STREAMPUNK The Future of Media
example, so it won’t be foreign to students if they want to move across the different production disciplines.” SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS Of course, this news of a fully functioning TV studio in the UK’s most prestigious performing arts school comes as no surprise following the country’s recent film and TV production frenzy, which shows no sign of abating. Driven by the battle for streaming supremacy, the UK has produced a number of internationally celebrated hits in recent years, including Game of Thrones , His Dark Materials and Chernobyl . But this boom in production has its drawbacks – there aren’t enough skilled creatives to fill the jobs it generates. “Coming from the creative industry myself, it’s something I’m keen to fix,” says Smith. “This country has been incredibly successful in film and TV production, but there’s a deficit of people coming in. YOU CAN SEE THE STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TOBETHENEWWAVE OFTHE INDUSTRY
“I think The Brit School has a huge role to play in ensuring that there are skilled young people entering the industry, because it would be a shame not to have that in the future.” Smith continues. “One of the great things about working at The Brit School is that you can see the students who are going to be the new wave of the industry, so I feel hopeful. We just have to continue to drive it and push it forward. But that’s what our new TV studio is doing. It’s helping students experience and understand the workflow of what’s involved in putting on a professional production.”
As the youngsters dive into the sometimes murky waters of the internet, exposed to the public eye, there is trepidation that this exposure could be life- changing in more than one way. It could – and hopefully will – help emerging artists, producers and filmmakers share their talents with the world through video, but it could also put them in the firing line of the communications at The Brit School, informs us that the school is consistently preparing students for life in the limelight. She says: “All students have personal and professional development lessons and workshops, which explore the issues around self-promotion, and using social media and related technologies, as well as the benefits of detoxing for positive mental health. Students are encouraged to report trolling and anything deemed violent or threatening in any way to the school’s pastoral care support team, and we advise that profiles are set to private, but if they are set up to showcase work, not to engage with negative comments.” Ultimately, “the school promotes independence and encourages students to take responsibility for their actions and behaviours, and how they present their art online,” she says. “Being the editor of their own content and making decisions on what to and not to share is key.” The Brit School has a pretty stellar alumni. We’ve seen the likes of Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, FKA Twigs, King Krule and Jessie J pass through its doors. Perhaps we’ll have a flood of Wes Andersons and Bill Murrays, Jean-Luc Godards and Anna Karinas next? many trolls that haunt the web. Alexa Cruickshank, director of
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING The YouTube generation needed a more permanent set-up and the better kit helps students focus on artistic ideas
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