British Youth Film Academy Circa 2013-2015


 

For a number of years the was the website for the British Youth Film Academy.
Content is from the site's
2013-2015 archived pages.
If you have inadvertently arrived here while searching for information about the British Youth Film Academy, their current website is found at: https://nyfa.org.uk/

 

British Youth Film Academy is a co-operative established in 2009 with the aim of prompting film based activities for young people.
It provides professional standard feature films, engaging students at all levels of their education, in all areas of film production.

Trading Address
1 Angel Square
Manchester
M60 0AG
United Kingdom

 

 I feel that this is an embryo, a beginning, and the crews of the future Star Wars and the future Harry Potter productions are all here.  Brian Blessed, Actor (Flash Gordon, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Henry V…)

 

"BYFA was such a good experience and so worthwhile. It's such a nurturing company and ensures you feel safe and confident on both sides of the work. I am currently graduating from East 15 Acting School with paid festival work already lined up! Every piece of experience you can grab is essential in this career and BYFA is a great starting point. It gives a real taste of what a film set and drama school are like."
Kirsty Jackson
Actor- 2012 and Head of Performance- 2014

 

"In 2014 I had my first professional job on Victoria Woods 'That Song We Sang', you may have seen it on Boxing Day on BBC2. I followed that up with 4 months working on the second series of 'Peaky Blinders' for BBC2. Next I was off to Lymm to shoot 'After Hours' for a 6 weeks which is a new Sky One comedy due for release soon. "
Owen Henley
Summer Camp participant, now a camera trainee in the industry!

 

"I was incredibly impressed by the level of dedication and talent shown by the young people who participated in “The School That Roared” - it was extremely inspiring to work with a group of such motivated individuals and the positive impact on all who participated was clear to see"
Todd Carty (Actor)
Grange Hill, Eastenders, The Bill



 

What we do?

The British Youth Film Academy (BYFA) was established to provide a solid link between the commercial film industry and all branches of media education, by offering professional standard training and vocational experience twinned with students’ current academic study.

Unique to the BYFA, students, from 14 years of age right through to postgraduate levels of education, work with professional filmmakers to produce a full-length feature film. What’s more, they get their name in the films credits – making our students more attractive to potential employers.

Our Summer Camp enables students to experience each of the departments constituent within film production – camera, grip, lighting, sound (on set, foley and wildtracks), music, art (set, props, hair, make-up, prosthetics and wardrobe), catering, production, performance and postproduction (editing, sound, foley, colour) – and so make informed choices about their careers.

Our Philosophy – Learning through doing

We believe in co-operation, community and camaraderie. BYFA is a cutting-edge film training school that, through offering hands-on film-making experience, bridges the gap between education and professional employability. Each project utilises the experiences of academic institutions, the skills of media professionals and the energy of young people in the creation of feature films.

Designed to give young people (aged 14 – 25 years) the opportunity to experience professional film processes through project-based learning, BYFA operates a policy of ‘Learning through doing’, where all talent can be nurtured and developed. Unlike a professional film set, our young people are able to ask questions and make mistakes, and are encouraged to develop and progress through the ranks year-on- year.

Case Study: John Montegrande - My life in the BYFA

I first came into contact with The British Youth Film Academy (BYFA) in 2003 as a young student on a Performing Arts course at South Cheshire College. I was on the verge of dropping out, until my tutor persuaded me to get involved in on exciting feature film opportunity over the summer, which turned out to be ‘Upstaged’ – BYFA’s inception film. Being given the opportunity to be part of such an inspirational project gave me a sense of purpose for the first time. We encouraged each other throughout the process and produced a remarkable film. The sheer quality of the experience fired my enthusiasm and passion for drama; and I began an acting degree.

However, personal problems forced me to leave and I soon hit rock bottom, battling homelessness and drug addiction. BYFA had already inspired me once, so I got in touch and was thrilled to be given an entry role as a Production Assistant – after that drugs became less and less important as I had something to strive for; and eventually they stopped altogether.

