First Light: An Evaluation March 2012 tom fleming / creative consultancy / This report is by tom fleming / creative consultancy / The evaluation team: Dr Tom Fleming Tracey Gregory Rosalyn Benjamin Tim Wilson Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy (TFCC) delivers research, strategy and policy in the creative economy, arts, culture and education. We are actively engaged from local to international levels with a broad range of clients in detailed strategic research and analysis, evaluation, planning and policy formulation. Our work includes approaches to digital literacy, media policy and innovation in education – with clients that range from national governments to UNESCO. Contact Details / tom fleming / creative consultancy / specialist research and support for the cultural and creative economy. mail 206 The Colourworks, 2 Abbot Street, London, E8 3DP telephone +44 (0)20 7430 0855 email info@tfconsultancy.co.uk web www.tfconsultancy.co.uk CONTENTS / FOREWORD / 3 Glossary/ First Light Activities / 4 Executive Summary / 6 1. Introduction / 11 1.1 First Light / Evaluating Impact 12 2. Employment skills and progression routes / 19 3. Supporting personal development and delivering improved educational outcomes / 25 4. Impact on film literacy and audience development / 31 5. Opening up access to filmmaking / 33 6. Establishing a framework for young people’s film and media training and education / 35 7. In Conclusion / 40 Appendix 1: The approach and methodology / 42 Appendix 2: List of interviews and projects visited 44 Appendix 3: Breakdown of organisation survey respondents by type / 46 Appendix 4: Survey questions / 47 FOREWORD / As First Light celebrates 10 years of achievement, I.m pleased to be able to introduce this report which demonstrates the substantial impact of First Light.s work. Clearly, the organisation is making a difference to the lives of young people, by offering them opportunities to develop skills and by providing pathways to employment. It is also making a valuable contribution to the film industry, increasing the talent pool, growing audiences and diversifying the range of voices and stories that are told. First Light believes that young people deserve the right to be heard and we want to help them. Therefore, it was particularly important to hear from the young people themselves, along with their project leaders, and it was rewarding to find out about their achievements and successes. I was particularly moved to hear about the transformative effect filmmaking activities can have on young lives. Tom Fleming and his colleagues have provided an accessible, comprehensive and transparent report which will be used to shape future practices, ensuring that the service provided is the best it can be and that young people receive high quality experiences. It also provides us with a benchmark, ensuring that the organisation reflects upon lessons leant and will enable us to build upon our successes. First Light is committed to continuing to assess the impact of our work and that of the entire film education sector, particularly as we move forward towards a united offer that will benefit the lives of many more young people. Barbara Broccoli OBE Chair of First Light March 2012 Glossary/ First Light Activities / First Light grant programmes Young Film Fund (YFF) One of the programmes through which First Light has distributed Lottery funds since 2001. 683 grants have been awarded, supporting 20,152 young people. 74% of the young people involved with Young Film Fund since its launch are from disadvantaged backgrounds1 and 34% from a BME background. The YFF is split into two different grant issuing categories: 1 Disadvantaged background includes young people at risk of exclusion or who are excluded from formal education, at risk of offending, living in care, with English as a second language, refugees from rural areas, economically disadvantaged. 2 Three quarters of participants gained a combination of paid and unpaid industry work experience. Two trainees have gone on to Advanced Creative and Media Apprenticeships with BBC Bristol and ICON Films; one of the youngest trainees secured a place on the Screenwriting BA at Bournemouth Screen Academy and another has become the National Film and TV School's first Scottish Asian to be selected for the Producers. MA course. — Studio grants: Funding for between two and four films of up to three minutes in duration, maximum grant £30,000. — Pilot grants: Funding for one short film of up to three minutes in duration, maximum grant £5,000. There is a 20% match funding requirement for all the programmes. Mediabox Mediabox was delivered by a consortium led by First Light in partnership with Media Trust, Skillset and the UK Film Council, with funding from the Department for Education. Mediabox was launched in 2006 and enabled over 20,000 13-19 year olds to create media projects and get their voices heard. The project was aimed at young people facing disadvantages such as being excluded from school, young carers, young people with disabilities and/or learning difficulties, young refugees and asylum seekers. Mediabox closed in March 2011. First Light training and education Second Light Pilot The Second Light pilot programme was a 15 month talent development training scheme aimed at young people from communities under-represented in the digital media industry. The programme, launched in 2010, saw 32 young people from Glasgow, London and Bristol being supported by partner organisations G-MAC, The Video College and Calling the Shots to develop their filmmaking skills. Central to the programme was giving the young people the experience of working with leading industry partners including Aardman Animation, BAFTA, BBC Connect and Create, Bristol Media, Channel 4, Cultural Diversity Network, EON Productions, Film London, Framestore, IWC Media, The Pinewood Studios Group, Sequence Post, Sky and Total Film2. 28 young people completed the course and gained paid and unpaid work experience in the industry. Two trainees have gone on to Advanced Creative and Media Apprenticeships with BBC Bristol and ICON Films; one of the youngest trainees secured a place on the Screenwriting BA at Bournemouth Screen Academy and another became the National Film and TV School's first Scottish Asian on the Producers. MA course. Second Light Labs Building on the Second Light pilot, the Second Labs were short intensive training programmes in scriptwriting (3 day course) and production (4 day course). The courses were aimed at young people aged 19-25 again from communities under-represented in the industry. Courses were run in Birmingham and London attended by 39 young people. Since completing their training, many of the Second Light graduates have gone on to further placements, employment or higher education. More Second Light Labs have been scheduled for spring 2012. Digital Documenters Working with mygames (powered by v), First Light recruited 51 young people aged 17-25 from Manchester, Exeter, London and Birmingham to digitally document the volunteering projects inspired by the 2012 Games. They received training in various aspects of media production, including blogging and campaigning and made their own short films documenting charity volunteering projects. One of the documentaries - Delays Expected - was shortlisted for the Virgin Media Shorts awards in 2011. Film Nation: Shorts First Light delivered workshops for 14-19 year olds through the „Film Nation: Shorts. programme (part of London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics). Workshops were run all over the UK, giving young people access to equipment and professional support, enabling them to learn creative and technical filmmaking skills and make short films. First Light moderated competition entries made by under-19- year-olds. Pinewood workshops Designed to give young people an informed insight into the film and TV industry, the one day workshop offers practical advice from industry professionals exploring opportunities available in the industry and the skills needed to gain paid work within it. The workshops cost £150 per person with some bursary places available (taking place March 2012). First Light in the Classroom (FLIC) FLIC is a new scheme offering professional filmmaking workshops to schools and young people.s organisations that support curriculum learning, enhance cross-curricular skills and improve motivation, behaviour and attainment. FLIC offers a range of packages including: „film in a day. workshops, school term filmmaking workshops, and extracurricular filmmaking workshops. Prices start from £490 for a 1 day workshop. First Light events First Light Awards First Light organises an annual Awards ceremony which showcase the creative talents of young people across the UK. Held at the Odeon Leicester Square and attended by high profile film names the event receives international media coverage. The ceremony is sponsored by Ingenious, EON Productions, YouTube, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Special Treats Production Company and Independent Talent. Past programmes Over the last 10 years, First Light has run a number of other training, education, grant programmes events including: - Film and Citizenship: a competition for secondary schools in the autumn term 2002 linked to the launch of the citizenship curriculum. - Big Screen Science: encouraging secondary school students to produce films focussing on a range of issue-based biomedical science topics, supported by the Wellcome Trust and National Endowment for Science and Technology and Arts. - Film in Motion: filmmaking challenge for schools and youth organisations in Scotland and the North East of England. Two groups from each region went on to make films and eight received workshop support and training. - Filmmaking Partners: 12 filmmaking organisations were awarded up to £50,000 to support the development of their work and the establishment of networks. - Share a Story Competition: a competition with CITV to find story boards to turn into animations. Executive Summary / This short report by Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy presents a summary of the evaluation of First Light - a leading organisation for young people.s digital media and film education and training. Commissioned in September 2011, the research was completed in February 2012. The primary aim of the evaluation is to assess the impact of First Light.s work on the skills, talent, creativity, confidence and entrepreneurialism of young people across the UK. A secondary aim is to evaluate the role of First Light in providing a national delivery platform for excellence in filmmaking education and training. Our evaluation seeks to measure the impact of First Light without being unduly distracted by this shifting landscape, while remaining mindful that evidence we gather and present will inform approaches to organisational reform going forward. Since its launch in 2001, First Light has delivered a wide range of film and digital media training, education, investment and showcasing activities. First Light is a UK-wide organisation and registered charity supporting young people aged 5-25 to develop their skills and talents through the use of film and media production education and training. Over the past 10 years, First Light has