A film school for professionals

One of my personal ambitions for T156 is that it should be something useful to people in their professional lives as well as for personal interest.   This doesn't mean that we're aiming squarely at entrants to the film industry, although I think the course will be a very useful quick introduction to anyone who like to get a feel for what different roles do.  But video isn't just for the creative industries anymore, just as typing isn't a specialist administrative talent.  I don't think the OU is unique as an organisation in the way that a cottage industry of media makers has sprung up in the last few years.

A good example is teachers, who have an increasing need for IT skills in their professional role - it's part of the classroom and of the skill set that children are expected to develop.  Even better, it can be fun.  So learning to make videos and being able to share those skills is something that's not just for the IT specialist in a school, but instead a way of working across many subjects. The advantage we have in developing the course is year's of experience of using video in group work.  Rick has spent a lot of time in schools working with teachers and their pupils and this has informed what we do.  As well as the approach, the resources are designed to be lifted and re-used in different settings.