News

On the week commencing 12^th November 2018, two groups of Media Studies students attended two Into Film Festival screenings.

Supported by the British Film Institute, the Into Film Festival takes place every November and gives students the opportunity to see films and meet people that work in the film industry.

On Thursday 15^th November, a group of AS and A-Level Media Studies students went to Vue, Finchley Road, to see Journey’s End. The film is set during the First World War in the days just before the Spring Offensive which took place in 1918. The story follows a company of soldiers as they wait for the German attack. Journey’s End has a strong ensemble cast including Paul Bettany, Sam Claflin, and Toby Jones. The students enjoyed the film which captured the horror and misery of war.

After the screening there was a Q&A session with Simon Reade, the writer and producer of the film. During the talk the students gained many insights into the process that a film goes through before it makes it to cinema screens. Reade explained about how films are financed, filmed and marketed to audiences. It was particularly interesting to hear how the actors had spent time with real soldiers when researching their roles. 

On Friday 16^th November another group of Creative Digital Media Production students went to the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley to see Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The Phoenix Cinema is a single screen community cinema and for many students it was the first time they had visited a cinema like this one. The film itself is an action-thriller with some very impressive CGI and stunt work.

After the screening there was a talk by the film critic Alan Jones who is an internationally renowned reporter on the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres. During the talk the students were able to gain valuable insights into the film industry as well as some advice on what they should put into their own work and reviews.

Across the two days the students have gained a lot of knowledge which they will be able to use in their work once they get back into their classrooms.

 

Thank you to Mr D. Dickson and Miss M. Ahmed for organising the trips.