supported over 40,000 young people and has built a reputation as a leading provider and advocate of high quality film and media education and training. As a Lottery distributor for the BFI (and formerly the UK Film Council), First Light works to link young people to filmmaking professionals, to widen the reach and deepen the impact of filmmaking and to develop progression routes for talented young people from all backgrounds to find employment in the creative sector or adapt their creative skills to open up employment opportunities in other sectors. Our Approach / Methodology / Our methodology has involved surveys of First Light participants and partner organisations (104 completed surveys – a 17% response rate), a programme of on-site project visits and interviews, and a review of First Light.s monitoring and strategic documentation. This methodology enabled us to evaluate the impact of First Light across six main outcomes: . Developing skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. . First Light as an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. . Developing of personal and social skills and supporting improved educational outcomes. . Reaching more disadvantaged and harder to reach you people. . Developing young people.s film literacy . First Light as a major provider and advocate for quality filmmaking training and development for young people. However, we need to be mindful of limitations on data and intelligence captured and recognise that First Light operates as part of a wider context of influences and stimuli, so the identification of cause and effect will always be indicative. While this evaluation provides strong indications of the impacts of film and media projects and their positive outcomes for young people, without clear base lines and long-term tracking of individual participants, attributing cause and long-lasting effects is not totally conclusive. With the range of tools used in this evaluation, we can be confident of the overall impacts of First Light – as described in this report. Headline Impacts / of First Light / Developing skills for employment and providing alternative progression routes into the film, media and digital industries — 91% of project leaders surveyed agree First Light projects make participants more aware of careers with the creative industries. All participants in First Light.s skills development programmes - Second Light Lab and Digital Documenters - feel more confident about their ability to pursue careers in the digital media sector. Many have taken what they learned and are developing their own projects; others have applied „First Light experience. in new jobs. The programmes that engage disadvantaged young people in filmmaking projects inside and outside the classroom – the Young Film Fund, Film Nation and First Light in the Classroom - are also supporting the development of filmmaking skills - from operating cameras to directing and writing music. These projects allow young people.s filmmaking to be taken to the next level, working with professionals and professional equipment. Equally important outcomes of these programmes are transferable skills - such as team working and planning. Many of the YFF organisations use filmmaking as a tool to support the engagement of young people as a gateway to the broader skills development. In turn this improves young peoples. employability and enhances performance when they find a job. The experience young people gain through First Light projects is supporting their progression into the digital media industries, often complementing the more traditional University routes, providing direct industry experience and contacts. The professional contacts and industry networks they have been introduced to through the programmes play an important role in helping young people take the next steps to move into the industry. The portfolio of work developed is being used in job and university applications. Supporting personal development and delivering improved educational outcomes — 98% of First Light project leaders agree that First Light projects increase participants confidence in their own abilities. Taking a film from initial idea to screening requires a range of personal and inter-personal skills. Many project leaders and young people talk of how these develop as the group learn to work together on all aspects of the film. Having the opportunity to tell their own stories and sharing these with others through the medium of film, gives young people an incredible boost in confidence and is a real motivator. First Light projects are also seen as being inclusive with young people of all abilities and ages participating in First Light filmmaking projects. As many project leaders work with young people outside school, they often have little evidence of direct impacts on educational attainment. However, there are a number of examples where First Light projects have been shown to have direct results on attainment. One organisation in Bristol has been tracking the impact of filmmaking projects (most funded by First Light) on the young people they work with and almost all participants have achieved above predicted grades at GCSE. Another organisation has linked a Level 1 Creative Production Qualification to a First Light project. Impact on film literacy and audience development — 92% of First Light project leaders agree that First Light projects encourage young people to be more curious and critical about films. Many of the young people interviewed talk about watching films in a different way now they understand more about how they are made. Project leaders often encourage participants to watch a range of different films as part of the process of devising and developing a film. This is particularly the case, where young people are working on longer term projects. As a result many young people are now seeking out a wider variety of films to watch for pleasure and to inform their own filmmaking. However, project leaders working on one-off short projects with younger groups of young people, felt they had limited ability to influence viewing habits. Opening up access to filmmaking — 95% of First Light project leaders agree First Light projects help to ensure that talented young people from all backgrounds have access to quality film and media training. Our research shows that First Light is playing an important role in nurturing talent from under-represented communities, particularly through the Second Light skills development programmes. Access to professional filmmaking experiences is also being opened up to thousands of young people from disadvantaged communities through programmes such as Film Nation and the Young Film Fund. All the young people who have participated in the Second Light Pilot programmes were from ethnic minority backgrounds. 47% of the Second Light Pilot participants also classed themselves as disadvantaged (mainly in the unemployed category). The Young Film Fund programme is also clearly reaching some of the most disadvantaged young people across the UK: 77% of the young people involved with Young Film Fund since its launch are from disadvantaged backgrounds, 29% from a BME background. Providing a framework for young people’s film and media training and education — 90% of First Light project leaders agree that being involved with nationally recognised First Light has helped raised the profile of the work they do. First Light has played a vital role in developing young people.s filmmaking infrastructure across the country through the direct support and funding it has provided for organisations, many of which have grown alongside First Light. Many of the organisations surveyed and interviewed during our research feel First Light sets a national framework for young people.s filmmaking. Their understanding of the filmmaking process and their focus on quality has helped organisations they have funded and commissioned to develop their own practice and improve the quality of the filmmaking they do. The high profile First Light Awards bring additional value and recognition for the organisations and young people behind the films. Screenings of First Light films have more than doubled in the past three years - rising from 190 in 2008 to over 500 in 20113. A measure of the increasing quality of the films is the number of awards First Light movies have received from festivals: from 1 award in 2007 and 36 in 2010, with a further 17 films nominated. The increasing quality of the films shows how young people.s skills and the capacity of organisations working with young people to make the films have grown. 3 First Light introduced monthly trackings of film screening in 2008, prior to this there was less consistent tracking of screening for figures cannot be compared. Some Critical Learning Points / for First Light / This evaluation presents a broadly positive overview of the impact of First Light against a range of outcomes, but it also highlights a set of critical learning points and developmental challenges. We introduce these at the end of each section of the report and position them to inform the strategic and operational development of First Light. Broadly, they relate to: — Sustained intervention: while delivering significant positive outcomes, several First Light activities have been subject to short-term and project-based funding. Young people involved in filmmaking education and training on an ongoing basis are reaping the most benefit. One-off filmmaking projects do not provide the same embedded learning outcomes. — Coordinated partnership working: First Light has operated as an active and dedicated partner to multiple delivery and strategic organisations across its portfolio of projects. However, maintaining the same intensity and focus of partnership working is a major challenge for any small organisation. In addition, First Light works within and is thus constrained by the limitations of a wider set of partnership arrangements. For example, a more connected approach across the formal and informal filmmaking education and training sector would assist First Light to operate in a more progressive environment and as a consequence help to ensure that young people gain industry-ready skills and knowledge. — Reach Vs High Quality: As an organisation which operates nationally, First Light delivers the advantages of scale – such as a consistency of approach across the country, a coherent focus on quality assurance, a strong brand, and an efficient central management and delivery system. However, with scale comes a set of critical challenges - such as in developing strong delivery partnerships in very different contexts and effectively connecting activities to distinctive learning environments. Perhaps the greatest challenge here is coupling reach (across the country to a diversity of contexts and beneficiaries) and high quality (delivering excellence, nurturing sustainable partnership, enabling long-term impact). With the National Film Policy Review calling for a film education programme that reaches every young person, the challenge of balancing reach with high quality (and doing so affordably) is set to increase. The Value and Position / of First Light / This evaluation shows that First Light delivers an important part of the overall national strategic offer for education and training