Screen Cornwall to partner with ScreenSkills on 'Set Ready' event

credit: © ScreenSkills / Erroll Jones

The Academy Award-winning producer of The King’s Speech is to head a day of practical advice and networking for new and aspiring recruits in Cornwall’s burgeoning screen industries. A number of high-profile productions have been shot in the county recently, including the much-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon and Bait director Mark Jenkin’s follow-up feature, Enys Men.

The one-day event will be held by the national skills body ScreenSkills in partnership with Screen Cornwall in September for those starting out in behind-the-camera roles in film and television or with in-demand skills to transfer into the UK’s booming screen sector.

The event, under the heading Set Ready Cornwall, is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds to ScreenSkills to deliver the BFI’s Future Film Skills strategy.

Gareth Ellis-Unwin, the head of film and animation for ScreenSkills, will share insights from his career as a producer of films including The King’s Speech, Kajaki: The True Story and the recent Steel Country with Andrew Scott.

He will be joined for the Q&A by fellow industry professionals including assistant director Alex Withers, whose credits include the films Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and the Netflix series Zero Chill, and Screen Cornwall managing director Laura Giles who works with incoming and local productions seeking talented crew and is also a producer in her own right.

Their advice on working in the industry will feature alongside presentations including life on set and set etiquette, training programmes, CV clinics and networking.

A practical hands-on workshop run by trainer Caroline Officer, a former producer for BBC and Endemol who made more than 2,000 hours of television such as Ready Steady Cook, will see participants help set up a scene for filming, touching on the work of the different departments: camera, lighting, make-up, costume, directing and sound, to demonstrate how each separate department works collaboratively to make the scene happen. 

Gareth Ellis-Unwin, ScreenSkills head of film and animation, said: “There is a real ambition to open up jobs in the screen industries to a greater diversity of people and a determination to support more production around the country with local crew and talent.

“My colleagues in the ScreenSkills careers team and I are pleased to be working with Screen Cornwall to making this a genuinely useful day for everyone who takes part. We look forward to helping nurture the award winners of tomorrow.”

Laura Giles, Screen Cornwall managing director, said: “Talent development is vital to our vision to grow the screen economy in Cornwall. We’re delighted that ScreenSkills is working with us on this event, which demonstrates that opportunities to work in film and TV exist wherever you are in the UK, and we hope it will inspire the participants to take the next step in their careers.”

Applications are open now for the event which will take place on 23 September in Truro.

It is aimed at those who are looking to work in behind-the-scenes roles – not acting or presenting - in film and TV in Cornwall and are based in the TR and PL postcodes.

Skills and experience that are in demand in the screen industries from other sectors include construction, lighting, electrics, hair and make-up, logistics and locations, health and safety and accounting.