TV & Film Summer Experience in London

Students work through the filmmaking process in the order a production follows it. Pre-production opens in the writers' room, where scriptwriters advise on crafting a story, students develop a concept together, build their characters' motivations and relationships, and write the script for their first scene using professional script-writing software, with live feedback from industry experts. On set, students take the producer's role — securing locations, building a team, making the film happen — and then the director's, coaching professional actors through a scene, choosing shots, angles and lighting and deciding on set design, sound, costume, make-up and props. Post-production moves to the editing suite, with a live demonstration by an industry editor before students cut their own scene. Finished work is screened on the big screen for feedback from professional directors. No prior knowledge is required.

The school offers a special discount - ask us for details. Three options are published: a first-week taster, the full two-week experience, and a two-week enhanced package, each available residential or non-residential. Contact time with professionals is published as 25 hours for one week, 50 hours for two weeks and 65 hours for the enhanced package. Every option includes hands-on career simulations, programme materials, equipment and resources, a digital certificate and on-site safeguarding. The enhanced package adds a graduation ceremony with a physical certificate, the Level 3 Award in Work Experience with assessment for UCAS points, time on the LSE campus, personalised professional development and university admissions coaching, personality and situational judgement testing, and a private gala dinner and networking event with professionals.

The residential package places students in a private, single, en-suite bedroom in university halls of residence. The one-week residential option is published as six nights and the two-week options as thirteen nights, so residential stays open the day before teaching starts and close the day after it ends. A designated Pastoral and Activity leader, House Parents, Centre Managers and a medical office provide round-the-clock safeguarding and pastoral support. Non-residential options are sold for students who arrange their own accommodation.

Breakfast and dinner are served at the accommodation canteen for students on the residential package.

Evening and weekend social activities are run for residential students as part of the package. The programme itself takes students out to professional workplaces and on-location sets and studio spaces in London, and the enhanced package includes a private gala dinner in central London with keynote speeches and a networking reception.

The programme is based at UCL and the surrounding University of London campus, with certain days taking place in other key industry locations across London. Students work with industry-standard filmmaking equipment and professional script-writing and editing software, and use on-location sets and studio spaces.

Students are coached by filmmakers specialising in directing, producing, sound engineering, visual effects and editing, and take part in private networking sessions with them. Career coaching covers how to land the most competitive jobs in filmmaking and gives advice on subject choices, university selection, work experience and extra-curricular activities. Work is assessed for a Level 3 Award in Work Experience and Career Planning, equating to eight UCAS points; after an online assessment each participant receives a personalised certificate and an industry reference letter setting out what they achieved.