Autumn is well and truly upon us. Beautiful colours and sunlit skies – it usually only lasts a few weeks, so hope you can make the most of it. Getting outside for 10 minutes in these extremely busy days makes a huge difference to sanity levels.
Things have been busy here.
We ran a fascinating Industry Session with Action Prop Buyer Jonathan Downing(Indiana Jones, No Time to Die, Men in Black, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald) looking at all aspects of how to manage the job and do it successfully. Huge thanks to Jonathan for his generosity and advice.
INDUSTRY SESSIONS
There are more art department and production courses coming up. Some have been funded by the Film Skills Fund so are free to established practitioners.
SUPERVISING ART DIRECTOR for Film SESSIONS with Patrick Rolfe
Saturdays: 6th, 13th, 20th November via Zoom , 4th December Central London
A programme of 4 sessions to examine the role of the Supervising Art Director and provide information and guidance for people making the step up. Full details here.
FLEXIBLE WORKING & JOB SHARING SESSION
Thursday 18th November 20:00-21:30 via Zoom
CAN FLEXIBLE WORKING WORK IN THE ART DEPARTMENT? THE ANSWER IS, YES! COME AND HEAR HOW…
We are running a job share and flexible working Session with @filmbaseuk where we’ll be talking to a panel of Art Department crew who have successfully job shared, or negotiated flexible working conditions, on Film and TV productions.
Full details and how to register for this event, click through here.
ART DIRECTING in Film USING SKETCHUP with Luke Whitelock
Thursday 25th November & Thursday 2nd December 20:00-21:30 via Zoom
A programme for art department practitioners looking to enhance their knowledge and skills of SketchUp. Full details here
ART DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW – Tuesday 2nd November
This session provides a thorough overview of the different teams and roles within the art department, how they work together and how to succeed in these roles. Full details here
CV & NETWORKING SESSION – Tuesday 9th November
Our CV and Networking Workshop will check that your CV is written in the correct film industry format and that it is reaching the right people at the right time. Full details here
MENTORING NETWORK
We also wrapped on the latest round of the TP Mentoring Network. Ollie, Rob, Chloe, Eleanor, Laura, Gabriel and Zoe are all now ready to go, in fact some of them have gone onto jobs already! If anyone is looking for art dept trainees, please let us know and we can connect you. The next round of mentees will start their workshops next month and we look forward to working with them.
PROPS TRAINEE SCHEME
We are also in the midst of the Props Training Course, a 6 week programme covering all aspects of working in Props.
There will be 10 new trainees available for work in the next couple of weeks….again, if you need people let us know.
BFI REVIEW
Helen has been working with the BFI on a review of skills provision in physical production, for which lots of senior practitioners have contributed to. Thank you to everyone who picked up the phone and discussed the challenges and possible solutions. The key challenges were (obviously) around the need for more practitioners and how to avoid inexperienced crew being stepped up too quickly. This report will now go to the Film Advisory Committee who will agree next steps.
INDUSTRY TOP TIP
Our top tip this week is Support Each Other. Whether it is making someone a cup of tea, helping them out with their workload or demonstrating support for the well-being of your team. Support is key to success. You will be aware of the incredible momentum IATSE gathered in America recently (and if you don’t Bectu and Filmbasehave some great information on it on their social media sites). It is a timely reminder that there is power in togetherness – let’s all work hard to remove the disconnect that exists across all elements of the industry and genuinely support each other, in the big things and the day to day small things. It makes a big difference.
THINGS WE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THIS MONTH
Wes Anderson exhibition at 180 The Strand, for the month of the LFF 14th October – 14th November, The French Dispatch is released in cinemas Friday 22nd October. Not been yet, but heard it is good, as one would expect!
The Flock – an online newspaper which collates key stories with a smart, ethical focus – creating a kinder creative and political climate. They also have a pay it forward policy which is great.
Helen McCrory and Damien Lewis performed a reading of love poems from a collection called The Love Book as part of the Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2014 – these were not filmed so as to retain the sense of intimacy – but a recording was found and Damien has released it in her memory. Lovely and heartbreaking all at once.