University teams with Lord Puttnam to launch professional film courses for the industry
Film experts at the University of Exeter have teamed up with Oscar-winning producer Lord David Puttnam to launch a series of online professional courses focusing on the realities of the contemporary film industry.
The international initiative, which is launching in autumn this year, aims to support the next generation of screen professionals and filmmakers by offering the types of essential industry knowledge and core skillsets that aren’t typically available for those early in their career.
The professional courses, delivered by industry experts, and pitched at filmmakers, producers and executives, cover areas such as film finance and preparing for movie festivals.
They have been conceived by academics in Exeter’s Department of Communications, Drama and Film, and will be delivered in partnership with Lord Puttnam’s Atticus Education. Industry publication Screen International will publicise the initiative, which was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival.
“We are delighted to be working with Lord Puttnam on launching and growing this unique portfolio,” says Jezz Vernon, Senior Lecturer in film at Exeter, and project lead. “These are highly specialised courses that offer the types of essential industry knowledge and core skillsets that aren’t typically available for early career professionals. That we have expert practitioners, case studies and guest speakers to deliver them is crucial for our vision for them to be grounded in the reality of the contemporary film industry.”
Each programme will typically span five, three-hour online sessions, delivered on weekends or evenings, and will be led by experts in the field, including Alan Martin, Chief Operating Officer of Good Gate Media; and Katie Bignell, Founder of Festival Formula. The courses will run several times a year, and will be aimed at professionals in Europe, the United States of America, and Asia Pacific.
Lord Puttnam, who holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University, and is Chair and CEO of Atticus Education, will introduce each course through a welcome call.
“We will offer emerging filmmakers a unique and challenging set of online courses,” said Lord Puttnam, whose multi-award-winning films include The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Local Hero. “It is sometimes forgotten this is a business, which involves raising finance and distributing films — not just, ‘Have you got a dream and do you want to deliver it,’ but how do you deliver it.”
The four courses, which were developed with the support of Exeter’s Business Engagement and Innovation department, are Structuring Low-Budget UK Film Finance; Commercial Pathways for First-Time Filmmakers; How to Co-Produce Internationally; and Festival Strategy for Shorts and Debut Features. Further courses will be rolled out this year to deepen the portfolio.
The teams from Atticus and Exeter will offer expertise and resources throughout the period, and further information is available on the University website.
