6 Best Film Schools in London
There are many ways to launch a career in filmmaking. Often, it doesn’t follow the traditional route of going to school. However, London does offer some of the best film schools in England and the world. If you know this will be your path from a young age, these schools for film and TV production are the perfect way to start learning early on, preparing yourself for an exciting and innovative career.
MET Film School
MET Film School is one of the UK’s most well-known facilities. Founded in 2003, this UK film school has managed to make a name for itself quickly by producing quite a few great talents. It is now based in Ealing Studios: home to one of the oldest production companies in Britain.
The school offers training in acting, cinematography, post-production, screenwriting, producing, special effects, editing, and more. ABA diploma takes three years to complete, and the school also offers post-graduate courses.
London Film School
London Film School was founded in 1953, and is quite proud of its long and storied tradition. The facilities are not as modern or comfortable as those at MET, but the school is appealing in its own way. LFS offers a narrower curriculum path, and is highly regarded in artistic circles.
The school offers BA, MA and PHD courses, as well as more short-term workshops and part time courses. There are no courses for actors, as the school focuses exclusively on direction, production and writing.
London Film School on Wikipedia
City Academy Film School
City Academy was founded in 2016, and currently has a total of 40 locations throughout London. It is not to be confused with City London Academy, a separate privately-funded institution. Unlike other film schools on today’s list, City Academy is mostly focused on narrow and technical subjects.
Courses include editing via Final Cut Pro X Software, DSLR filmmaking, and Photoshop. There are also courses in short-film production and intensive foundation filmmaking. These courses are small, usually held in a film studio.
City Academy Film School on Wikipedia
Goldsmiths, the Screen School
Goldsmiths is a branch of the University of London. The screen school portion is newer, but perfectly matches the rest of the university in terms of tone and field of work. The focus of studies is on film production.
Goldsmiths offers only MA degrees for those who already hold a BA in film, media or arts. The course takes one year to complete. There are a total of nine main MA courses: Directing Fiction, Production, Screen Documentary, Cinematography, Sound Recording & Design, Editing, Script Writing, Film & Screen Studies, and Television Journalism.
Goldsmiths, the Screen School on Wikipedia
Raindance
Raindance was established in 1992, and is known mostly for its movie festival of the same name. The school is focused on individual paths students need in order to reach the artistic goals they have set for themselves. Courses are therefore quite short, and cover a variety of production tasks including pitching skills, marketing, character creation and music licensing.
Raindance Film Festival on Wikipedia
Conclusion
There are more than a few great film schools in London. It may take some time to figure out which one is right for you, based on your financial options and personal goals.
