Audio Engineering Society UK

Title: Technical Visit: National Film and Television School
Location: NFTS, Beaconsfield
Description: More details to follow
Start Time: 18:30
Date: Thursday 19th November 2009

The National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield (www.nftsfilm-tv.ac.uk) is the only UK film and television school based in its own studios, allowing students to make real films and television programmes in industry-standard facilities. Prominent members of the British film industry who teach at the school include Stephen Frears (The Queen), Brian Tufano (Trainspotting), David G Croft (Shooting Stars, Baddiel’s Syndrome), Lynda Myles (The Commitments) and Nik Powell (Ladies in Lavender, The Crying Game, Little Voice).

Originally called The National Film School, it opened in 1971 following four years of planning to create an institution to train new talent for the British film industry. With a loan from Rank, NFS bought the old Beaconsfield Film Studios in Buckinghamshire – which had previously been home to British Lion Film Corporation and The Crown Film Unit – and refitted it to professional film making standards.

During our evening visit, which a maximum of 30 members can attend, a brief introductory presentation in the school’s digital cinema will be followed by a tour of the studios and sound post-production areas. A film shoot will be in progress in the main studio and the television studio will have a daily magazine show in production. Access should be available to the school’s three new Euphonix dubbing theatres, even though they are in the middle of graduation productions, and to the technical sound hub.

After the tour the group will return to the cinema where Andrew Boulton, Head of Sound Production, will explain in more detail the educational and creative mission of the school from the sound perspective, with a few clips to demonstrate the range of work produced by students, before inviting questions from the audience.

Note that all AES UK technical visits are only open to AES members.