Bournemouth Film School (BFS) partnered with BFI NETWORK Southwest on its second Director Lab programme.
The annual event, which took place at the end of June, welcomed six directors for two in-person days of masterclasses led by director and acting coach Em Smith.
As one of the schools at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), BFS is situated both on campus in Bournemouth and at the University's state-of-the-art film studios at Elliott Road, where the Director Lab was hosted.
The two-day event included workshops with professional actors and the opportunity to shoot a pre-written scene on a bespoke film set with the support of BFS staff and students. The six directors were Lydia Jenkins, John Panton, Frankie Fox, Kam Gandhi, Harry Faint, and Charlotte Cooper.
“We started working with BFI NETWORK South West two years ago," explains Will Shutt, BFS Funding and Production Manager. "They receive funding mainly through the National Lottery and UK Government to support, develop, and nurture early career ‘above the line’ talent, so that’s writers, producers, and directors.
“This aligns with our desire to develop regional talent, so we were delighted to partner up with BFI Network South West with our shared goals and values. We were able to offer the studios at Elliott Road as a space while our students and staff were eager to design and build sets, crew, and assist with the project, and that’s how our contribution to the Director’s Lab came about."
More than 60 people applied to be on the Director Lab this year. When asked how they chose the final six, Will says, “As always with these things, with great difficulty! The directors talent pool in the region is inspiring and encouraging. It was clear to see through the applicants that the South West has a lot to offer.
“BFI NETWORK South West had a clear aim of working with experienced directors that would benefit from further skills development, particularly when it came with working with actors. Some of the cohort we ended up with were on their talent radar, whilst others were new discoveries.”
The format for the Director Lab 2025 focused on a series of masterclasses, practical workshopping with professional actors and an opportunity for each director to shoot a scene from a script with everything provided from equipment to set and cast to crew.
BFI staff and students worked behind the scenes – and on the scene – in readiness for Director Lab 2025. The build team was led by Nathan Elliott, the Production Studios and Scenic Services Manager at BFS.
“The BFI Director Lab is a great opportunity for staff and students to really showcase what BFS can do in terms of both production design and set construction," says Nathan.
“In and educational setting, time is often very tight to get the sets built, ready for pre-light and shoot. Our grad films tend to have a build window of just over two weeks – they always look great but with the Director Lab build we had six weeks so we were able to go over and above and really focus in on detail, which certainly shows in the end product, and gave the students involved in the project a flavour of what’s possible and I hope further prepare them in joining the industry."
On the experience, John Panton, one of the participating directors, says, “The Director Lab was an intense and challenging experience – and brilliantly informative. The workshops on the first day took a realistic approach to time-restricted film shoots, and what could be quickly implemented to support actors, create emotionally grounded, more authentic performances; and ultimately enrich a scene.
“The following day was a shoot on the incredibly detailed bespoke set, populated by a large and exceedingly professional student crew. The facilities at Bournemouth Film School are truly impressive, from high-end camera kit to audio and the studios themselves – plus the highly trained staff were an absolute joy to work with."
“Working with Bournemouth Film School has been a brilliant partnership," adds BFI NETWORK South West Talent Executive Nadia Attia. "I think BFS brings a lot to the table in their passion and enthusiasm, the skills of the crew, the alumni and the students that work on the sets and put all this work in to make it happen.
“The feedback that we’ve had from the participants has been absolutely glowing – really positive. I think you can tell from the vibe this weekend that everyone’s absolutely loving it so it’s such a great thing to be able to offer.”
