Brookfield Community School's Film Academy
On 9th July 2009 150 people gathered at Brookfield's drama studios to witness the inaugural 'Brookies' film awards ceremony. Just like the real 'Oscar's' everyone was seated at tables to enjoy a feast of film, music, food and drink in this celebratory event for the 15 filmmakers and 9 actors involved - and everyone dressed the part, with glorious gowns and suits.

City Eye set up a Filmmaking Academy in Brookfield school to give opportunities for skills development to young people interested in filmmaking. Starting from scratch 15 filmmakers were shown how to devise, plan, organise, shoot and edit their own films. The sessions included scriptwriting with peer feedback, camera and sound workshops, casting sessions, call sheet planning and organising, rehearsals and editing workshops which enabled the young people involved to have complete control of their production.

Three short films were produced during the ten-week after-school project and all were honoured at the awards ceremony which highlighted not just the creative talent on show but also the excellent planning and organising that went into each film production. City Eye hopes to return to Brookfield School next school year where 6 new films will be produced by two Film Academies.

The Sholing Technology College TV studio
City Eye were invited into The Sholing Technology College to look at ways of creatively sharing information across the school in response to an OFSTED recommendation. Working on a micro-budget City Eye created a portable TV studio which could be used to create short news style broadcasts about and within the school.

Over eight-weeks City Eye staff taught 39 year 9 students how to make short 3-4 minute insert films about the school. They were also shown how to run the studio and record a live news show which could be uploaded onto the schools network. News items covered included the arrival of the first year 7 boys in a previously all-girl school, a Design and Technology section about chair making and also items about sports day, year 10's work experience week and 'Sholing's Got Talent', to name but a few. In total 5 ten-minute broadcasts were made including one show run by teachers which brought in 3 teachers from local feeder schools.

The programmes were so successful that it was decided that the school end of year assembly would be built around the new technology in the school. So on 22nd July 800 pupils and 100 teachers and support staff crammed into the sports hall for a TV studio lead final assembly. Not only did we have live links in the studio and interviews with young people and staff but this all integrated seamlessly with live speeches and performances from singers and dancers and insert films made over the preceeding months. The show was a roaring success and we look forward to seeing what Sholing Technology College come up with next year.

St John's Primary School
Every Friday during the final term at St John's Primary School two City Eye filmmakers worked on filmmaking projects. Engaged to introduce new technologies to the school, City Eye staff were responsible for running 4 filmmaking projects over the ten weeks.

All the projects had strong links to the curriculum and subjects being studied in the school and included filmmaking in many different styles and formats. In total over an hour of films were produced including a ten minute 'Bollywood' style film called 'Tales of India', an animated film about the Indian story of 'Rama and Sita', a green screen and Photoshop film entitled 'Tudor Times' which covered 10 major events in Tudor history and a documentary about the school building which celebrated its 100th birthday during the project!

In all 150 students were involved in the filmmaking projects with staff also getting in on the action by producing a couple of films on an inset day. The films were screened to rapturous applause at St Vincent College in its theatre on July 16th.

Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School
Working closely with the school City Eye was engaged to help develop the use of IT in the school by pupils and teaching staff. Working initially with 18 students from the 6 to 10 years age group a six-minute film was produced. The film which demonstrates how to use filmmaking equipment correctly will now be used by the school as a teaching resource.

Following on from this City Eye ran 3 projects in the classroom working with 80 children to produce 3 films. These 3 films were curriculum based and dealt with the subject of the potato and the Potato Famine. We also ran an inset day to support the development of teachers' IT skills. In this project the teachers devised, planned, shot and edited their own short film which they then showed to the young people in the school.

The final film was a 15 minute documentary about the school and its ethos which was shot by the original 18 students as further development of their filmmaking skills. In total around 100 young people and 8 teachers were involved in this project.