From there I went from strength to strength, slowly being given more responsibility as I proved myself and developed both my technical ability and life skills, helping me to become a more rounded, stable person in the process.  In the summer of 2010, I co-directed one of BYFA’s new feature films, a contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It felt amazing to be able to help people develop in the way that I’ve been helped.

Regina Tates: Behind The Deepwater Horizon/BP Disaster

The ecological disaster that took place in the Gulf of Mexico starting in April 2010 involved a British company, BP, with American partners. I attended the academy in that year with the specific goal of creating a documentary focused on this partnership and the consequences of the disaster for everyone involved. My dad worked very closely with one of the Louisiana maritime law firms whose principals handled many of the claims of the workers, so I had access to information that others did not. The challenge from my point of view was to create a film in which many of the most interesting occurrences happened online. The role of the internet was huge in every respect, from 24/7 news to connecting injured parties with legal assistance, something in which Google played a major role. Immediately after word of the explosion reached the mainland, families and friends began searching for Louisiana maritime lawyers and sites like OffshoreInjuryLouisiana.com started receiving large numbers of visitors. BP and Deepwater Horizon were fighting an existential battle with PR, reputation management, lawyers, and hackers. I have proof from the developers that the website of the law firm suing on behalf of the injured workers were hacked and defaced. The pros running the academy, as well as my fellow students helped me organize and create a clear story using tv footage, screenshots, stills, slides and video. Could not have done this without the education I received here.

 



 

Feature

Films

To date BYFA has produced eight feature length films: Upstaged, Treasure of Albion, The School That Roared, Re-Evolution, As You Like It, The Perfect Burger, The Limelight, Julius Caesar and engaged performers such as Brian Blessed, Todd Carty, Pauline Quirke, Chris Ellison, Alexei Sayle, Clive Mantle, David Yip, Hildergarde Neil, Gareth Hale, Norman Pace, Ray Lonnen, Ros Blesssed, Richard Brimblecombe, Carol Harrison, Norman Lovett, Phil Cool, Susan Skipper, Joanna Bobin, Liam Tobin and Duncan Meadows. Our professional crews have experience from projects such as Goldeneye, 24 Hour Party People, 51st State, Hornblower, Cold Feet, The Commander and Foyle’s War. Want to make a feature film? Come to our next Summer Camp

 

  • Friends Of Money

Friends Of Money

Shotin 2012

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 65 Minutes
  • The Last British Execution

The Last British Execution

Shot in 2012

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 90 Minutes
  • Olivia Twist

Olivia Twist

Shot in 2012

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 74 Minutes
  • Faust's Growth

     

Faust's Growth

Shot in 2012

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 85 Minutes
  • The Rochdale Pioneers

The Rochdale Pioneers

Shot in 2012

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 57 Minutes
  • Self Same Sky

Self Same Sky

Shot in 2011

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 119 Minutes
  • Richard II

Richard II

Shot in 2011

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: TBC
  • Henry IV Part 1

Henry IV Part 1

Shot in 2011

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 85 Minutes
  • Henry V

     

Henry IV Part 1

Shot in 2011

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: TBC
  • Julius Caesar

Julius,Caesar

Shot in 2010

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 123 Minutes
  • The Limelight

     

The Limelight

Shot in 2010

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 90 Minutes
  • As you like it

As You Like It

Shot in 2009

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 90 Minutes
  • The Perfect Burger

     

The Perfect Burger

Shot in 2009

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 90 Minutes
  • Re-Evolution

Re-Evolution

Shot in 2008

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 75 Minutes
  • The School That Roared

     

The School that Roared

Shot in 2007

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 87 Minutes
  • The Treasure Of Albion

     

Treasure of Albion

Shot in 2006

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 67 Minutes
  • Winner of a Bronze ‘REMI’ Award at the Worldfest International Film Festival, Houston, Texas
  • Upstaged

     

Upstaged 5

Shot in 2005

  • Format: HD
  • Duration: 87 Minutes
  • Winner of a Gold ‘REMI’ Award at the Worldfest International Film Festival, Houston, Texas

 

 

BritishYouthFilmAcademy.com