A raft of resources designed to offer insight on careers behind the camera in the screen industries and inspire young people to consider working in the sector are available through ScreenSkills this summer.
With headline support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds as part of its Future Film Skills strategy, the resources for young people and their parents, guardians and teachers include:
- First Day: On Set – a new immersive experience to help demonstrate the excitement of working in film and TV by showing working life on a set. Available for free download for Oculus Rift or Oculus Go headsets, it is also available as a 360-degree film on YouTube
- Four new activities for young people to do at home –top tips for filming with a phone; how to get a good interview; making a stop-motion animation; and how to make a simple storyboard. They can be viewed in the ScreenSkills careers resources sectionhere
- Lesson plans targeted at children aged nine to 13.
- An animation lesson plan includes a project to make an animation.
- A visual effects (VFX) lesson explains how to create the illusion of being in a different place using green screen technology.
- Film and TV drama lessons aim to explain the wide variety of roles in film and TV drama through making a film based on a story.
- An unscripted television lesson helps young people to make a documentary.
- A games lesson is designed to help pupils make a board game or a computer game.
- Summer of Animation - a two-month programme of masterclasses, online camps and a competition for 13 to 18-year-olds across the UK to create their own animation. More information here. Funders include the ScreenSkills Animation Skills Fund and the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds
- Descriptions of nearly 200 different jobs across film, television, VFX (visual effects), animation and games, with the most recent additions 57 jobs in unscripted television – such as game shows and documentaries. Each job profile describes the job and pathways to it including subjects to study, further and university courses and apprenticeships. We show how the jobs fit together with our career maps. Many roles are freelance and our Freelance Toolkit gives additional information on how to work as a freelancer.
- Resources and activities from across the creative sector can be found on the Discover! Creative Careers website, developed by ScreenSkills with our partners, Creative and Cultural Skills and the Creative Industries Federation, as part of the DCMS-supported Creative Careers Programme.
Anyone who forms teams or works with others to use any of the resources should adhere to current government social distancing guidance.