The Brighton Film School

Introduction

Brighton and Hove

The New City of Brighton and Hove (www.brighton-hove.gov.uk, www.visitbrighton.com and www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk) is a very special place for learning film making as this craft was pioneered here over 100 years ago. Original 35mm cameras can be seen in the Hove Museum (see link from www.brighton-hove.gov.uk) and these were used back in 1896 to make films locally at an early studio - The Film Factory - in St Ann's Well Gardens in Hove. These films were then shown at one of the first "Kinemas" as they were called. The former "Pandora's Gallery" is now the Melrose Restaurant opposite the West Pier and the owner, Tony, will proudly show you the plaque placed outside by The British Film Institute (www.bfi.org.uk) stating that film was first shown to the public here on 25th March 1896.

The Brighton Film School works very closely with the Education Committee of The Moving Image Society (The British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society), of which the Course Lecturer, Franz von Habsburg FBKS, is a fellow, and your fees include your first year's student membership of this, the film industry's technical guild. We are also working closely with the Directors' Guild of Great Britain and the Guild of British Camera Technicians so that you will have the very best of industry contacts.

We are delighted to hold these Directors' Courses in Motion Picture Production, and you are cordially invited to apply for a place here in Brighton.

FILM DIRECTORS' COURSES IN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION

These are offered as Part-time Day or Evening Courses to suit, as follows:

PART-TIME EVENING COURSES

These are convenient for those who are working or studying during the day.
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PART-TIME DAY COURSES

Like the evening courses these are also part-time but held during the day so are ideal for those who find it difficult to travel to Brighton twice a week and so are popular with students from London who are happy to get a day return on one of the fast trains (49 minutes from Victoria) - see "Travel" under "Student Services" on this site. (Hot Tip - If you already travel free within London, you only need to get a day return from East Croydon to Brighton, ie from the first station outside Zone 6).
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SUMMER SCHOOL

We also continue our popular Summer School, which is the next one to be held. This is Full-time and runs for 3 weeks so is ideal for those of you who have just finished school and want something to get you thinking before going away to university in September. It is also very popular with students from overseas who want to study in the UK for just a few weeks. These are very intensive and include both evenings and weekends, so don't make any other plans! We always try to make these very special, and our patron JACK CARDIFF OBE is a regular guest.
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All these are Advanced Vocational Courses designed to provide a thorough grounding in all the disciplines which should be understood by the competent director who should, for example, have a sufficient knowledge of lighting and editing, enabling meaningful discussions at production meetings with the lighting cameraman or editor whilst not requiring the same detailed knowledge. An understanding of lenses is likewise necessary, as these are used to "paint with light", as photography has been described.

The course is also designed to foster an appreciation of the art of film, and you should emerge with a broader knowledge than many who have gone directly into the industry and specialised from the outset. This overview should also help you to decide which skill you may wish to develop as a career.

And there is much more on offer for the serious student who is keen to progress.

Whilst much of this is technical - for film is a technical art - creative aspects such as directing and film grammar are given equal importance, so screenings and appreciation discussion sessions will run in parallel to these modules as part of the course. Many films are screened at the Duke of York's in Brighton, which is the oldest working cinema in the country and one of the few remaining which can exhibit in academy format. you are encouraged to support this cinema, and their Film Society is also a must.

Field trips

To companies will be arranged wherever possible. This is where the real action is, and where your future may lie. Many companies in the industry are happy to welcome students on guided visits to their studios, laboratories or cutting rooms etc, and this will not only keep you up to date with the latest technology but also provide a valuable point of contact for your future and even a work placement opportunity. Not part of your course to be missed.

The course fee includes student membership of The Moving Image Society (BKSTS) (www.bksts.demon.co.uk) which will keep you up to date with technical papers and as a student member you will be entitled to attend their many excellent lectures which are usually given by a major company in the industry.

We will always encourage you in your quest for work in the industry and provide introductions to suitable companies if you have shown sufficient progress and talent in their particular field, possibly leading to work placements, especially through the Guild of British Camera Technicians. You will also automatically become alumni members of our own Students' Society and your BKSTS student membership will run for 12 months, so you can continue to attend their lectures plus their monthly forum, social events and tickets to exhibitions, not to mention the annual barbecue at Pinewood Studios!

Recognition

The Brighton Film School is a member of the National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image (NAHEMI), a national body representing film schools in the UK and Eire. Only film schools teaching to a standard are accepted into membership. We are also members of the University Film and Video Association in the USA (www.ufva.org) Both NAHEMI and the UFVA are affiliated to the international body the Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et Télévision (CILECT) (www.cilect.org) which represents film schools worldwide.

The Brighton Film School works closely with the Education Committee of The Moving Image Society (The British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society (BKSTS) (www.bksts.demon.co.uk), the film industry's technical guild, of which the Director and Senior Lecturer, Franz von Habsburg FBKS, is a fellow, and your first 12 months student membership is included in the course fees. In recognition of the founding the the film school Franz has also been elected a full voting member of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA - www.bafta.org) and the European Film Academy.