Academy to be a place where they learn to make films, and as a platform to support young people using my experience and knowledge. I want to bridge the gap for the local community and go, look, this is the industry, it’s actually not that hard to get into, but you’ve got to be focused, you’ve got to network and you’ve got to know exactly what you want to do.
“It isn’t all fairy tales, Hollywood and red carpets, it’s hard work and it’s a trade essentially.”
The academy has a vast resource of film-making equipment, including cameras, lights, sound equipment, editing software and green screens, and the students will learn hands on how to use everything.
“We put them into production companies and we make films. With that production company, they learn all the different film-making roles, starting with pre-production, so design, costume design, script writing, storyboarding, all the ideas and “Then we transition into production, so they learn all the practical skills like how to become a director and use a camera, costume, art, design, set. Then we have a big editing suite where they learn about editing, colour grading, sound…
“We have a team of practitioners who are all in the industry, but we don’t teach, we guide them.”
Based at Sandringham School, academy students usually make short forms, which they distribute online and submit to various film festivals.
“One of our groups actually won the Stockholm Film Festival,” David revealed. “That was amazing! The best short film drama, not student-run, the full festival. I had to manage expectations, as when you’re a student you’re not expected to win the Stockholm Film Festival!”
The academy takes children from Year 7 up to college, at which point they can make a decision on where to go next, whether that’s university or a job in the industry.
“We’ve got some young people now in their final year with us and we’re looking for apprenticeships for them. I’m working with Hertfordshire Film Office, I’m affiliated with BBC Studios, Sky Studios and the Royal School of Art in London, and we’re working together to find ways to narrow that bridge to allow them in. If they want to do it, I’m passionate about helping them get there.”
Find out more about the Brilliant Film Academy at https://www.brilliantfilmacademy.co.uk/
