The screen industries in Yorkshire and the Humber are booming and we don’t believe that you need to leave the North to build a successful career in film and TV. This one day event organised in collaboration with Scarborough Film Festival, Screen Yorkshire, INDIs on Tour and Film Hub North  was designed with that in mind for the next generation of filmmakers, creative freelancers and small business owners. We wanted to inspire and share practical information through panel sessions and networking opportunities and give participants an opportunity to discover and discuss some of the industry's current hot topics including AI, environmental riders and other sustainable production practices which put the planet, and workforce wellbeing, first. 

Coast to Credits  was a chance to meet inspiring professionals, many with direct connections to Scarborough, no gatekeeping, just direct access to some of Yorkshire's key players and fellow attendees to help build and strengthen networks. Our speakers included BAFTA-winning directors, top-tier funders, festival programmers, all experts in their field, who helped boost knowledge and point attendees in the right direction. Whether that was a role in high-end dramas, shooting award-winning docs, or just figuring out how to thrive as a creative freelancer, Coast to Credits offered a one-stop toolkit.

Reel Solutions are proud to have delivered film schools in partnership with the BFI  since the start of the scheme BFI Film Academy programme in 2011 inspiring the next generation of filmmakers and crew over so many years to build careers in a range of roles in film, TV and XR.  

The BFI Film Academy programme provides amazing opportunities for ambitious 16-25 year olds, delivered at over 50 locations across the UK and supported by , to get to know more about film and how to make a career in the screen industries through Introductory Course Academies, Specialist Courses, Future Skills Traineeships and Labs and Scene. 

Belief in young future filmmakers is our passion. We are inspired every year by your enthusiasm, talent and ambitions and feel hugely privileged to have been able to help support and play a role in enabling so many young people's dreams over the last 15 years.  

Our introductory hands-on filmmaking short courses in Bradford and Chester for talented and committed young people aged 16-19 ran for many years and helped build knowledge and skills and show the different pathways into the industry for hundreds of young people in the Bradford and Chester areas. Whether that was testing the water or improving existing skills. BFI Film Academy Short Courses Bradford and Chester provided the very highest quality film skills training and supported every participant to have fun with filmmaking processes, gain confidence, new skills and learn more about careers and make connections in our thriving Yorkshire and Cheshire film networks. BFI Film Academy Short Course Chester focused specifically on Virtual Production (VP), Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive filmmaking, and was the first in the UK to do so giving young people the opportunity to skill up in this new emerging field of filmmaking which continues to experience growth and exciting new opportunities. 

Many of our Bradford and Chester alumni have worked in a range of different careers in film and television and further learning opportunities such as the BFI Film Academy’s intensive specialist courses or internships. Many of our alumni have continued to make their own films and pursue a range of different screen job roles and many now work in different areas of the industry - VFX, video production, camera, or have started their own production companies, written films, are working in film education, and taken up positions with key employers such as the BFI. Some have benefited from being successful in being accepted onto BFI schemes such as BAFTA mentoring and internships with Warner Bros. We like to think that because all of our courses always included leading industry professionals, many based locally, who gave our participants a unique insight into the filmmaking business and connected participants with local film organisations or departments, that everyone who attended one of courses was inspired to achieve their dreams and made to feel that success was always that little bit closer and within reach.

Many thanks to all our brilliant partners and supporters over the years who helped make the BFI Film Academy Short Courses Bradford and Chester a success each year - University of Bradford, Light Cinema Bradford, Nicci Topping Casting, Interspace Media, Bradford College, Turnstone Media, Storyhouse, Cheshire College South and West and University of Chester. Thanks also to the many schools, colleges, local organisations and individuals who supported us in helping spread the word to as many young people as possible in these areas year after year.

BFI Film Clubs was a three year pilot scheme of filmmaking courses we delivered for the British Film Institute (BFI) in Bradford and Scarborough which ran from 2020-23. The scheme aimed to offer accessible creative opportunities throughout the UK. See here for more information. Building on the success of the BFI Film Academy for 16-19 year olds, these courses were made possible by funding from BFI, National Lottery and the DCMS Youth Accelerator Fund. 

The courses were an opportunity to extend filmmaking opportunities and training to a younger age group. They provided opportunities to have fun with filmmaking processes, gain confidence, new skills and learn more about careers in our thriving Yorkshire film network.

Focusing on animation, the 7 day online BFI Film Club Bradford delivered in partnership with Reel Solutions and Screen Argyll, encouraged young people to get creative and gave them skills and the confidence to start making their own animated films. They learnt about model making, how to make a FlipAClip and lots of other filming techniques to create a series of short animated films of your own guided by friendly film professionals who work for companies such as the world famous, four times Academy Award winning Aardman, creators of Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run. 

Our BFI Film Club in Scarborough encouraged young people to have a go at a range of different filmmaking skills supported by our experienced education team and industry professionals who helped participants learn more about how films are made through viewing and talking about film together and covered all the key production stages from development to post-production including camerawork, sound and editing. Participants completed fun daily tasks and filmmaking challenges including creating a mini documentary film in a day as part of a film crew in Dalby Forest; creating animated avatars or mini monsters using claymation and learning to use Stop Motion Studio software with professional animators at Aardman and Screen Argyll; creating a moodboard; watching and discussing films in a range of different cinemas and local pop ups; working with sound to make a unique soundtrack; learning about camera movements and angles, shot types and editing through creating a spooky film in a day; working as a team to build a walk-in camera obscura and learning how images are made as well as meeting lots of professional filmmakers from different areas in the industry to be inspired to pursue careers and additional learning opportunities in the screen industries. 

Leigh Adams, Director of Education and Skills at the BFI at the time of the programme launch said:

'Through these new BFI Film Clubs we want to inspire the next generation of filmmakers, giving young people who might feel that it's not for them, or that it's an impossible dream, the chance to explore a range of films and other screen-based media, gain a real understanding of what goes into making them, the breadth of job roles available, and the pathways to other BFI programmes where they could learn more. We're delighted to be working with providers across England to offer subsidised opportunities outside of school hours in underserved areas, as well as tailored provision within PRUs. We're grateful to National Lottery players for helping to enable this activity.'