in film and digital media. The organisation has developed its capacity and profile over the last decade, and combined this with a push for excellence that engages many young people who would otherwise not have access to industry-standard activities and certainly would not be connected so directly to active high profile industry practitioners. In this context, First Light is delivering a critical element of the often-stated continuum of „learning, making and watching., delivering positive outcomes across this continuum while majoring on the central activity of making. Here First Light can be seen as a talent development programme that positively influences audience development while delivering additional outcomes for learning. However, successful delivery does not come without significant challenges. For example, as a national organisation, First Light has to work hard to balance extensive reach with high quality, and it is inevitable that at times high quality is not delivered. Yet, this is as much a consequence of the often challenging work environment faced by partner delivery organisations as it is a result of any shortfall in First Light.s ability. Indeed, it is a credit to First Light that it has mobilised so many activities across the country in ways that lift the capacity, confidence and quality of delivery partners, often in very trying social and economic circumstances. Where quality has dipped then, this can be seen as a developmental outcome with First Light supporting partners to improve their overall offer while accepting that mistakes are likely „along the way.. It is important here that partners learn from mistakes and collectively lift the film and digital media training and education offer available to young people. Here First Light has played a vital leadership and coordination role. However, as recognised in the National Film Policy Review, overall film and digital media education provision remains under-coordinated, with links between learning, making and watching weaker than desirable for a distinctive and competitive UK film industry. Significant progress has been made in recent years – with the Film: 21st Century Literacy project4 strengthening partnership and enabling progress in the development of a more integrated national film education offer. An outcome of the National Film Policy Review will be further integration, and partners will be required to coordinate delivery, connect activities and share efficiencies like never before. 4 Film: 21st Century Literacy was a three year project funded through a National Lottery grant and delivered by FILMCLUB, BFI, Skillset, Film Education and First Light. First Light has shown that it occupies a critical element of the overall film and digital media education offer for young people across the country. It has developed the brand, reputation, knowledge and capacity to blend reach with high quality in ways that link learning, making and watching. It has shown particular success in engaging harder to reach young people and then opening up industry opportunities in ways that deliver genuine diversity advantage to the UK film industry. It has taken ten years of improvement, growth and partnership work to deliver activities that supply the film industry with new talent it would otherwise not benefit from; and to supply the wider economy (i.e. those who develop other career paths) with more confident, connected and literate young people. The task now is to build from these activities, to leverage the successes of First Light, but to do so in ways that complement and ultimately integrate the strengths and assets of other areas of the film education landscape – notably in learning and watching. This will be a difficult strategic process and for it to ultimately be a success, it will need to ensure the outcomes currently delivered by First Light – as measured by this evaluation - remain central to film education provision in the future. 1. Introduction / This report by Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy presents an evaluation of First Light - a leading organisation for young people.s digital media and film education and training. Commissioned in September 2011, the research was completed in February 2012. The primary aim of the evaluation is to assess the impact of First Light.s work on the skills, talent, creativity, confidence and entrepreneurialism of young people across the UK. A secondary aim is to evaluate the role of First Light in providing a national delivery platform for excellence in filmmaking education and training. Since its launch in 2001, First Light has delivered a wide range of film and digital media training, education, investment and showcasing activities. An „aerial view. of key activities is presented in Figure 1 below. Figure 1: Aerial View of key activities Digital and media funding Digital and media training – 5-18 year olds Events and screenings Young Film Fund grants - Lottery funded programme. 1,459 Films made by 20,152 Young People since 2001 Mediabox - Department for Education funded programme – 20,110 13-19 year olds involved since 2006. Programme is now closed Second Light Pilot - 15 month production training for 32 young people from communities under- represented in the industry Second Light Producer Labs - 4 day intensive training programmes for 42 young people (including Script labs) Second Light Script Labs - 3 day intensive training programmes for 42 young people (including Producer Labs) First Light Awards - annual event at Odeon Leicester Square to recognise young people.s film-making talent Digital and media training – 18-25 year olds Introduction to film and TV - one day workshop at Pinewood Studios. Fee £150 Film Nation: Shorts - workshops to develop skills and produce films for national 2012 Olympic and Paralympic competition. 2017 young people took part creating 259 films First Light in the Classroom - workshops packages for schools and young people.s organisations from £490 per day First Light YouTube - selection of the best First Light films Digital Documenters - practical experience and media training for 51 young people in association with V volunteer charity First Light is the only UK-wide organisation and registered charity supporting young people aged 5-25 to develop their skills and talents through the use of film and media production education and training. Since its launch in 2001, First Light has supported over 40,000 young people and has built a reputation as a leading provider and advocate of high quality film and media education and training. As a Lottery distributor for the BFI (and formerly the UK Film Council), First Light works to link young people to filmmaking professionals, to widen the reach, deepen the impact of filmmaking and to develop progression routes for talented young people from all backgrounds to find employment in the creative sector or adapt their creative skills to open up employment opportunities in other sectors. First Light works in partnership with organisations supporting young people, such as the volunteering agency vInpsired and the film and digital media industry, to broaden the breadth of programmes offered. The evaluation comes at an important time for First Light and for film and media training and education in general. Since starting this evaluation, Creative England has been launched and the National Film Policy Review has been published. Recommendations of the Film Policy Review present a new opportunity for film education and training in the UK, with the proposed coordination of services through a single delivery organisation requiring existing organisations to identify their strengths, develop models that build on them, and then coordinate their offer so that approaches to learning, making and watching film are delivered as part of a unified core offer. Our evaluation seeks to measure the impact of First Light without being unduly distracted by this shifting landscape, while remaining mindful that evidence we gather and present will inform approaches to organisational reform going forward. In this context, there are of course opportunities for First Light – an organisation that has built a track record over the last ten years in developing film talent across the country and as an organisation that takes pride in combining geographical reach with the delivery of quality outcomes that nurture industry-ready talent. For example, the National Film Policy Review calls for a skills strategy to ensure diverse talent is effectively nurtured, opening up access to all parts of the industry so that historically under-tapped talent plays a transformational role at the heart of a refreshed UK film industry. The work of First Light.s Second Light Pilot and Labs focuses absolutely on supporting diverse talent to flourish in the UK film industry and learning from these activities should be used to inform future approaches to talent development for young people from minority backgrounds and/or harder to reach communities. A challenge though for First Light and its partner organisations is to co-create an approach that connects talent and audience development for film - with a continuum of learning, making and watching. Over the coming months, partners will work towards the coordination of these elements, mindful that together the opportunity exists to enrich, diversify and grow the UK film industry. 1.1 First Light / Evaluating Impact Our evaluation focuses on five First Light programmes5: 5 See The Glossary for an introduction to these programmes. Young Film Fund - grants for young people.s filmmaking projects Second Light Labs - four day industry led intensive training programmes in script writing and producing aimed at young people from communities under-represented in the industry Digital Documenters - young people working with professionals documenting volunteering projects inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games Film Nation: Shorts - workshops giving young people access to equipment and professional support to make short films First Light in the Classroom - a pilot of professional filmmaking workshops in schools to support curriculum learning. Our methodology has involved surveys of participants and partner organisations (past and present), a programme of on-site project visits and interviews, and a review of First Light.s monitoring and strategic documentation (see Appendix 1 for further details). This methodology enabled us to evaluate the impact of First Light across the following six outcomes - which were agreed by the client at the outset of our work: 1. Developing skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. 2. First Light as an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. 3. Development of personal and social skills and supporting improved educational outcomes. 4. Reaching more disadvantaged and harder to reach young people. 5. Developing young people.s film literacy. 6. First Light as a major provider and advocate for quality filmmaking training and development for young people. Below in Table 1, shaped by these evaluation outcomes, we briefly introduce the impact of First Light over ten years of film and media education and training. These are explored further throughout the report: Core outcomes Evidence of success Challenges for consideration Supporting young people to develop skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. 