A team of London film-makers is volunteering its time to help young people get work in the film industry, in a scheme that is also helping small charities get their message across.
Their concern is that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds never get a chance to work as film-makers because they do not have the right connections or cannot afford to take up low or unpaid internships.
Casual Films runs an academy providing video production training for young people from Islington, regardless of their backgrounds, with staff giving their time freely to help them get a taste of working in the film and television industry. Over eight weeks the students,between the ages of 16 and 24, work with experienced film-makers to produce a film from a charity brief.
Local charities, who often cannot afford promotional films, also benefit from the scheme. Films produced so far include one about the living wage and another on breast cancer in the under 16s.
More than 90% of students said that they were more likely be a film-maker as a result of the course. Out of the 26 young people who have taken part so far, 19 are still in education and most are doing creative arts courses. Four are already working in the industry or actively making films themselves.
Parallel to their work in London, Casual Films also supports Get Real Training, a Tanzanian charity training street children in video production and helping them achieve professional standards that will allow them to find employment. Casual Films collaborates with other production companies to source unused equipment – such as cameras, computers and sound kit – to send out to Tanzania to support the training project.
Nicolette Fox is part of the wordworks network
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