“The girls get so much out of this – not only an opportunity to be creative but also develop their skills in leadership, teamwork, collaboration, presenting and so much more”
Downe House School
The One Day Film School is a practical filmmaking workshop that has run in UK schools since 2004, enabling over 85,000 young people to make their first films.
The morning consists of sessions in Film History, Fight Choreography (a favourite), Camera, Screenwriting and Editing. In the afternoon, Students take the 10 Shot Challenge, making short films in groups for screening at their very own Awards Ceremony.
The Awards ceremony is the highlight of the day. Students premiere their mini-masterpieces on the big screen, then the judging panel (school staff, Young Film Academy representatives) decide who will triumph. There are 3 awards on offer, usually presented by the Head.
The Best Motion Picture winner is eligible for the 10 Shot Film Awards which recognise filmmaking excellence in 125 leading UK schools. The judging panel is headed by Robin Kinsey, Vice President Marketing, Walt Disney Studios EMEA & UK – Marvel, Lucasfilm & 20th Century Studios. Find out more here.
It provides a unique and unforgettable experience for pupils, either as a post-exam treat in Summer for Year 11, an Autumn team-building induction activity for new intake, a weekend boarders’ activity or as enrichment at any time for Years 7-12.
Awards
Best Motion Picture
Best Performance
Best Technical Achievement
Course Content
Film History
Fight Choreography
Camera
Screenwriting
Editing
St Helen and St Katharine have hosted the One Day Film School since 2012 as part of their Year 9 Activities. Kay Taylor, Head of Lower School, explains why…
2024 will be SHSK’s 14th year of One Day Film School – why do you re-book year on year?
One Day Film School is a great company to work with and it’s a pleasure to welcome them back into our school every year – the programme of the day is well organised, the facilitators know their craft and and deliver confidently their love of film making to young people. It offers a different way to challenge and inspire our students and is always a highly successful day.
What are the benefits of a filmmaking day – as opposed to any other kind of whole year activity?
Film making day for us is essentially a personal development day – it is an ideal one day event, which encourages students to work collaboratively in teams, make creative choices, be prepared to problem solve and make decisions quickly and produce a short film within a defined time limit. It is a day which educates young people about the history of cinema, as well as giving them opportunities to develop new skills of script writing, shooting and film editing.
What sort of feedback do you get from students? Is it ever discussed after the day is over?
Always receive very positive feedback from students – they find the day “really fun”, enjoy the creative challenges and working in different ways with their peers- a practical way of working that does not happen in the classroom. They love the opportunity to take on different roles, from script writer and prop maker to director and actor!
How difficult is it to organise and host in comparison with other activities?
This event is straightforward to organise in school, as long as there is space large enough to host a year group and has a screen to show the films at the Oscar ceremony at the end of the day. The team of facilitators take complete control of the day, liaise with IT support in advance of the event to ensure the day runs smoothly, bring all the film equipment needed for the day and adapt the programme of the day to suit the school day.
What would you say to a school who is considering booking for the first time?
One Day Film School is a fun, creative and inclusive day for everyone – for students and teachers alike. It brings joy, laughter and positive activity and energy into school! It works so well for different age groups, from Y7 to Sixth Form!
FAQs
What does a typical day look like?
The day runs 9am-4pm in parallel with usual school timings, sample timetable here. We will work with you to create the perfect timetable in advance of the day.
What tech does the school need to provide?
A main space with forward-facing seats, a big screen, sound system and easy-to-access HDMI inputs so we can play film clips on the big screen. We supply iPads for filming and editing.
What does the school need to do in advance?
Print an A5 Student Pack (supplied) and provide pens. Students can be pre-organised into groups (5-10 per group, depending on total numbers), so you have control over who works with who – or leave it for them to decide.
How many school staff are needed?
We supply 2 facilitators and on average 2-3 staff will be in attendance, often on rotating basis. The day is highly practical, and mostly group work.
Are you interested in The One Day Film School?
ABOUT
The ONE DAY FILM SCHOOL
The One Day Film School is developed by Young Film Academy (YFA), the UK’s leading provider of filmmaking courses for 8-18 year olds. Each year, YFA helps over 7500 young people make their first digital films.
Flaticon images were used on this page.