92% of First Light project leaders agree First Light projects help participants develop the skills and knowledge they need to go onto have successful careers in the film and media industries. All Second Light Lab and Digital Documenter participants feel more confident about their ability to pursue careers in the digital media sector. Many have taken what they learned and are developing their own projects; others have applied „First Light experience. in new jobs: “I was able to use the experience I.d gained on Digital Documenters to help get my current job as Digital Marketing Assistant at Dazed & Confused magazine.” The Young Film Fund (YFF), Film Nation and First Light in the Classroom (FLIC) are supporting the development of filmmaking skills - from operating cameras to directing and writing music. These projects allow young people’s filmmaking to be taken to the next level, working with professionals and professional equipment. Equally important outcomes of these programmes are the transferable skills - such as team working and planning. Many of the YFF organisations use filmmaking as a tool to support the engagement of young people as a gateway to the broader skills development of young people. In turn this improves employability of young people and enhances performance when they find a job. That said, there are still many examples of where young people involved in First Light funded projects have used the skills gained to move into careers in the film industry. Many more have been encouraged to move onto further education and training in digital media subjects and have used what they learned to support their applications to colleges and universities: “One young person has gone on to direct his own cinema released feature. Several young people have used the films they made through First Light funding as part of their successful applications to university to do film and media” Young Film Fund project leader. Young people involved in filmmaking on an ongoing basis are reaping the most benefits. An approach that more effectively connects formal and informal learning would help to ensure that young people gain industry- ready skills and knowledge. Table 1: Delivering the outcomes Core outcomes Evidence of success Challenges for consideration Providing an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. 87% of First Light project leaders agree that First Light projects provide young people with a vital entry point to the film and media industries. “I am not very academic and University wouldn.t have been right for me. At the Producers Lab I grew in confidence and learnt everything I needed to know about producing a film” Saul, who has secured funding for his docudrama since attending Producers Lab. The experience young people gain through First Light projects is supporting their progression into the digital media industries, often complementing the more traditional University routes, providing direct industry experience and contacts. For some young people, particularly those disengaged from more formal learning, Second Light Labs and Young Film Fund projects have provided inspiration and a real alternative route into the industry. A number of collaborations have been supported through First Light projects. Participants who met on YFF, Digital Documenter and Second Light projects have gone on to work together and set up business partnerships in the digital and media industries. The professional contacts and industry networks they have been introduced to through the programmes play an important role in helping people progress. “The biggest impact of my involvement with First Light has been to give me the confidence and belief that I can run my own business. I now do this with a fellow former Digital Documenter.” 91% of project leaders agree First Light projects make participants more aware of careers with the creative industries. In future filmmaking education and training programmes, First Lights. focus on linking young people to professionals in the industry should be retained and built upon. The potential to link projects to follow up work experience within industry could be explored here. Table 1: Delivering the outcomes Core outcomes Evidence of success Challenges for consideration Supporting the development of personal and social skills and supporting improved educational outcomes. 98% of First Light project leaders agree that First Light projects increase participants confidence in their own abilities 96% agree that First light projects improve participants communication skills and 90% agree projects increase participants’ motivation to learn. Taking a film from initial idea to screening requires a range of personal and inter-personal skills. Many project leaders and young people talk of how these develop as the group learn to work together on all aspects of the film. Having the opportunity to tell their own stories and sharing these with others through the medium of film, gives young people an incredible boost in confidence and is a real motivator. “First Light funding allows children to see a world beyond their usual sphere of influence. It shows them a world of aspiration and wonder and they produce successful pieces of work that they can be proud of and remember for the rest of their lives” First Light in the Classroom and Young Film Fund project leader. While fewer project leaders feel First Light projects improve reading and writing skills (just 70%), 86% feel First Light project increase participants’ overall attainment. As many project leaders work with young people outside school, they often have little evidence of direct impacts on educational attainment. However, some First Light projects have been shown to have direct results on attainment. One organisation in Bristol has been tracking the impact of filmmaking projects (most funded by First Light) on the young people they work with and almost all participants have achieved above predicted grades at GCSE. Another organisation has linked a Level 1 Creative Production Qualification to a First Light project. Integrating filmmaking as a central part of the film education offer(as recommended in the Film Policy Review) will help to ensure that more young people have access to the benefits that filmmaking can have on personal and social skills. Closer links with the core curriculum will help increase the positive impacts of filmmaking on improved education outcomes for young people. Table 1: Delivering the outcomes Core outcomes Evidence of success Challenges for consideration Reaching more disadvantaged and harder to reach young people. 95% of First Light project leaders agree First Light projects help to ensure that talented young people from all backgrounds have access to quality film and media training. Second Light projects were specifically targeted to reach young people from ethnic minority background currently under-represented in the digital media workforce. 28% of young people participating in Young Film Fund projects in 2010/11 were also from ethnic minority backgrounds. It is harder to accurately say whether First Light projects are reaching the most disadvantaged young people although there are clearly examples of many projects that are working with young people facing a range of disadvantages (from those excluded from school, young people with disabilities to young people in urban and rural areas of economic disadvantage). To understand whether projects are meeting the most disadvantaged young people, postcodes of project awards could be mapped against geographic data on levels of deprivation. Supporting the development of young people’s film literacy and more adventurous film viewing. 92% of First Light project leaders agree that First Light projects encourage young people to be more curious and critical about films. Many young people talk about watching films in a different way now that they understand more about how they are made: “I learned a lot about making films working on set and I now look at films in a different way as I understand more about how they were made” Danny 14, Young Film Fund project participant. 77% of First Light project leaders agree that participating in First Light projects encourages young people to be more adventurous in their watching. “I used to just watch things like Harry Potter. Now I watch a lot more art house films and I look out for films by particular Directors” Jessica 16, YFF participant. Young Film Fund project leaders often encourage participants to watch a range of different films and the young people are now seeking out a wider variety of films to watch for pleasure and to inform their own filmmaking. Digital Documenters and Second Light Lab projects have less of an impact here as many of the young people involved already had a keen interest in film when they joined the courses. In some short one-off projects, particularly with younger children starting from a low base of engagement with film, there is less of a chance to influence what the children watch. Increasing the level of engagement and understanding of film and encouraging more adventurous film viewing should be built in as a requirement of all filmmaking projects. Table 1: Delivering the outcomes Core outcomes Evidence of success Challenges for consideration First Light a leading provider and advocate of quality film making training and education for young people. 91% of First Light project leaders feel First Light plays an important role as advocate for filmmaking and education training. Organisations First Light has supported and worked with feel First Light sets a national framework for young people.s filmmaking. Their understanding of the filmmaking process and their focus on quality has helped organisations they have funded and commissioned to develop their own practice and improve the quality of the filmmaking they do. First Light has played a vital role in developing young people.s filmmaking infrastructure across the country through the direct support and funding it has provided for organisations, many of which have grown alongside First Light: 90% of First Light project leaders agree that being involved with nationally recognised First Light has helped raised the profile of the work they do. 81% agree it has helped bring in additional resources, with 81% also agreeing it has helped them establish new partnerships. The high profile First Light Awards bring additional value and recognition for the organisations and young people behind the films. “The profile and professionalism of First Light as an organisation creates an aspirational national framework for young filmmakers and professional filmmakers” YFF project leader. The value of the strong First Light brand (which works like a badge of quality) and the skills and knowledge within the organisation can be built upon as the film education offer is restructured following the National Film Policy Review. Table 1: Delivering the outcomes 2. Employment skills and progression routes / “The development of skills and talent provides the backbone which underpins the success of the entire film sector in the UK; from production, sales, distribution, and exhibition to archive. The future success of the UK.s film industry and the vitality of its film culture depend on the ability to nurture new talent and skills” A future for the British Film Industry: It Begins with the Audience, January 2012. In this section, we present the evidence from our survey of First Light project organisations and our interviews with project leaders and participating young people that show how First Light is delivering against the following core outcomes: — Supporting young people to develop skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. — Providing an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. We summarise the challenges to fully achieving and measuring delivery against the outcomes at the end of this section. Evidence from our survey of First Light project leaders show that: First Light is supporting young people to develop skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries: 92% of First Light project leaders agree First Light projects help participants develop the skills and knowledge to go onto successful careers in the film and media industries. 