CONEL Students Spend the Day Visiting BAFTA Headquarters

Students from CONEL spent the day exploring BAFTA’s headquarters and attended a talk by actor Taz Skylar and CG expert Amanda Joshnstone-Batt.

Over 40 students from The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London’s (CONEL) Media and Music courses had the opportunity to explore the home of BAFTA and learn more about the world of film.  The event was organised by CONEL’s Creative and Digital Media department to give students insight into the film industry and provide valuable encouragement for their future careers.

On arrival, students were excited to enter the historic BAFTA building on Piccadilly and see the wide variety of memorabilia on display. They spent time in the press room, where they were able to re-enact press conferences and interviews and see the iconic BAFTA statue.

Students then attended a talk and Q&A session with Taz Skylar, a successful British and Spanish actor best known for his role in the successful Netflix anime series One Piece. Following the talk, students were able to enjoy some interactive activities, playing games designed by BAFTA students and making use of a photo booth.

The final part of the day featured a talk delivered by Amanda Johnstone-Batt, CG supervisor at ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), one of the world’s leading VFX companies. Amanda has worked in the film industry for almost twenty years and oversees teams of artists on a variety of projects.

During her informative presentation, Amanda gave students an insight into various roles within the VFX industry, including her own, and presented examples of her work, which includes cinematic masterpieces such as Avatar, Man of Steel, Godzilla and Thor. Students then had the opportunity to speak to her individually about her experience and get advice for developing their own skills and future careers.

Teti Purwani, a Level 3 Media student, said: “I couldn’t believe I was heading to BAFTA HQ! I was excited to meet Taz Skylar who has inspired me to write my own scripts and have learnt about different roles within the film industry.”

Marek Morzuch, a teacher on the Games and Animation course, said: “It was a great opportunity for students to learn about different roles within the filming industry. Students met a representative from Industrial Light & Magic. This really opened their eyes to different aspects of filming. It was great for them to learn about the CGI and SFX side to filmmaking, which does not get enough attention in the industry.”

You can learn more about our Creative and Digital Media courses here.

You can learn more about our Music courses here.

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