Screen and Film School Brighton celebrate their 22/23 Induction Day

Screen and Film School Brighton recently celebrated its Induction Day for the new school year. Like in previous years, the curtain-raising event was held at the famous Duke of York’s Picturehouse, and by the time all our new students were seated inside, the beautiful cinema was full to the brim. This exciting occasion was one of the highlights of a fortnight which was busy with film-related activity for our freshers; here is how it unfolded…

It’s always a pleasure for Screen and Film School lecturers and staff members to be able to introduce themselves to the groups of new students outside the prestigious cinema each year, and we are continually grateful for the support of everyone at Duke of York’s for allowing us to do so. The Grade II listed building, which is located at the heart of the London Road/Preston Circus intersection, lays claim to being the oldest cinema in continuous use in Britain. It is the sight of the grand white building that greeted our incoming filmmakers as the Induction week started.

Once the students had taken their seats, Screen and Film School College Principal, Itziar Leighton, kicked off the proceedings with an empowering speech which served as the warmest welcome possible for the onlooking filmmakers.

Itziar then opened up the stage to the all-important Heads of Year who will guide the students through the next three years of their studies. In chronological order, Craig Ennis, Dave McLaren and then Neil Williams took to the mic to say hello and to give a brief introduction to themselves and their specialist areas of teaching. Andrea Slater, the Course Leader of our MA in Screen and Film Production was up next, followed swiftly by introductions to Michelle Lewry and Anna Deamer, who will oversee our exciting new courses BA (Hons) Hair and Make-Up for Screen & Film and BA (Hons) Production Design for Screen & Film, respectively. Last but certainly not least, Claire Webster, Course Leader on the Film Business & Production Degree, stepped up to the stage to complete the introductions from the lecturers.

But there are many other faces and facets to Screen and Film School Brighton, and we still had plenty of time to introduce our freshers to Adam Collins (Technician Manager), James Watts (Marketing and Communications Manager), and James Honess and Fiona Adams from the Industry Engagement Team. It was particularly thrilling to see and hear our students as James Honess previewed our upcoming masterclass with the one and only Phoebe Waller-Bridge, as well as looking back on some of the incredible masterclass guests we have had in the previous 12 months: Reggie Yates, Russell T Davies and Reece Shearsmith.

From industry engagement, the morning shifted focus to hear from the Student Services and Student Support teams. Bev Carter, our dedicated Student Support Officer, reassured our onlooking filmmakers about the resources they have at their disposal during their three years with us if they should need guidance, a confidential discussion or anything related to pastoral care. Bev then introduced five of our superstar current students who engage in various extra-curricular roles and societies. Witnessing first-hand that there is a clear path towards becoming a leader in something that you are passionate about was crucial for our new students. A big thank you to the following for standing up and speaking: Jamie Faircloth (Student President), Casper Dawson (Diversity and Representation Officer), Emily Batey and Lucy Heffernan (Women in Film Society), and Ivy Brown (Gays on Film Society).

The introductions now complete, Bev Carter then changed her role to become trivia maestro and conducted a film quiz for the enthusiastic cinephiles in the audience, and we were all impressed by the number of correct answers on show. The winner was announced, and the morning was drawing to a close. There was just time for an expert graduate screening – Rhino Power (2022. Elliot Reed – Co-Writer/Director, Finley Clements – Co-Writer/Producer, Lucy Rollinson Payne – Director of Photography) – had the honour of being projected onto the famous Duke of York’s screen, which will hopefully whet the appetite for our new students as they begin the journey towards making films with this level of ambition for themselves.

To close, students were reminded of the jam-packed schedule that our faculty teams created for them during their induction and fresher’s weeks, which made up a busy fortnight before the hard work really started behind the cameras and in the classrooms this week.

College Principal, Itziar Leighton, had this to say following the success of the event:

“I always look forward to our induction event held at Duke of York’s and look forward to meeting our new students across all our courses. This year we were welcomed by a sea of faces, filling the auditorium, eager to start their studies.

As part of induction, I strongly encouraged students to take every opportunity offered to them (and there will be many), to help enhance their experience and skills, as well develop an impressive CV to support them when they graduate. This enrichment will enhance their learning and add further levels of experience, knowledge and insight, as well as some impressive connections to network with.

For this group of freshers this is the start of an exciting journey, which requires them to challenge themselves, and to embrace opportunities and evolve into industry professionals who are ready to make their mark in this vibrant and buoyant industry.

From everyone at Screen and Film School Brighton, we extend a warm welcome. We look forward to working and collaborating with you, and to witnessing all the adventures and creative productions yet to come.”

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