99% agree First Light projects develop participants’ creative skills. 97% agree First Light projects develop participants’ digital skills. “Through the processes of script development, production and post- production participants are introduced to a variety of creative approaches and skills and start to understand and gain an interest and critical awareness of how films are made and the industry works” Young Film Fund and Film Nation workshop leader. However: “The level of expertise, skills, careers knowledge etc., that young people gain from the projects is sometimes limited by the length of the projects, or funding available. To provide the best access to young people from the most difficult backgrounds sometimes requires longer term projects” Film Nation workshop leader. Young people’s organisations whose film- making work has been funded and supported on an ongoing basis see the biggest impacts for participants. Some of leaders were unsure about whether one-off short projects could really deliver the skills required for employment: First Light is providing an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries: 87% of First Light project leaders agree that First light projects provide young people with a vital entry point to the film and media industries. 91% agree First Light projects make participants’ aware of careers in the creative industries. “We made a period drama - we won best First Light Movie drama 2011 - now some of the young people are making films with the Cohen Brothers - off in LA - have gone to freelance or have got into hard to access Higher Education in film studies” Young Film Fund recipient. Again: “Not sure how much of an entry point into the film and media industry First Light projects are. Possibly help illustrate the possibilities that there might be but entry into the industry requires much more input than a short course” Film-maker on Young Film Fund project and Film Nation workshop leader. There were some reservations about whether short First Light projects could really support progression into the digital media industries, particularly projects with young age groups and with young people with little or no film-making experience. The project summaries and case studies below highlight how different First Light programmes are supporting skills development and progression into the film and digital media industries for many young people: Second Light Lab Second Light Producers and Script Lab participants are overwhelmingly positive about the impacts of the four day intensive training courses. They talked enthusiastically about the openness of the professionals running the workshops and the value of their expertise and advice on starting careers as producers and script writers. The participants were broadly impressed that they were able to learn so much in a relatively short intensive period. The majority of participants had some experience of working in the creative industries. They joined the courses with the aim of developing their skills and understanding of particular sectors of the industry – producing and script writing. All participants interviewed talk of how the courses have been invaluable in helping them to gain a greater understanding of all aspects of the filmmaking process, from script development to budgeting and contracting. Attending the course and working with the professional mentors and tutors and like minded peers has for most participants strengthened their passion and desire to pursue careers in filmmaking. The group work and encouragement to contribute ideas has given a real boost in confidence and has helped participants to focus on the parts of the industry which they want to pursue a career in. Participants have been introduced to professional contacts and industry networks and have met people to collaborate with on ideas and projects. While many of the participants are still to see the direct benefits of attending the course in terms of new work opportunities, for some, taking part in the Second Light Labs has opened doors to new careers. Saul, 25, took part in the Producers Lab in Birmingham. With experience as an actor, Saul discovered his passion for filmmaking working with Kuumba Arts where he started to pick up skills in editing, sound and voice-overs. He applied to Second Light.s Producers Lab to enhance his producing skills. He was introduced to filmmaking, directing and writing, as well as learning about the practicalities and business side of producing films - understanding insurance policies, contracts and so on. Saul feels he might have learnt this in a university setting but it wouldn.t have been right for him, as he describes himself as “not very academic”. Before joining the Producers Lab, Saul had been working on an idea for a documentary seeking to understand the origins of the 2011 riots. He had already filmed some interview footage and during the course he was able to develop his idea further. Following his participation in the Producers Lab workshop, Saul has secured funding for his docudrama and is on the way to making 4 more short films using young people. He is still in touch with First Light staff - who continue to offer him support when he needs it. “Film making is something I have always wanted to do, but never had the confidence. First Light has given me the knowledge, the tools and confidence to actually go with what I want to do and not change it. I think that was important, because a lot of the time you adapt things to fit what somebody else wants and they gave me the confidence to stick with what I want to do.” Sarah, 23, took part in the Second Light Scriptwriting Lab in London. Sarah was a Creative Writing graduate but had no experience of film script writing before joining the Script Lab. She heard about the Lab from Script Factory, the organisation running the course and applied submitting a script idea. Her script was selected and she joined the intensive three-day course with 12 other budding writers. During the course, she gained a full insight into the industry from distinguished film industry professionals including producers, directors, agents and head-writers from the BBC. The small group workshop sessions helped her learn about collaboration in writing (and the challenges that this can bring) as the participants worked together on the development of script ideas. The chance to mock-pitch a script idea was also really valuable for Sarah. “The course covered so much in a short space of time. It went through everything I wanted to know and so much more.” It is too early to gauge how the course will impact her in terms of future work, but it has certainly helped to boost Sarah.s confidence in her own abilities and she has been using what she has learned to look into potential roles in the industry such as being a script developer or an assistant producer. The evaluation of the 2008-2010 Second Light pilot6, which targeted young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, showed some of the greatest impacts were in the areas of confidence development (in making the transition from training to work) and by introducing progression routes into further media training and training jobs. By the end of the pilot, 100% of participants said they knew where to start looking for a job in the media. This compares with 40% at the beginning. 6 Second Light Evaluation Report (August 2011) Culture Shift for First Light. The group were also more realistic about needing to gain experience in order to progress, with 56% saying they were prepared to „start at the bottom and make tea. when they began the course and 100% saying this at the end of the course. There was also a 45% rise in those feeling confident about applying for a job by the end of the pilot. The group were much less confident about setting up in business on their own perhaps because of the realisation of what this would entail. Digital Documenters Digital Documenters were trained and mentored as they made short films about volunteering projects inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. The Documenters gained hands-on experience of many aspects of filming from the practicalities of planning for a film shoot, writing a treatment and creating a shot list, to interviewing, arranging all the paper work and actually filming and editing. The project gave the participants the opportunity to use professional equipment in their filmmaking and to be mentored through the film making process by industry professionals. This has delivered an important addition to the CVs and portfolios of all participants. One of the main benefits the participants talk about here is the relationships they formed on the course with like minded peers. A number of the Digital Documenters have already taken what they have learned to move into the digital media and film industries: “I was able to use the experience I.d gained on Digital Documenters to help get my current job as Digital Marketing Assistant at Dazed & Confused magazine” Digital Documenter. “The biggest impact of my involvement with First Light has been to give me the confidence and belief that I can run my own business. I now do this with a fellow former Digital Documenter” Male Digital Documenter from the West Midlands. Joe, 23 took part in Digital Documenters having heard about it through the Be Inspired website www.beinspiredfilms.co.uk. Prior to joining Digital Documenters, Joe already had some experience of working in the industry having been a runner with production companies, post-production house The Farm Group and the BBC on Watchdog and Crimewatch. During the project, Joe documented volunteers working at four charities - Centrepoint, Great Ormond St, Gymnastics London and the charity Beat - taking responsibility for different elements of the production including directing, editing and working behind the camera. Joe describes his involvement in Digital Documenters as “life changing”. Being given responsibility and freedom in the projects really helped in giving him confidence. Having access to industry quality equipment, receiving the one-to-one mentoring from professionals and working in a team with other inspirational young people all contributed to the excellent experience. “I had recently graduated from university and I have been doing lots of running work, so this gave me huge confidence, and