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BFI Film Academy
Internship Programme
Information for Companies
BFI Film Academy Internship Programme
Bring talented and committed young people aged 16-19 who have completed BFI
Academy residential into your company for a three-month paid internship, matched to
your needs by Creative Skillset.
Placements are open to companies working across all areas of film. Students have
completed training in animation, craft skills, documentary, screenwriting and VFX.
BFI Film Academy and Creative Skillset
Open to young people from anywhere in the UK and from any background, the BFI Film
Academy offers a real chance for talented 16-19-year-olds to be part of our future film industry.
Through residential training, held across the UK at sites including Tyneside Cinema and the
National Film and Television School, young people work closely with leading industry
professionals to gain practical insight into the filmmaking business and guidance to progress
to a career in their chosen field. Masterclasses by key industry figures are integral to the
programme, as is hands-on skills training. Each residential training programme offers a
combination of workshops, practical skills lessons and lectures.
In 2015, Creative Skillset is working with BFI Film Academy to match students who
have successfully completed residential training programmes with companies in their
relevant field, to undertake paid internships. These internships are targeted toward
students who may not be going on to university or higher education, and who come from a
wide variety of backgrounds and areas across the UK, to provide an alternative route into the
Creative Industries.
A few months after completing the BFI Film Academy I was accepted onto the BBC
Production Apprenticeship, where I get to work on BBC programmes as well as receive
training in the art of broadcasting and making television. So far I have worked on The
One Show and Film 2014 as a runner, and currently I am working in the documentaries
department. It is an amazing opportunity, and I am certain that I wouldn’t be at the BBC
now if it wasn’t for everything I learned with the BFI.
2013 BFI Academy trainee
Find out more about the BFI Film Academy.
What’s in it for companies?
Bring talented and committed young people aged 16-19 who have completed BFI Academy
residential courses, proving themselves energetic, trained, ambitious, proactive, and skilled,
into your company for a three-month paid internship, matched to your needs by Creative
Skillset. These young people are doers and makers, looking for real work experience, who
are committed to breaking into their chosen field.
Through the support of Creative Skillset and the BFI, interns will be paid a training allowance
equivalent to living wage with the cost to companies just £50/week – that’s a coffee and a
bus fare per day. This is a great opportunity for companies to attract and train new talent, to
give something back and support the next generation making it in your industry.
Participating companies can also access further training in mentoring and management to
support the programme – so you can develop existing staff as well as bringing in new talent
and ideas.
What we expect from companies taking part
Host an intern for up to 12 weeks and make them part of the team. Companies working across
all areas of film and in particular in animation, craft skills (directing, producing,
cinematography, sound mixing and recording, editing, production design),
documentary, screenwriting and VFX, as well as related fields such as festivals,
distribution or exhibition, are invited to host. This is a training programme so the internship
needs to be an additional role within your organisation – not filling or displacing an existing
position – which will provide on-the-job training and development. There is also support
available for short structured training or short courses to assist the trainee to become workready for the role.
For companies taking on an intern under the age of 18, guidance and support is available to
help you keep within best practice and legislation for working with young people. For all
companies, we expect clear line management and support to be available for each placement.
At the start of the programme, both companies and interns will agree a simple training plan
with identified milestones, and at the end of the placement, will provide a short report on
achievements.
When does it all happen?
Creative Skillset is currently seeking expressions of interest from companies that want to host
internships from June 2015 onward.
Applications for BFI Film Academy alumni who have completed their residential course are
open from 1 May 2015. From the beginning of June, Creative Skillset will be matching
applicants and companies for the first round of placements.
Summary timeline
On-going:
Expressions of interest invited from companies (assessed
on a rolling basis)
1st May 2015:
Applications open for BFI Academy alumni (assessed on a
rolling basis)
From June 2015:
Internships begin at a range of companies, running for up to
12 weeks per placement
Placements run continuously for up to 12 weeks each, although shorter periods will be
considered where a case can be made.
Want to get involved?
Click here to complete our short expression of interest form.
[ http://panels.creativeskillset.org\s\BFI-Film-Academy-EOI\ ]
We will then contact you for a telephone or Skype meeting to discuss your requirements and
whether the scheme is right for your business.
For an informal discussion about the programme, or for more information, contact Michael
Brandon, project manager, on 020 7713 9800 or email academyinterns@creativeskillset.org
Information about work placements and traineeships
Creative Skillset can help you navigate the wealth of information and legislation about work
placements and traineeships. Through practical schemes such as this one, and Trainee
Finder, we support companies across the Creative Industries to create and implement training
programmes and placements that work for all involved.
Read more and get guidance documents and answers to your FAQs at:
http://hire.creativeskillset.org/work_placements