Masterclasses & Workshops
The Skillset Screen Academy masterclasses at London College of Communication are designed to extend and enhance the existing university courses with contributions from leading industry practictioners.
Masterclasses usually take the form of a lecture, sometimes illustrated, followed by a Q & A. Amongst the many industry professionals who have contributed, producer Iain Smith talked about his experiences in the Anglo-American film industry; former Warner Bros executive, Ric Senat, gave an illustrated lecture on the history of Warner Bros; Stephen Warbeck talked about composing for film; leading media lawyer, Nick Lom, discussed copyright; and BBC Newsnight director, Barton MacFarlane, gave a graphic account of the issues involved in live television broadcasting.
Along the way, students are encouraged to use these masterclasses to help them ‘map the industry’ to analyse how it fits together and what the opportunities are.
Workshops, on the other hand, are a chance to work with industry professionals over an extended period. A three-week workshop with legendary acting coach, Jack Garfein, enables students to explore in depth the challenges of being an actor.
In the run-up to the 35mm project, another three week workshop, this time run by the Guild of British Camera Technicians, introduced students to the 35mm camera whilst twenty week workshops in carpentry and plastering run by construction manager, Nick Cook, and leading film industry plasterer, Andy Sandbach, gave students a genuine taste of what it takes to work in the film industry.