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43-706: London Film School ( LFS ) is a film school in London , United Kingdom, and is situated in a converted brewery in Covent Garden , London, neighbouring Soho , a hub of the UK film industry. It is the oldest film school in the UK. LFS was founded in 1956 by Gilmore Roberts as the London School of Film Technique (LSFT). Originally based on Electric Avenue in Brixton , the school moved to its current premises on Shelton Street in 1966, after

86-661: A PhD in Film by Practice. It also offers a range of short and part-time professional development courses under the LFS Workshops banner. LFS recruits students from all over the world and is specifically constituted as an international community; around 70 per cent of its students are from outside the United Kingdom. LFS is recognised as a World-Leading Specialist Provider by the Office for Students and in recent years it has been named one of

129-788: A brief parenthesis in Charlotte Street , and changed its name to London Film School in 1969. From 1974 to 2000, it was known as the London International Film School (LIFS), and reverted to the name London Film School in 2001. LFS offers various degrees at postgraduate level: an MA in Filmmaking, an MA in Screenwriting, and, in partnership with the University of Exeter , MA in International Film Business and

172-1097: A digital camera can shoot a digital work with little formal knowledge of the industry, and can succeed or establish a following by making the work available for viewing or by publicizing it on the internet. Directors who have attended and earned degrees from film schools include Francis Ford Coppola ( UCLA Film School , MFA film directing), Martin Scorsese ( NYU Film School , MFA film directing), David Lynch ( AFI Conservatory , MFA Film Directing), George Lucas (USC Film School, BA film directing) and Kathryn Bigelow (Columbia School of Arts, master's degree in film theory and criticism). Others, such as Stanley Kubrick , Frank Capra , Pedro Almodóvar , Bernardo Bertolucci , Paul Thomas Anderson , Sofia Coppola , Quentin Tarantino , James Cameron , and Alfred Hitchcock had no formal college film training at all. Film director Werner Herzog has been quite vocal in arguing against film school. Luis Mandoki Luis Mandoki (born August 17, 1954)

215-687: A drastic increase in the student numbers, which made the original premises unsuited. The school moved to the West End in 1963, first into a building in Charlotte Street and later, in 1966, in its current premises on Shelton Street. In 1969 it changed name to London Film School, to avoid being regarded as an institution that only offered narrow technical training. Notable alumni from the 1960s include directors such as Mike Leigh , Michael Mann , Don Boyd , and Les Blair , cinematographers such as Tak Fujimoto and Roger Pratt , as well as producers like Iain Smith . In

258-532: A festival, or showcase, of student works at the end of a semester or school year. The more prestigious institutions often invite industry executives and producers to attend. However, ambitious individuals not in film school can also pursue such opportunities on their own through cold-calling , joining film-industry-related organizations such as IFP , or submitting their work to independent film festivals . The rise and popularity of independent filmmaking and digital video have influenced this debate, as anyone with

301-447: A privately owned for-profit institution . Depending on whether the curriculum of a film school meets its state's academic requirements for the conferral of a degree, completion of studies in a film school may culminate in an undergraduate or graduate degree , or a certificate of completion. Some institutions, both accredited and non-accredited, run shorter workshop and conservatory programs concurrent to longer degree courses. Not only

344-430: A rehearsal studio used also for workshops. LFS occasionally hires external studios facilities as well. The school has a fully equipped design studio with drawing boards, model making facilities, visual reference library, materials library and design computer suite. It has editing suites equipped with Avid Media Composer as well as sound suites equipped with Pro Tools 24HD , a commentary and Foley recording area and

387-452: A sound effects library. LFS also has two cinemas (Cinema A & B), with 110- and 35-seat capacity respectively and projection facilities for both digital and 35mm . London Film School is planning to relocate to new facilities nearby in Covent Garden over the course of the 2023/24 academic year. The London Film School is built around a conservatoire model. Filmmaking is taught on stages and in workshops rather than in classrooms, and

