More Than a Saturday Film or Drama Club
There are plenty of activities for young people interested in acting, performing arts and filmmaking. Motion Film Academy takes a more hands-on, production-focused approach.
Rather than treating acting and filmmaking as completely separate worlds, we bring them together through the process of actually making films.
🎠Acting + 🎬 Filmmaking
Our acting and filmmaking students are taught separately, allowing each group to concentrate properly without the noise and distractions of the other discipline.
They then come together for planned filming sessions.
Filmmaking students prepare the production, set up the equipment and take responsibility for the technical and creative side of the shoot.
Acting students prepare their performances and become the cast.
This gives both groups genuine experience of working together as a production team.
🔄 Understand the other side of the camera
We also encourage students to understand what the other side of the production involves.
Each term, every student can attend one session from the other discipline completely free of charge.
An acting student might spend a session learning about cameras, directing, lighting or sound.
A filmmaking student might spend a session exploring acting for camera, character development, scripts and taking direction.
There is no extra charge for this.
The aim is simple: better filmmakers understand actors, and better actors understand filmmakers.
🎥 Learn by actually making
Students don’t simply learn filmmaking or acting as theory. They regularly put their skills into practice.
Filmmaking students may work as:
- Camera operators
- Directors
- Sound recordists
- Lighting crew
- Editors
- Producers
- Assistant directors
- Continuity
Acting students develop skills including:
- Acting for camera
- Character development
- Script work
- Improvisation
- Taking direction
- Working with other performers
- Understanding how performances work on screen
🎬 Real industry connections
Motion Film Academy is also designed to give young people a connection to the wider film and television industry.
Through our industry network, students may have opportunities to learn from agents, casting professionals, working actors, filmmakers and production professionals.
Where genuine opportunities arise, suitable students may also be introduced to relevant industry contacts or considered for appropriate real film, television and other production opportunities.
These opportunities cannot be guaranteed, but we want students to understand how the professional industry actually works and, where appropriate, have access to people working within it.
🚀 Progress as you develop
Motion Film Academy is an ongoing academy, rather than a short course.
Students can join during the academic year and continue developing their skills as they grow.
A miniature film production environment
Our aim is to create something closer to a young film production company than a conventional Saturday activity.
One week you might be operating the camera.
The next, directing a scene.
You could be acting, recording sound, managing continuity, editing footage or helping produce the film.
The emphasis is on learning by doing, working as a team and creating something tangible.
Don’t just watch films. Make them.
Motion Film Academy is for young people who want to understand what happens behind and in front of the camera, develop practical skills, understand the wider industry and actually make films.
Learn the skills. Work as a crew. Perform. Create. Make films.