Film School A Worthwhile Option;
IFTA’s Highlight Vibrancy of Irish Film Industry
For anyone considering getting into film production or scriptwriting, the recent Irish Film and Television Academy awards gave a real insight into how far the film industry in Ireland has come in recent years. Featuring Hollywood favourites like Colin Farrell, the Gleeson family (Domnhall won Best Supporting Actor in a Film for “Frank”) and Jim Sheridan, there was no shortage of celebrity power on the red carpet that night. For any student interested in media; film school has never looked so appealing!
In fact the film industry here is enjoying something of a boom, with international publications such as Variety recognising the phenomena. A few months ago this leading industry source ran a feature on how the Irish Film Board (IFB) has turned to co-producing films as a way to marry the extraordinary acting and film production talent we have here in Ireland with the financial resources needed to make a film. CEO of the Board, James Hickey, cited “The Lobster”, starring Colin Farrell, as a great example of a co-production; Element Pictures were the Irish co-producers and the film was shot here in Ireland – the project secured Section 481 funding and the availability of this funding and other programmes is a significant contributor to the vibrancy of the sector.
Available Funding
We wrote a blog recently on JJ, Head of Film Production here at Pulse and in it she discussed how beneficial funding is for new-comers in the film sector. In fact the IFB offers a range of funding options which can be applied for through an online application process, on their site. Funding options are divided into three main categories; activities involved in the development of a project, work done for the production of a film and costs associated with the distribution of films can also be funded.
Economic Benefit
Strategically it makes sense for the Irish government to support the industry as the financial benefits are significant. The IFB outlines some of the stats. and they make for interesting reading; bearing in mind the small population of about 5 million that we have here in Ireland, the economic impact is extremely strong. For example, if you take the audio visual content production market as a whole, it is thought to employ around 6,000 people and to be worth in the region of €550 million, with around 500 small businesses operating in this sector.
Film School Options at Pulse
Pulse College offers a range of courses for students looking to get into the film industry and we’ve a detailed outline of each course on the site – read through each one to find the best fit or check out our open days to see the facilities for yourself; you’ll love it! There are two full time courses as follows;
BA in Film and Television Production
Advanced Diploma in Film Production
We also offer a selection of relevant part-time and evening courses.
There’s never been a better time to get involved in the film business in Ireland and film school here at Pulse is the best place to start!
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