430-596: A trip to the Berlin Film Festival . The MA Filmmaking and MA Screenwriting programmes are validated by the University of Warwick , while the MA Documentary Filmmaking is validated by the University of Exeter . MA International Film Business is offered jointly with University of Exeter, with site study split between Exeter and London. Next to the full-time MA courses, the London Film School offers

473-638: A variety of short-term workshops and professional development courses, as well as a PhD programme in Film by Practice in partnership with the University of Exeter . The school's alumni include: Every year, at London Film School's Annual Showcase, the school awards an Honorary Associateship to commended leading screen industry figures. Previous recipients of this award are: 51°30′49″N 0°07′33″W  /  51.5135°N 0.1257°W  / 51.5135; -0.1257 Film school The formal teaching of film began with theory rather than practical technical training starting soon after

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516-699: Is a Mexican film director , working in Mexico and Hollywood . Luis Mandoki was born on August 17, 1954 in Mexico City. His parents are Hungarian Jews . He studied Fine Arts in Mexico, and at the San Francisco Art Institute , the London College of Printing and the London International Film School . While attending this last institution, he directed his first short film Silent Music which won an award at

559-441: Is often used for in-class screenings. In recent years, online film schools of sorts have sprung up teaching filmmaking through articles, tutorial videos, and interactive forums. The next generation of digital cinematography using the large sensors and manual features available in still DSLR cameras has lowered the barrier further towards creating inexpensive digital video that compares closely to 35mm film . Professionals in

602-634: The London Metropolitan University and later by University of Warwick . Nevertheless, the curriculum of the filmmaking course remained very similar and maintained its focus on practical filmmaking. Adjustments where brought in place to reflect the technological developments in the film industry and the transition to digital . The school also started diversifying its courses: next to its traditional course in filmmaking , it started offering an MA course in screenwriting in 2005 and, from 2014, an MA in International Film Business in partnership with

645-512: The University of Exeter . Ben Gibson was succeeded as the director of the school by Jane Roscoe from 2014 to 2017. Gísli Snær, Head of Studies at LFS since 2016, was appointed as the new director in 2018; Snær presided over the school during the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic , until stepping down in June 2022. After six months under interim director Peter Holliday, Neil Peplow was appointed as

688-537: The University of Texas department of Radio-Television-Film (1965) and the Columbia University School of the Arts (1965) . Over the years competition for admissions to these programs has steadily increased with many undergraduate programs accepting less than 10% of applicants, and with even more stringent selection for graduate programs. In the 1990s and 2000s, the increased difficulties in getting into and

731-426: The film industry hold a variety of opinions on the relevance of a degree in film in relation to the ability to find work and succeed in the field. As in many professions in the arts, some feel that talent cannot be taught. With respect to filmmaking, others feel that learning techniques and understanding the business is crucial to one's success as a filmmaker. Those who argue against the necessity of film school cite

774-890: The International Amateur Film Festival of Cannes Film Festival in 1976. Back in Mexico, he directed short films and documentaries for the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (the National Institute for the Indigenous), Conacine (National Commission of Film) and the Centro de Produccion de Cortometraje (Center for the Production of Short Films). He received an Ariel Award of the Mexican Academy of Film for his short film El secreto in 1980. His film Motel

817-648: The United States, along with members of the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism in Europe, to circumvent the classical system. The notion of a granting a four-year college degree in film grew more popular in the 1960s with the founding of prestigious film departments like the New York University Tisch School of the Arts (1965) , Walt Disney founded California Institute of the Arts (1961) ,

860-444: The apprenticeship basis which was, at the time, the only access into the field. At first, the school offered a six-month diploma course, which students could take over the day or evening classes, with an optional six-month extension. Under the leadership of a new principal, Robert Dunbar, the course was expanded to 33 weeks and later two years, forming the basic structure for a curriculum that is still largely in place today. This caused

