The BFI (British Film Institute) Art Department Course took place in Bristol with 25 of us all together, and we all got an incredible opportunity to learn more about the film industry.

We got to meet and talk to several people who work in the industry as part of the art department. We learnt about the roles in the department and what they involve. One speaker worked on the sets for Netflix’s Heartstopper, whilst another worked on the Alienist. We got the chance to talk to them, be given advice on how to find work experience and begin creating connections and networking.

We then got to create a set for a scene and film it! In groups of 5 we were given a script for a scene and a brief for the set that we had to follow. We first had to break down the script and establish all the different pieces, then measure up the set to create a technical drawing of it, either by hand or on a software called SketchUp. Also in preparation, we had to make mood boards for our script to show the ideas we had for the set, eg the colour palette, props etc.

My groups script was set in 2000s Manchester and was about a girl called Alice trying to get into Oxford University with the revision taking over her life. She then receives a letter saying she was denied a place, so we needed to create a set that emphasised just how much revision had swamped her. We were provided with many props and set pieces to use, then before dressing the set, we had to create the graphic and action props. Multiple, identical copies of the Oxford letter were made so we could have multiple takes of the scene. Posters, revision notes etc, were all created by me and my group to dress our set.

After we dressed the set, we were able to film the scene with a small crew and actress to play the role. It was my favourite part of the course, being able to see our set come to life and appear on a screen. We were also able to see our short film in a small cinema.

Not only were we able to experience first hand the roles of the film industry, but it is a great way to meet new people and make friends and connections. If you are interested and want to find out more go to the BFI (British Film Institute) website and look at the short courses. I would definitely recommend it if you want to go into film.