London Film School - Student View

Great location - in Covent Garden (middle of the West End), occupying a 19th century fruit warehouse. Near Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road tube stations, so access easy.

An exciting, international mix of students from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as a number of UK students. Two-year course divided into 6 terms; students arrange themselves into groups that make a film each term. Everyone takes courses in various areas of film-making, so gain broad base of skills. Some students try to specialise by taking on the same role in their group films, while others prefer to try different jobs to broaden their experience - it's up to the individual.

Theory lectures involve watching and discussing films; as the course progresses, students spend more time actually making their group's films or working on other students' films. This is a great strength of the school - many students leave having worked on 15-20 short films in the space of 2 years - and it has a high reputation for technical expertise.

Qualification recognised by BECTU (automatic membership for graduates who find work). Graduates have achieved leading positions in the film industry worldwide. There are irregular visits by guest speakers actively involved in large-scale features; guests from the film and television industry are invited to the end-of-term screenings.

A number of school documentaries have been screened on television, and films are shown at film festivals all over the world including the London Film Festival. Students also participate in various student film competitions such as the Fuji Film Scholarship Awards (recently won twice). Facilities are not plush - spartan but functional.