the chance to work as part of a filmmaking team. The mentors were incredible, it was a fantastic opportunity.” The Young Film Fund The Young Film Fund (YFF) participants are younger and often far from making career choices so the impact on progression into employment can be harder to measure. However, our research shows that YFF projects are supporting the development of a range of technical and practical skills required for working in the digital media and film industries and that the experience gained is helping young people make choices to pursue careers in the creative sector: “We had a long chat about getting into the industry with Holly. We were talking about how a lot of the work will be freelance, especially getting into specific technical fields, and the importance of experience. Even at 16 she is thinking about developing her portfolio” YFF recipient. A number of project leaders interviewed report that young people they have worked with have already gone on to careers in the industry including directing cinema released features. For instance, examples were given of young people progressing to working on big budget features such as Cohen Brothers films in LA and collaborating in the broadcast industries with others they met on First Light projects. Some of the younger participants are using the films they made through First Light funding as part of their successful applications to university to study film and media. YFF project participants are also developing transferable skills as they work as a team from concept through to final film product. They learn about planning and problem solving, leadership and co-operation. Jessica 16, Young Film Fund project Jessica has been a member of a filmmaking group that has made several short films in the past funded by First Light. A Virtual Obsession, a Young Film Fund Studio grant supported film that Jessica directed, was much more professional than previous films she had worked on. This time the group took more control of all aspects of the filmmaking and had workshops with different industry professionals to prepare them for their roles. “Doing everything so professionally and having responsibility as a group was really good. If we did want to go into the industry we have a much better idea now of what it.s all about”. Mentors were on hand to answer questions if needed but the participants worked together to make decisions about all aspects of the filming and they really valued learning from their mistakes and challenges as well as their successes. “Being the Director I had to tell the actors what to do. That got easier over the three days. I was worried about upsetting them at the start.” Jessica is planning to go to university to study film and feels the experience she has gained on the three First Light films she has worked on will really support her applications. To summarise, First Light plays an important role in developing the skills, knowledge and confidence young people require to secure employment in the digital media, the broader creative industries and beyond. First Light projects are supporting many young people each year to: — Develop technical and production filmmaking and digital media skills including animation, camera operation, editing, directing, producing, script writing and acting. — Develop transferable skills for employment including team working, planning and communication. — Understand the reality of filmmaking – the time, the planning and the budgets required. — Gain practical experience working with and being mentored by professionals in all aspects of filmmaking – from concept to screening. — Meet and work with like-minded peers with continued collaborations beyond the First Light projects. — Get connected to film and media networks and make important connections with industry professionals. — Develop a belief and confidence in their own abilities and be inspired to pursue careers in the film and media industries. — Understand the range of careers available in the creative industries and the routes to entry and skills required. — Access ongoing to support from First Light and professional trainers and mentors beyond the life of the project. Critical learning points Notwithstanding the positive impacts that First Light projects have on young peoples. skills for employment and opening up alternative progression routes into the digital and media industries our evaluation shows that: — Young people involved in filmmaking education and training on an ongoing basis are reaping the most benefits. One-off filmmaking projects obviously do not provide the same embedded learning outcomes that longer term progression through different levels of filmmaking training can have. Developing skills in short-term projects can be most challenging with younger groups and with groups of the most disadvantaged young people. — While partnerships have developed between schools and between digital and media production trainers, a more connected approach across the formal and informal filmmaking education and training sector would help to ensure that young people gain industry-ready skills and knowledge. — First Lights. focus on linking young people to professionals in the industry is a real strength and should be retained and built upon. Opportunities should be developed to further link educational and training programmes to work experience within the industry. — While short summative evaluations can provide strong indicators of outcomes and longer term impacts of engagement in filmmaking education and training programmes, longitudinal tracking of the young people beyond the programmes is needed to fully assess the impact on skills and employment. 3. Supporting personal development and delivering improved educational outcomes / In this Section we explore how First Light has achieved against the outcome: — Supporting the development of personal and social skills and improved educational outcomes. Nearly all those interviewed and surveyed talk of First Light and filmmaking projects contributing to an increase in confidence and in some cases improved attainment. We focus in this Section on the evidence from the survey, project visits and interviews with Young Film Fund, Film Nation and First Light in the Classroom participating young people and organisations. Evidence from our survey shows: First Light is supporting the development of young people’s personal and social skills: 98% of First Light project Leaders agree that projects increase participants’ confidence in their abilities. (76% agree strongly) 96% agree First Light projects increase participants’ communication skills (66% agree strongly) “Without exception all the children and young people we have worked with on this project, have gained confidence and work co- operatively as a team. Many young people we work with respond more to the visual image than the written word, so they have the opportunity to work to their strengths” YFF project film-maker. First Light is providing a gateway to improved educational outcomes: 86% of First Light project leaders agree First Light projects improve participants’ overall attainment (47% agree strongly) 81% agree First Light projects improve participants’ behaviour (42% agree strongly) 70% agree First Light projects increase reading and writing skills (34% agree strongly) 90% agree First Light projects increase participants’ motivation to learn (58% agree strongly) “Working together improves reading, writing and communication skills and gives them a new perspective on life. Often pupils with behavioural problems become so absorbed in all the activities, the issues that confound them are forgotten. The impact of film-making on improved behaviour should be studied further!” Young Film Fund project leader. Our survey findings reflect those of the 2011 First Light in the Classroom survey which found: — 98% of project leaders saw an improvement in the confidence of the young people involved. — 99% felt that the project helped the young people to develop their communication skills. — 92% felt that the behaviour of the young people involved in the project improved. — 78% said that the young people.s reading and writing skills were developed throughout the project. Feedback from Young Film Fund (YFF), Film Nation First Light in the Classroom (FLIC) participants Young Film Fund, Film Nation and more recently First Light in the Classroom have engaged thousands of young people in filmmaking projects inside and outside school. The motivations for the organisations that apply for the grants to take their young people to the workshops or commission work through FLIC vary. They range from using filmmaking as a way of engaging young people and guiding them back into mainstream learning, to supporting media studies in schools and as a tool to stimulate wider learning through a visual medium. These digital and media organisations are training the talent of the future and providing stimulating activities for young people in their communities. All the different organisations involved in First Light projects, whether as recipients of First Light funding or deliverers or recipients of Film Nation and FLIC workshops, report the wide benefits and outcomes for young people taking part in filmmaking projects. First Light projects are seen as inclusive: Young people of all abilities and ages can and do participate in First Light filmmaking projects. The range of skills and aptitudes required to make a film means there is role for everyone. Creative thinkers can develop the concept idea, creative writers can work with the team to get the story written, the more technically minded can work the cameras, do the editing and animation, the leaders can direct and organisers can produce. Many young people come to filmmaking thinking only of acting or directing, but are introduced through First Light to a world where they can find a role that suits them. First Light projects are also inclusive in that they operate in different settings and with different groups of young people. As explored further in this Section and in Section 5 below, First Light projects are often used to engage relatively disadvantaged and harder to reach young people. They have been run in pupil referral units and with young offenders. Young people facing economic disadvantage in cities and rural communities have taken part and a number of successful films have been made by young people with disabilities and learning difficulties. For example: “We've worked with many young people who have come to us from Young Offenders Institutions or have been referred by Youth Offending Teams who've gone on to careers in the media industry, become members of the National Youth Theatre etc.” Young Film Fund recipient and Film Nation workshop leader. “The project was a huge boost for all the children who participated. I remember observing how "difficult" children frequently found a role within the film making environment and became valuable members of the team” Young Film Fund and FLIC recipient. First Light projects allow young people to tell their stories: The films have helped some young people explore and make sense of the world around them. Stories have reflected the young people.s own life experiences covering issues from bullying to racism, teenage pregnancy and sexuality. Through the making of