903-406: The chance to collaborate with students on the filmmaking programme and experience the production side of filmmaking first hand. The MA International Film Business programme, run in conjunction with the University of Exeter , prepares students for careers in programming, exhibition and distribution. Over the one-year course, students participate in modules in international finance, world cinema and

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946-556: The chance to crew on films made by students from other terms. Exercises include films shot in 16mm on location with no sound or only post-recorded sound and films shot on 35mm or digital in studio, on purposely designed and built sets. One term is dedicated to making a documentary . For their graduation films, students do not have limitations and are allowed to shoot on any format and at any length they can budget and schedule. Often, students make their graduation film in their home country, which means that LFS films have been made all over

989-469: The courses are structured around practical work. The school has a full-time faculty and a varied group of regular visiting lecturers. The MA Filmmaking programme has no pre-specialisation. Over the two-year course, all students are provided with a full education in all the craft areas of filmmaking : directing, producing, editing, cinematography, sound, production design, and writing. Students work on at least one film every term, in different roles, and have

1032-439: The development of the filmmaking process in the 1890s. Early film theorists were more interested in writing essays on film theory than in teaching students in a classroom environment. The Moscow Film School was founded in 1919 with Russian filmmakers including Sergei Eisenstein , Vsevolod Pudovkin , and Lev Kuleshov serving as faculty to disseminate their very distinct viewpoints on the purpose of film. Those seeking to learn

1075-476: The early 1970s, a decrease of student numbers caused by various factors, including the establishment of the National Film School and the global impact of the oil crisis , brought the school into a financial crisis and eventually into liquidation. Staff and students banded together to press for continuation of the school; thanks to their efforts in raising the necessary funds, the school reopened in 1975, at

1118-501: The financial costs of attending these programs have caused many to spend their money self-financing their own features or attending a shorter trade school program for around the same costs. Film trade schools however rarely offer more than technical knowledge, and often cost more than a degree from a public university without providing the security of a four-year college degree to fall back on. A film school may be part of an existing public or private college or university, or part of

1161-632: The first filmmaking course finally started in April 1957, based in a rather modest locale above a grocer's shop in Electric Avenue , Brixton . The school was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Inspired by the emergence of film schools in Eastern Europe after World War II, it was set up around the belief that the future of the British film industry required properly designed formal training, rather than

1204-708: The high cost of such an education as prohibitive and assert that an aspiring filmmaker's money would be better spent on the actual making of a film, the experience of which would offer a more practical hands-on education. At many film schools, including NYU and USC, initial student films in non-digital programs are shot with non-synch Arri-S or Bolex film cameras manufactured in the mid 20th century. These films are typically shot on black and white reversal film with no dialog, or limited sound added after shooting. Supporters argue that shooting films like these challenges students to creatively express their story without relying on dialog or other modern conventional devices. Opponents question

1247-486: The incorporation of digital media in film school curricula has risen drastically in recent years. Some schools offer only digital filmmaking courses, eschewing instruction in the medium of film altogether. The use of digital cameras and digital media is significantly less expensive than film cameras and film stock , and allows a film school or department to offer more equipment for students with which to learn and use for their projects. In addition, digital media (such as DVD)

1290-406: The industry. Often cited as another benefit of film school are the opportunities available to students to work as an intern for filmmakers or in related businesses, such as post-production editing facilities, and to network with others interested in filmmaking who may be in a position to collaborate with the student on a project or to eventually offer work in the industry. Most film schools will hold

1333-559: The new director in January 2023. Nevertheless, Peplow stepped down after only ten months in the post, after being offered a senior international role in the film industry; Chris Auty , previously head of producing at the National Film and Television School , took over as the new director in November 2023. In recent years, films made at the school have regularly featured and won awards in some of

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1376-460: The practicality of having students invest a substantial amount of money using equipment that is no longer used in the industry and doing simple filmmaking exercises that could be recreated for much less. Film school proponents argue that a formal education allows for a more rounded theoretical understanding of techniques, and offers the opportunity to gain from the knowledge and experience of professional instructors who work in, or who have worked in,

