Film and Media London Residential

During the February half term break, our Sixth Form Film Studies and Media Studies students got a taste of the capital and the culture and creativity on offer on our doorstep.

After a train journey into Waterloo, our first stop was the Tate Modern where - amongst the expected famous works of art - innovative short films and diverse multimedia projects gave our Year 12 learners inspiration ahead of their forthcoming coursework units.

Following a meander around Covent Garden, we watched the award-winning musical adaptation of Back to the Future with its astonishing staging effects and deft adaptation of Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis’s timeless screenplay (handy for our Year 13 Film students as we are currently studying the shift from New American Cinema to the high concept blockbusters of the 1980s).

After a stroll past Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace to London’s original Hard Rock Café for dinner, our first day concluded with screenings at the British Film Institute. Each student decided which one of the three films on offer they wanted to watch; these included Memoir of a Snail, a Burtonesque Australian animation which is up for Best Animated Film at this year’s Oscars, and I’m Still Here, the critically acclaimed story of a family’s life in 70’s Rio under the Brazilian military dictatorship. Each student was enthralled by their choice, and some were visibly moved and deeply affected when we gathered in the lobby afterwards to discuss our picks.

The following day we set off for what was possibly the highlight of the trip: Vogue: Inventing the Runway, an audio-visual experience at The Lightroom, a huge immersive space in which moving image is projected on all four walls and the floor. We lined up in a “backstage area” where some of our students indulged at the make-up stations. Then, after getting comfy on one of the Lightroom’s many seating areas, the history of Vogue magazine (a product our Year 13 Media students are studying) was told through a collision of images and footage which enveloped the entire space. It was a truly unique experience, topped off by some of our students getting to meet and talk to the staff member who created the entire installation.

After lunch at Canopy Market near Granary Square, we finished our residential with a visit to Madam Tussauds, where selfies with film, media and cultural icons were the order of the day. We also took in the newer Marvel and Star Wars exhibits, a reminder of the sustained legacy marketing and cross-promotion methods deployed by Disney, all conglomerates and companies that we investigate in Year 12 Media Studies.

After two days and over 35,000 steps we were done! The students left with a fresh awareness of the myriad ways to enter the film, media and cultural industries and the huge impact the sector has on their lives and futures.

My thanks to Mrs Jones for accompanying us and to all the students who embarked on the trip.

Gareth Evans - Team Leader Film Studies and Media Studies.