Elstree Studios

Roger Morris, Managing Director for Elstree Studios helped found Elstree UTC and has worked with us as Chair of Governors to shape the college and transform it into Elstree Screen Arts Academy. We have a long standing relationship with Elstree Studios and will continue to work on projects with them.

We collaborate with Elstree Studios to host the Elstree Film Festival as a yearly community event for students to participate in. Every year Elstree Studios is the venue for the leaver’s celebrations and a handful of students have worked on set on Celebrity Juice and The Crown. Three of our Alumni students have gone on to work at Elstree Studios.

Sky Studios

We are very excited to announce the development of Sky Studios Elstree, due to be completed in 2022. Our partnership is just beginning but already Sky Studios Elstree and ESA students are working together to produce four documentaries as part of the launch of the studios. This opportunity will engage around 40 students with workshops and talks in order to support the creation of high-quality content.

NBC Universal Production Services

We have an exciting developing partnership with NBC Universal Production Services. Simon Evans (Director, Set Lighting & Grip Operations) is on our governing board and is our Enterprise Advisor and offers advice, support, equipment and training to students and technicians, with a view to starting industry placement opportunities in the near future.

Initial discussions with Simon sparked our take up of the Level 4 Year 14 course that has run since 2019. We are excited to see this partnership grow as the college takes up the Elstree Screen Arts Academy name.

BBC Studioworks

BBC Studioworks, based in Borehamwood, are a commercial subsidiary of the BBC providing studios and post-production services to all the major TV broadcasters and production companies. Elstree Screen Arts Academy and BBC Studioworks have a long-running partnership dating back to ESA’s inception. This scheme enables students to spend a week on the set of Eastenders experiencing various roles and departments within TV production. Students go through a rigorous interview process to help prepare them for the role (and the industry). Around 6 sixth form students gain placements each year on this scheme, with development for more placements and further partnership opportunities. (Work experience has been on hold this year due to COVID, but we hope to start this up again as soon as we can)

This year BBC Studioworks and ESA have worked with Screenskills to provide mentorship to ten 18+ students. Professionals from BBC Studioworks have met virtually with students to discuss their ambitions and to support their interest in a career in the creative industries.

Music of Black Origin Organisation (MOBO)

For the past 23 years, MOBO has been dedicated to providing a platform for exceptional British talent. While we’ve witnessed and celebrated the success of artists like Stormzy, Rita Ora, Craig David, Lady Leshurr, Krept and Konan, whilst supporting and elevating new and exceptional talent through our MOBO UnSung programme. MOBO UnSung is one of the country’s strongest annual talent competitions for unsigned artists producing original work. A nationwide search for exceptional unsigned talent culminates in 10 finalists, known as MOBO UnSung, who then go on to enter a year-long artist development program of industry and production workshops, performance and networking opportunities, guidance, etc. facilitated by MOBO and Elstree Screen Arts Academy.

ESA and MOBO Unsung have a long standing partnership and we have been creating content for MOBO since our inception as Elstree UTC. We provide professional shoots in our blackbox studio for around 10-12 artists per year and this content appears on the MOBO Unsung website and Youtube channel and well are social media platforms. Around 20 students gain work experience from each of the shoots that take place.

In the previous MOBO Unsung year we have developed another brief - focusing on the behind the scenes features for MOBO Unsung - following the artist’s and their journeys and events related to this. Meaning an additional 3 location shoots took place. For each of these shoots around 5 students gain work experience.

Apples and Snakes

Apples and Snakes was started by a group of poets in 1982 in a room above a pub. Over their 35-year history they’ve worked with Billy Bragg, Jackie Kay, Lemn Sissay, Polarbear, Kate Tempest, Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Rosen, Caleb Femi and Hollie McNish, to name just a few.

Our developing partnership is in it’s third year now. We host and film around 24 artists per year in our blackbox studio. This content appears on Apples & Snakes website, Youtube channel and online social media platforms. For each day of shooting around 15-18 students gain work experience with a hope to develop more projects in the future.

BlackMagicDesign

Blackmagic Design is an Australian digital cinema company and manufacturer based in Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It designs and manufactures broadcast and cinema hardware, most notably digital movie cameras, and also develops video editing software, such as the DaVinci Resolve application. Blackmagic Design partners with Elstree Screen Arts Academy to train students and staff in the latest cinematography technologies and editing practices – providing our Alumni with a distinct advantage over fellow newcomers to the FIlm and TV industry. This is a developing partnership but our aim is to become a DaVinci Resolve Blackmagic Certified Trainer with staff and students trained to a high level on this editing package and for students to access Blackmagic kit through ESA Productions.

Light Fantastic Production Services

Based in Borehamwood, across the road from ESA, we have a longstanding agreement with Light Fantastic that they provide work experience for our students. Light Fantastic also help to supply us with additional technical equipment when necessary. Our aim is to develop this partnership further so that more students are able to gain industry experience at Light Fantastic.

Everything Audio

Everything Audio has been supplying top quality sound kit to professionals working in sound recording for film and television for nearly 30 years. Their shop is based at Elstree Film Studios. Our developing partnership with Everything Audio has meant that they have offered advice and supported us with kit repairs, etc.

Bespoke Productions

ESA Productions also has partnerships with clients and friends of Elstree Screen Arts Academy as well as one off projects, these include charity music videos, promotional content and commercial presentations. Clients in this field range from Elstree Screen Heritage to Team Margot, Grief Encounters, Noah’s Ark and The Royal Navy. Most recently we have worked with The Royal Opera House Bridge and The Careers and Enterprise Company. If you are interested in bespoke productions please head to our dedicated ESA Productions page.

Original Productions

ESA Productions is the in-house production company of ESA. In this capacity, we produce our own content. This can range from music videos, showreels, recruitment videos, advertising, behind the scenes documentaries, podcasts and various online promotional content. We run these shoots in the same way we run professional shoots so that students engage with a level of professionalism in all of the content they produce with Elstree Screen Arts Academy.

Our highlight so far has been entering our short film Do Not Disturb into the Student Media Road Safety Awards which won the award for the ‘Best Artistic Content’. In 2020/21 we will be stretching our wings further to create high quality content to enter into competitions and festivals. Watch this space.