The Oratory was delighted to welcome its new pupils into the school on Monday 5 September for a fun induction day into the world of filmmaking with the One Day Film School.

The morning session involved learning the essentials: 

• Film History - from the early days of film to the latest in special effects
• Fight Choreography - analysing James Bond/Indiana Jones fight scenes and then filming their own screen punch!
• Camera - learning to use an iPad like a pro with tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes and making a practice 3 Shot Film about a theft
• Screenwriting - discovering 3 key things every good script needs, how to tell a great story, creating memorable characters and making the audience care

In the afternoon, pupils took the 10 Shot Challenge which involved creating a short film of 2 mins based on a classic narrative (e.g. 'Someone is kidnapped, an attempted rescue’) for premiering at the end of the day. Pupils then self-allocated a role within their film crew (writer, director, producer, screenwriter, actors).

It is worth noting that most adverts take several months to make, so the challenge of making a successful short film in just ninety minutes can be daunting. However, the groups gelled exceptionally well, showed great leadership and teamwork, and no one missed the deadline! Their final task was for the pupils to introduce their film, just like at the Cannes Film Festival, and give it a poster tagline. Then it was time for the VIP judges (Marcus Fec and Young Film Academy representatives) to take their seats and decide which film would win the ultimate prize, the 'Best Picture Oscar'.

The standard was very high and it was a tough decision. The 'Best Picture Oscar' was awarded to the film ’Twisted Detention’. It told an engaging, entertaining story which was technically superb. The judges were particularly impressed by the excellent performances and high standard of camerawork, editing and sound design. Congratulations to the winning team - we hope to see you at the (real) Oscars one day!