the film Islam Ain.t Scary, a group of young people were able to present the faith that is important to them to communities across Bristol. They had to consider how to convey the messages about Islam to people with no knowledge of the religion and what is means to be part of the Islamic community, without sounding „preachy.. A group of young people in Liverpool explored the difficult issue of death by interviewing people who had experienced the death of a close friend or family member. Through three short films they looked at the impacts of road traffic accidents, gang crime and knife crime on families and communities but showed how their losses had motivated and inspired them to dedicate their lives to the support of others. Young people across the country have been given a voice through First Light projects: “First Light and First Light staff have been fantastic in their support for our young disenfranchised youth in Thanet. Most of our participants have never had the opportunity to discuss their role in society and have thoroughly enjoyed having their own creative voice” YFF recipient and Film Nation workshop Leader. First Light projects boost young people’s confidence and self-esteem: The young people are encouraged and supported to develop their ideas as a team and given responsibility for leading the development themselves. The leaders witness the confidence growing throughout the process. Taking an idea and seeing it through to the final product that is then seen by others is a huge confidence booster that in many cases translates as a motivator for further learning: “One project with a group identified as being difficult to engage with and in danger of being excluded from school has incredible results as the film was screened at their end of term celebration assembly which is normally dominated by students who are academically successful. It was clearly a proud moment for the girls to have their film screened and applauded and they had grown in confidence through the project. Their self belief improved dramatically as a result as did how they were viewed by their peers” Young Film Fund recipient. First Light projects are an important tool for supporting wider learning: First Light projects are supporting young people to develop not only technical and filmmaking skills, but crucial transferable skills, from confidence and communication skills to organisation and time keeping. There are also examples of where First Light projects are being used by schools as a creative approach to support cognitive learning and have been successfully linked to specific arts and media subjects as well as being used as a tool to support cross-curricula learning: “The success of the film and project at the school has seen the film used in both managerial and student based meetings and projects. As a result teachers of other subjects have also sought to use digital media in their curriculum areas.” First Light in the Classroom school. One Young Film Fund project was used to deliver a Level 1 Qualification Credit Framework Award in Creative Media Production for young people who had never achieved a qualification. The First Light in the Classroom case study in Figure 2 (see below) also shows how filmmaking is being linked to Arts Council England.s Arts Award programme and being used to recognise achievement by young people otherwise disengaged from learning. First Light projects are also supporting improved behaviour: Some project leaders report how First Light projects have a marked impact on the behaviour of young people where behaviour is an issue. The young people become so absorbed in and inspired by the activities and the process of working up the story and using the equipment that they become willing and co-operative team members. For example: “Our work in a PRU in Tower Hamlets, with a group of young people who were said to have behavioural issues, demonstrates the power of filmmaking. The young people came together to plan, script, shoot and edit a short film over the course of 7 days. Their ability to work together on the script and storyboarding their ideas was a revelation given their recent histories in schools. This application followed through into the shoot and most impressively the post production, where often disruptive young people got down quietly to complete some very technical editing” Young Film Fund and Film Nation project leader. First Light projects strengthening communities: A further, perhaps unexpected outcome of the projects, is the community connections they are supporting. The projects often bring together young people who would not usually mix or even meet. The team working that is required and the discovery of the shared passion for creativity has resulted in some new and lasting friendships. The research that has gone into many of the issues featured in the films and the recognition many of the films have received, has also connected young people and the organisations they are working to the wider community as can be seen by the quote below: “The impact of the award we received is not limited to the film making process - the issues targeted by the young people have received much more attention. We have also attracted a senior police officer as a new Trustee, and a Sudanese doctor may be joining soon too” Young Film Fund project leader. The pride and self-esteem that many young people gain through making the film can benefit the whole community, particularly in the most marginalised communities. A number of the project leaders have talked about the pride that parents and family feel when they see their young people receive awards for their films or stand up and talk at screenings. One mother was amazed when her son who has learning difficulties and stammers stood up and introduced the film he had been working on at a public screening. The case study in Figure 2 below provides two examples of how the new First Light initiative First Light in the Classroom is supporting the important social and personal development and delivering against educational priorities for schools and those working to support young people excluded from school. Figure 2: First Light in the Classroom case study First Light in the Classroom (FLIC) The First Light in the Classroom (FLIC) offers professional filmmaking workshops and bespoke packages tailored to meet the needs for schools and youth organisations. The following examples demonstrate how FLIC has supported curriculum learning, enhanced cross-curricular skills and improved motivation, behaviour and attainment, providing young people with opportunities to explore their creativity through film. East Harptree Primary School, Bristol Wakefield Youth Offending Team Background to the project Following a word of mouth recommendation, East Harptree approached FL about a filmmaking project. The result was regarding The Legend of the Lake, a film made by KS2 pupils as part of the local Chew Valley Lake Odyssey project which explored local history through the arts. Wakefield Youth Offending Team (YOT) was looking for a project to use as part of their Arts Award programme for a group of young offenders. Following a Google search for filmmakers, they found out about the FLIC programme and contacted First Light. First Light put the school in touch with Chris Kemp from digital media production company Suited and Booted, a long term partner of First Light. In June 2011, Chris spent a whole day filming with the kids encouraging young children to explore local community history and devising some interesting topics which they brought to life through film. Chris spent an additional day editing the final film. The FLIC project at Wakefield YOT saw 10 young people Not in Employment Education or Training (NEET) or at risk of NEET. First Light introduced Wakefield YOT to Steve Byrne from Interplay in Leeds. In August 2011 Steve, worked with the young people on four short films covering issues including crime and punishment. As part of the project the young people who helped them created their own mixes, which were then used as soundtracks. The impact of FLIC Being involved in the FLIC project boosted the children.s self-esteem and helped them explore community history. The children were totally engaged in the project which resulted in some improvements in behaviour among some of the children which transferred to the classroom. One young boy who took the lead role has ADHD and behavioural problems but this project encouraged his love for performing. This example demonstrates how the project enhances opportunities for children, especially for those who are not as receptive in classroom. Chris developed an excellent relationship the children and he encouraged them all to have an input. The school wants to continue encouraging creative approaches to curriculum and hope to run future film projects where children are fully involved in the filmmaking process. 7 of the young people involved achieved a Bronze Arts Award, (meeting YOT.s target of 70%). The YOT assessed the impacts of the project on each young person: Literacy improved by 12.5% and numeracy 20.5%. They are now more willing to work in small groups, help each other and work with people they didn.t know. Three of them have chosen to learn about filmmaking (including sound and editing), one person wants to do the Silver Arts Award and all have said that the arts is more accessible to them and many want to pursue the arts, possibly as a career option, but at least as a hobby. Four people taking part have now returned to mainstream education. Using filmmaking the young people have gained new skills and were really motivated in their learning. The project helped to empower these often challenging young people and allowed their voices to be heard. What FLIC meant to the organisations: “FLIC gives children additional opportunities to grow in confidence, be fully involved and demonstrate achievement.” "FLIC completely fitted with what we were looking for. If we were going to do a creative project again, we would consider FLIC.” (Carole Wheatley, Headteacher, East Harptree) "FLIC has been an arts based project with the most tangible outcomes that we can analyse." "The results on improvement were phenomenal, especially having them doing something every day which caused such an improvement" (Rezina Kelly, Wakefield Practice Manager) Critical learning points First Light projects are clearly giving young people a voice, boosting confidence and in some instances bringing benefits to the wider community. While there are one-off examples of where First Light projects are being used as cross curricula tools and even being linked to qualifications the overall impact on attainment is much less clear. — Integrating filmmaking as a central part of the film education offer (as recommended in the Film Policy Review) open to all schools will help to ensure that more young people have access to the benefits that filmmaking can have on personal and social skills. The challenge here will be combining breadth with depth and retaining the quality and intensity of provision through a much extended programme. — As highlighted above the film education offer at school should be linked to progression into training outside school in specialist and extra curricula filmmaking activity as well as to FE and HE education and training. — Linking filmmaking as a learning tool and as an opportunity for developing skills across the core curriculum will help increase the positive impacts of filmmaking on improved education outcomes for young people. — Of course, digital and media education and training is only a small part of the myriad of experiences and influences that young people are exposed to each day so there is always a challenge of separating cause and effect of any impact. That said, reports from teachers, youth leaders, digital media trainers and young people, in this study and in others is that filmmaking projects do have an impact on the personal development of some young people which can in turn help improve their learning outcomes. Ongoing research as the new film education offer is rolled out should further investigate the impacts. 