BAFTA and Digital Cinema Media have unveiled a new national cinema trailer to inspire young people to take up careers in the screen industries.
The film is presented by award-winning actor, Michael Ward. Ward’s credits include Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, Top Boy, and Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light – but his first brush with fame was when he was named winner of the Face of JD modelling campaign 10 years ago.
The 90second trailer for Follow Your Spark was created by DCM’s creative arm, DCM Studios and independent production company, Common People Films.
It’s been directed by Jeaniq Amihyia, the funder of The Starting Seven – a community-based production studio, which prioritises working with young creatives regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
“I wanted to create a film that sheds light on those who often don’t receive the help and support they should, while also showing that sometimes even the smallest spark is enough to motivate someone to chase their dreams – to make sure we convey that no matter where you are based, your sex, and what your skin colour is, everyone deserves a shot to let their spark manifest,” explained Amihyia
“By focusing on these three testimonials, I aimed to create something relatable for viewers while allowing them to immerse themselves in each individual’s world with some dramatic setups. This film also touches on some industry issues I’ve highlighted. I chose to include a barber breaking into the film and TV industry, as this is often overlooked. I believe there are not enough examples of this in the industry, so my hope is that highlighting this will inspire and show that there is a place for them in the industry.”
Ward added:
“It’s not always easy to recognise the opportunities and the different job roles there are in the film and TV space, especially for people of my background. Some of my friends studied to become electricians at college, and you can use that to go on to work in Film Lighting, which you might not know about. So, it’s important to show people that there are opportunities out there. And BAFTA’s work is also important because it tries to level the playing field, for the amazing people from ethnic minorities that are very good at their jobs but don’t get the opportunities because the pathways aren’t there for us.”
The first features Nathalie, watching the EE BAFTA Film Awards at home with her family. Inspired, she loads up a free BAFTA Guru masterclass on her phone. The camera then cuts to Nathalie experimenting with different lighting techniques with her phone.
The second case-study zooms in on Sophie, an emerging games developer. Suffering a creative block, she receives a call from her BAFTA mentor who helps her complete her game.
The third case-study introduces us to Joshua, an aspiring hair stylist. Thanks to a BAFTA Bursary he takes up a hairstyling course, eventually leading to a career styling on sets.
“Inspiring and nurturing the next generation of creatives and practitioners in film, games and TV is fundamental to our purpose as an arts charity. Studies tell us that young people today increasingly feel a job in the screen industries is out of reach. Our new trailer for cinemas nationally offers a glimpse of how you can unlock your talent, and the ways in which BAFTA can support you in a creative career,” said BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip.
“This trailer, fronted by BAFTA EE Rising Star award-winner Micheal Ward, is inspired by the real stories of participants on our scholarship, bursary and talent programmes. DCM have once again been brilliant collaborators, and we are grateful to director Jeaniq Amihyia for his creative vision and commitment to the project.”
