A new AI skills training course is the first to be supported by the Film Skills Fund’s Partnerships Fund, developed to join with partners with majority funding to collaborate to support the UKs film workforce.
The Skills Futures course, critical AI skills for high-impact film producing, is delivered in partnership with Royal Holloway University of London’s StoryFutures and Final Pixel and Royal Holloway and designed to help freelance film producers harness the powerful practicalities of AI to support their creative visions.
It will provide an AI 101 overview alongside practical and skills recognising producers’ priorities to break down creative briefs and scripts into storyboards, film schedules and workable budgets. Participants will be given demonstrations at studios at Royal Holloway University of London and get to put their learning into practice through a team project that provides a practical output to their training.
This programme represents the first of two awards from the new partnership fund this year, aimed at amplifying training around future skills and AI as part of the Skills Fund’s commitment to delivering continued learning opportunities within that field.
Emma Turner, Head of Film, Animation and Future Skills, ScreenSkills, said: “We all recognise the fast-evolving impact AI and future technologies are having on shaping screen content for those working in roles across production spaces. As part of the Film Skills Fund’s work, we wanted to create an agile funding process to train film producers that help them understand the available platforms and work alongside these tools to add to their own creativity and pass findings onto their teams.”
Amanda Murphy, Co-Director of StoryFutures says “This course leverages StoryFutures and Final Pixels' proven track record in training and in Producing across traditional, Virtual Production and in the use of new technologies. Together we offer this unique hands-on project-based AI course, enabling participants to apply the learning tangibly to a project as they go. The timing is critical too as it addresses the urgent shortfall in formal AI training provision, needed to future-proof the creative industries and build a more agile, inclusive, and world-leading workforce.”
Mchael McKenna, CEO of Final Pixel said, “Skilling up and adopting next generation technology is crucial to the future of our industry and being at the forefront of this places our entertainment studio at the leading edge. It is this sharing of real-world applied new technology that makes our training different, benefiting from top tier trainers that are working on real world projects using these techniques today.’’
This programme is part of a wider commitment to providing support and learning opportunities around AI and future skills by ScreenSkills and the Film Skills Fund.
Further information on AI skills for a range of roles across scripted film and TV can be found on the ScreenSkills website. There is also an 'AI 101' page, which includes a brief introduction to AI, including some frequently asked questions about AI in the UK screen industries and a checklist summary of things to consider before using AI in a project.
The film partnership fund will re-open for applications in the next financial year with more dedicated funding allocated 2026-27.