1419-479: The same location, under a new name: the London International Film School. The school was newly incorporated as a charity, nonprofit-making company limited by guarantee. All students automatically became members of the company upon enrolment, with the right to elect, together with the other members, a board of governors who have the overall responsibility for the management of the school. Manny Wynn

1462-484: The technical craft of filmmaking in the early days of cinema were largely self-taught engineers or still photographers who experimented with new film technology. With the rise of commercial filmmaking in the 1920s, most notably the Hollywood studio system , those seeking to learn the technical skills of filmmaking most often started at the bottom of a hierarchical system and apprenticed under a more experienced person to learn

1505-755: The top international film schools by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter . The school's current director is Chris Auty and chairman is Greg Dyke . The origin of the LFS was a short film training course taught by Gilmore Roberts at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in Chelsea . After a dispute with the art school, Roberts decided to continue the course independently, so he set up the London School of Film Technique in October 1956. After struggling to find suitable premises,

1548-421: The trade. Filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean started in this way, beginning as a title card designer and clapperboard assistant, respectively, in the early 1920s. The USC School of Cinematic Arts was founded in the midst of this Hollywood system in 1929, and continues to be widely recognized as one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. The University of Southern California

1591-423: The types of courses on offer but also the content, cost, and duration of the courses differs greatly between larger institutions and bespoke film schools. Universities offer courses ranging from 1 to 4 years, with the majority lasting 3 or 4 years. Conversely, films schools focus on shorter technical courses of 1 or 2 years. Many film schools still teach students how to use actual film in their productions, although

1634-708: The world's top film festivals, including Venice , Cannes , Berlin , the BFI London Film Festival , Encounters and Sundance . Recent alumni include Benjamin Cleary , Anu Menon , and Carla Simón . The main London Film School building in Shelton Street was previously a brewery and a banana warehouse. Additional facilities are present in an annex building in Long Acre . Facilities at LFS include two studios (Stage B and Stage D) equipped with lighting grids, as well as

1677-528: The world. All film exercises are provided with a production allowance included in the fees. With around 200 full-time students at any one time on the programme, it generates over 180 films a year. The one-year MA Screenwriting programme is centred on the development of a full-length feature script, with individual monitoring and guidance from industry mentors. Workshops on storytelling and film language, characterisation, scene writing, and more are based around practical writing exercises. Screenwriting students have

1720-491: Was appointed principal in 1986. Ten years later, in 1996, the 40th anniversary of the school was celebrated with events and screening of graduates’ work in London, Los Angeles and Mexico City. After the appointment of Ben Gibson as principal in 2000, the school returned to be known as London Film School. Under Ben Gibson, LFS transitioned from offering a diploma course to offering postgraduate MA programmes, first validated by

1763-512: Was appointed principal of the re-established LIFS until his sudden death six months later, when he was succeeded by John Fletcher. Notable filmmakers from all over the world studied at the LIFS in the 1970s and 1980s, including Mexican director Luis Mandoki , Hong Kong director Ann Hui , Swiss cinematographer Ueli Steiger and Argentinian director Miguel Pereira . After John Fletcher's death, Martin Amstel

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1806-542: Was selected to represent Mexico in film festivals around the globe in 1984. At the age of 30, he developed, wrote, produced and directed Gaby: A True Story (1987), a movie about the struggles of disability activist Gaby Brimer . This film was nominated for both the Academy and Golden Globe Awards . For the next 15 years, he filmed only in English until the critically acclaimed Voces inocentes of 2004. This film gave him

1849-495: Was the first university in the country to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in film. The tradition of apprenticing up through a hierarchical system continues to this day within film studios and in television in many technical positions such as gaffers , grips , camera operators , and even into post-production with editing and color correction . Independent lower budget filmmaking in the post-war period using portable 16mm film cameras allowed filmmakers like John Cassavetes in

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