ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 8 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

Marlom: the funding appears to be for companies that already employs people. So, the writers and editors would be paid while on the training.

John: from what I understand, crewing is your specialty. Rather than batons, or talents, this funding is about learning to use software. The skill shortage doesn't seem to be in "talent" but rather in software skills (as far as editing goes) and who knows what in writing.

Yes, a lot of film schools don't give a lot of hands-on training in crewing (especially sound equipment), so I could see where some of your students may benefit. However, I have been in excellent computer-based university classes where in depth training is given (to a higher level than the proposed courses from the funding list.)

Why someone would have already hired a writer who needs basic training is beyond me, but maybe there are specialist skills in animation writing that can be taught in a week.

10 years, 8 months ago - John Lubran

Can a two week course equal or better a three year degree? Astonishingly perhaps to some, the answer is yes!

Three years is a heck of a long time. For most students university is a rite of passage, an excellent medium by which young people learn a bit more about the big wide world they are growing into. For many a young graduate, though by no means all, the BA., MA., BSc., etc., that they get to put on their CV's at the end of it is the most useful part of the process. I've suggested repeatedly on these forums that the talents associated with film making are 80% God given and 20% learned. After some two decades of providing short courses and apprenticeships literally hundred of folk of every possible sort have passed through our doors; including many graduates with top degrees in production related subjects. I really could not make it up how many times that I've been told, "I've leaned more here in two days than I did during three years at uni" I would always encourage youngsters to go to university for all the reasons given above but don't for one second accept that equally good if not better professional artists can't be found who've had no formal training at all, many of whom have become great talents within weeks of picking up their batons.

10 years, 8 months ago - Marlom Tander

The reason that we writers tend not to get excited by SP posts is simple - we do our work up front. You think "give me a free weekend on my shoot" is annoying, try "give me weeks of your time writing for free".

There is no shortage of excellent writers for those with the money to pay them :-)

10 years, 8 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

Wozy, I agree that there is a talent that may be developed far beyond the average grad or aspiring writer.
And yes, it takes years and all that, for editing and writing.

To clarify, the funding aims to fill the skill shortage by putting people on a one or two week course. That's its stated aim, and what it pays for is half one of those "intro to final cut" or "getting started with Adobe Premiere" type of course. I haven't seen what writing training it funds, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were something idiotic like attending a McKee seminar. (The book has the same content, and it's much cheaper than half a McKee seminar.)

I just wonder, can they learn in two weeks in front of a computer in Soho what they can't learn with three years of practice at a University? Surely, after three years at uni, one of these week-long classes won't do that great.

10 years, 8 months ago - Lee 'Wozy' Warren

I would say that there is skill and then there is Skill... Just because someone has the ability to come up with an idea and write it down, doesn't necessarily mean that they have developed their craft to the level that industry professionals expect. It can take years to hone the skills and knowledge to produce a polished screenplay that an agent, manager or producer would find compelling enough to take the writer and his work on from. Obviously, there are the exceptions where someone writes and sells, in a bidding war no less, a first time effort.

Same for editing. Just because a college can churn out hundreds of grads with the ability to open a FCP project and throw clips on a timeline, doesn't, in my opinion, make them an editor. They edit, yes, but, and again I stress, it takes years to hone the skills and knowledge to be able to learn the nuances of timing etc etc...

And let's not forget that just because you may have developed the craft, of either writing or editing, doesn't automatically bring with it the business skills to sell yourself to... again, agents, managers or producers.

My 2c worth.

Best

Wozy

@wozyW

10 years, 8 months ago - John David Clay

Yes,

I would agree there is a shortage of editor and a demand for more writers monitoring the type of posts on SP and mandy.com.

hope you fill it?

good point I agree!

John

10 years, 7 months ago - Patrick Parkinson

I'm a writer and editor, use me!!
Got a masters in scriptwriting from Salford University

@paddyparkinson