University invites Tom Cruise to see film technology education in action
Tom Cruise has been invited to visit the film school at the University of Chichester, after the movie star urged up-and-coming actors to learn more about film production.
Tom made the insightful comments when he received a British Film Institute Fellowship last week, as he told young actors to learn more about the craft of filmmaking.
He said: “I always tell actors: spend time in the editing room, produce a movie, study old movies, recognise what the composition is giving you, know what those lenses are, understand the lighting and how to use it for your benefit.
“It is important to understand the tools around you. There is tech. It is like understanding the stage as an actor but for a lot of artists it is not taught in film school.”
Mr Cruise has been invited to meet the University’s acting students and find out how they are encouraged to learn in depth about production tools and techniques, learning from award-winning staff from the creative industries while also gaining a comprehensive screen acting training.
The film department at Chichester, a top-20 institution for film and media, houses the UK’s only university degree to combine acting and film production. The BA (Hons) Screen Acting and Film Production allows students to build an exceptional understanding of film production practices and industry technologies alongside developing their screen-acting skills.
Michael Holley, Head of Creative Industries at the university, said: “Hearing the legend Tom Cruise’s comments on young actors engaging with the craft of film production, underlined the firm belief we had when the University of Chichester launched the UK’s only undergraduate degree that merges the two subjects. Our BA (Hons) Screen Acting & Film Production is designed and delivered for this purpose and is by far and away one of the most unique training courses available in the UK. Students combine a cocktail of bespoke acting classes that taps into the making of films from screenplay to final cut, and also includes developing skills in Motion Capture, firearms and combat training.
“The outsiders among us might wonder why students need such a wide range of skillsets, but careers in film are a risky business so we want them to be equipped with all the right moves to navigate choppy waters. These aspiring actors and filmmakers might not be at Tom’s standards yet, but from the results we are seeing, it isn’t an impossible mission for some of them to become top guns. Now, if only we could find a way to strap them to the side of an Airbus A400M…”
(Spot quiz: Can you find the 10 Tom Cruise movie titles in Michael’s comments?)
For more information about the creative industries courses at the University of Chichester, go to www.chi.ac.uk/creative-industries.
