Insert establishment name
Excellent practice
Showcasing skills through the Focus on Film project
Focus on Film is a short film competition which allows learners on media
programmes to demonstrate their vocational skills and film-making expertise. There
are four categories of films – promotional, drama, comedy and documentary. Prizes
are awarded to the winners of each category and there is a separate award for the
best film overall.
To celebrate the event the college hosts an Oscar-themed Award Ceremony and
invites special guests and community stakeholders. It features a black-tie reception,
a celebrity master-of-ceremonies, screening of the films and prize-giving by judges.
The event committee, which includes a number of learners, seeks out sponsors for
the event and secures prizes and goody-bags for distribution throughout the evening.
The winning films are later shown in a city-centre cinema to a wider public audience.
The competition is now an integral part of media programmes. Learners submit
completed films for assessment as part of their graded unit. As a result of the
competition, one sponsor, a local ice cream shop, has requested to be included in
the documentary category for the competition next year. Many of the films have the
local community as a central theme. The competition allows media learners to
demonstrate their understanding of film-making techniques. The judges are
independent and are generally well known in the local community.
The competition supports learners very effectively as they work collaboratively in
groups and individually as they plan and manage their projects. It enhances
learners’ employability and enterprise skills and actively involves them in their own
learning and the life and work of the college. The event contributes to the
coursework for four full-time media programmes. It also provides opportunities for
learners from other subject disciplines including photography, make-up artistry and
hospitality to be actively involved as contributors during film-making or providing
services during the award ceremony. The competition provides a number of useful
contacts for learners for future work placements and career opportunities.