2013-05-21T02:34:24-04:00 Francesca Creed http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=francesca-creed Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Francesca Creed Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2008281 2012-10-25T19:00:00-04:00 2012-12-25T05:12:01-05:00

Francesca Creed http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francesca-creed/
Think about the young gymnasts catapulting themselves across the floor - years of work for a two minute demonstration. It's the same to watch the work of some of our young filmmakers. They've devoted years to developing their craft - often without professional guidance - to produce an inspiring piece of short film. However, there is no arena filled with spectators to give them the recognition that they deserve. Unlike athletes - who have a relatively short period of time at their peak - these directors, editors, cinematographers and animators are only just starting: they will hone and perfect their craft for decades to come.

The prospect of watching student film tends to fill audiences (even some film buffs) with panic, as if you've asked them to sit and watch the home video of your wife giving birth. Why is the exhibition of student film treated like you'll be coming into contact with a leper? Why is more credit given to up-and-coming bands, than up-and-coming filmmakers? Why is there this sense of added risk when sitting down to an hour of shorts made by students?

I've met lots of teachers, artists and industry professionals who whole-heartedly look to the next generation and savour their potential. However, you don't need to commission a research study to very quickly tell that attitudes in British arts encourage you to get your head down, be grateful for your lot and storm on. Hell, I've seen a more engaged audience at the most offensive assault-on-your-senses performance poetry evenings than I have when presented with quality student film. When one in six people in the UK struggle with literacy (Literacy Trust) but 24,963,799 TV licenses were held in the year 2009/10 (TV Licensing) surely the visual language of film appeals on a wider scale?

Unless you've been living in a cave, you may be aware that things are looking a little tough for the generation just coming out of school and university. We need to invest in the cultural output of the next generation, challenge common perceptions and screen student film to wider audiences. We need to extend our renewed British pride and support young British filmmakers.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1323256 2012-03-06T19:00:00-05:00 2012-05-06T05:12:01-04:00

Francesca Creed http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francesca-creed/
For some reason, and to the horror of my bank, I decided this was the best time for a bedroom start-up. So I bought some Ikea trestle tables and enlisted as many talented unemployed graduates as I could fit around them. I now run the British Student Film Festival, a national exhibition of student film showcasing unheard and under-appreciated British talent.

So why did I choose to lose out on the most valuable years accumulating intricate knowledge of Judge Judy cases, DNA results on Jeremy Kyle and whether or not Sharon from Hull will go back to her lying, cheating husband? Well, a few years ago I went to LA and studied at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for their summer program. After they established that I in fact didn't attend Hogwarts and understood what I meant when requesting a 'bin' - the latter took significantly longer - I was able to fully appreciate the opportunities on offer.

The wisdom that I took back from LA with me (other than the gem that Londoners don't wear heals because of the cobbled streets - obviously we're all living in Dickensian London) was that creativity is not something that can be qualified. This is why when Ken Loach recently argued that film should be judged on creative merit, not potential commercial success, I rolled up my sleeves and proceeded to bore everyone in my immediate vicinity to tears (initially misinterpreted as tears of joy): why can't something be commercially successful and have creative merit? Why is there such an 'us and them' mentality? The British film industry needs commercially successful films to grow and compete in the international market. Merit needs to be built upon how well you execute something, rather than abstract theoretical superiority. However, demonstrating your creativity is something that needs to be honed and developed. This is the crux of the British Student Film Festival's ethos.

Now, I am a true Brit: reserved and deeply cynical. The American approach caught me completely off-guard and early on I was even a little embarrassed by it. I could never have imagined that I would ever come home and try and convince people that 'possibility' was something you could 'just feel' whilst in Los Angeles, and would probably have internally cringed at the sound of it. Now after hours of therapy, I can comfortably say: I'm a convert.

The reason we launched the British Student Film Festival is to try and share this attitude further. It exists in the UK, but the voice is not nearly as loud as is should be. Too many students don't consider the fact that planning, writing, shooting and editing a film is an achievement. Maybe it's not perfect yet, but their craft will never be honed without active support and should certainly not be dismissed.

http://www.britishstudentfilm.co.uk]]>