4. Impact on film literacy and audience development / This short Section explores the following outcome: — Supporting the development of young people.s film literacy and more adventurous film viewing. First Light is clearly helping participating young people to understand moving image and be culturally literate with film. It is also increasing young people.s appetite for a greater diversity of films as they seek out different types of films to study the structure and characterisations to inform their own filmmaking. Evidence from our survey shows: 92% of First Light project leaders agree that young people are encouraged to be more curious and critical about films. 77% of First Light project leaders agree that participating in First Light projects encourages young people to be more adventurous in their watching habits. “We always include the watching of challenging works in the development stage of our projects to inspire the young people. Watching these films with the goal of learning from them and using what they've learnt in their own work, makes them approach them in a deeper critical way” Young Film Fund project leaders. Interviews with project leaders and young people also show there are examples of how First Light projects are increasing film literacy and more adventurous film viewing. The impact is most marked in Young Film Fund projects where organisations are working with young people over a longer period of time and sometimes on multiple projects. Many of the YFF projects start with introducing and watching a number of films to explore different genres and structures to help the young people decide on the type of film they want to make. As the filmmaking process progresses the leaders suggest other films that the young people might want to watch to inform their work or encourage them to seek out the films of particular directors or styles. Many young people we spoke to report how their film viewing has changed: “I learned a lot about making films working on set. I now look at films in a different way. I now watch a bigger variety of films” Danny 14, Young Film Fund project participant. I used to just watch things like Harry Potter. Now I watch a lot more art house films and I look out for films by particular Directors” Jessica 16, Young Film Fund participant. However, other project leaders, particularly those working on one-off projects with younger groups of young people, felt they only had limited ability to influence the viewing habits of young people but that young people would look at films differently and perhaps more critically understanding more about what goes into making a film. Critical learning points Again this evaluation shows that First Light projects are having an impact on young people.s film literacy and film viewing habits. Of course the progression in film literacy and film viewing depends on the starting point of the young person. For those that have had no filmmaking experience and whose exposure to film does not go beyond the mainstream, effecting a change takes longer and may be beyond the scope of a short-term project. — Increasing the level of engagement and understanding of film and encouraging more adventurous film viewing should be built in as a requirement of all filmmaking projects. 5. Opening up access to filmmaking / In this short Section we explore through our survey findings and First Light.s own data how First Light programmes are delivering against the outcome: — Reaching the most disadvantaged young people and those under-represented in the digital media industries. The creative and media industries and the film industry in particular is not representative of the diverse UK population as whole. The recently published Film Policy Review calls for a strategy to ensure that diverse talent is nurtured and recruited into parts of the sector where there is significant under-representation compared with the composition of the population as a whole. Our research shows that First Light is playing an important role in nurturing talent from under-represented communities, particularly through the Second Light training programmes. Access to professional filmmaking experiences is also being opened up to thousands of young people from disadvantaged communities through programmes such as Film Nation and the Young Film Fund. Evidence from our survey shows: First Light is reaching the most disadvantaged and those under-represented in the film industry: “One of my students had a troubled home and college life. Working on a number of First Light projects she developed confidence and found in producing and sound recording something she could really engage with. She got part-time work with a community film organisation and started to settle down. She is now at the NFTS studying sound recording and has recently worked on high profile TV drama” Young Film Fund recipient. 95% of project leaders feel First Light projects help to ensure that talented young people from all background have access to quality film and media training. All the young people who have participated in the Second Light Pilot programmes were from ethnic minority backgrounds. The pilot started with 32 trainees, of which 15 (47%) classed themselves as disadvantaged (mainly in the unemployed category). The pilot aimed to give them the opportunity to take the next step into employment within the digital media industries (the impacts for Second Light participants are outlined in Section 2 above). The Young Film Fund programme is clearly reaching some of the most disadavantaged young people across the UK: 77% of the young people involved with Young Film Fund since its launch are from disadvantaged backgrounds, 29% from a BME background. Our interviews and project reviews have revealed many individual examples of where the most disadvantaged young people are reaping some of the greatest benefits from participating in First Light projects. For some young people, the projects are broadening their horizons beyond their own immediate environment, for others the experience has been life changing and they have achieved things that previously no-one would have thought possible: “One of the young dads involved in the project had not really left his house for about 6 months. His self esteem was at an all time low, he was unemployable and totally disengaged. His partner encouraged him to join the project and slowly started to participate in the workshops. Over the last 20 weeks we have seen him progress to become the main editor on the film. He has been involved with organising the screening event - meeting strangers and talking to them about the film and process. He has shown good time keeping and organisation skills. He is now seeking funding to go to college to study video production and will be involved in further film projects with us” Young Film Fund project leader. Critical learning points First Light figures indicate that projects are reaching some of the most disadvantaged young people in the UK and those currently under-represented in the digital media industries. It is less clear where the gaps are across the UK in terms of reach of First Light and whether projects are actually reaching the areas of most need. — However, to fully understand whether projects are reaching the most disadvantaged young people, postcodes of project awards could be mapped against geographic and schools data on levels of deprivation. — Prioritising projects such as Second Light for young people in particular cities is of course understandable in terms of focussing resources. It does mean, however, thousands of young people are missing out on opportunities to gain new skills and employment in the digital media industries and beyond. 6. Establishing a framework for young people’s film and media training and education / First Light has played a central role in driving up the quality and opening up access to excellent digital and media training for young people. Since its launch in 2001, First Light has supported over 40,000 young people - helping them to make over 3,500 First Light films. The increasing quality of the films shows how young people.s skills and the capacity of organisations working with young people to make the films have grown: “Before we received First Light funding we brought in a group of interested youngsters and staff made a film with them acting. This film was only ever seen by family and friends. After we got funding from First Light we moved into the big time. Youngsters were trained and supported to undertake all aspects of filmmaking themselves. The finished films were seen all round the world and won top awards in both Scotland and the UK. In fact one was subtitled into Korean to win to an international award” Young Film Fund project leader. Screenings of First Light films have more than doubled in the past three years - rising from 190 in 2008 to over 500 in 20117. A measure of the increasing quality of the films is the number of awards First Light Movies have received: from 1 award in 2007 and 36 in 2010, with a further 17 films nominated8. Figure 3 shows an example of the reach and quality of three of the most successful First Light films in terms of number of screenings, awards and nominations received: 7 First Light introduced monthly trackings of film screening in 2008, prior to this there was less consistent tracking of screening for figures cannot be compared. 8 Figures for 2011 are still to be finalised at the time of writing of writing but there is likely to be a slight drop due in part to the reduction in the number of festivals as a result of cuts in funding. Figure 3: First Light movie successes First Light Movie successes – a sample One Man's Walk – A 1.30” documentary made by ten young people aged 14-18 working with Interplay Theatre, Leeds through the support of a Young Film Fund Studio grant in 2009. Synopsis: A window on the wonderful world of Kenneth Mitchell, his brother, friends and favourite things. The film was the idea of Nicholas Mitchell whose brother, Kenneth, has Down.s Syndrome and communication difficulties. Through the telling of his story, Kenneth.s apparent handicap was turned around and he became the star of his own film. Selected for 17 screenings/festivals across the UK and internationally since the launch at Leeds. art house cinema the Hyde Park Picture House in July 2009, including: Young People.s Film Festivals in Leeds, Derby , Young Cuts Canada and Lahore Children.s film Festival; the Haifa International Film Festival and screening on the BBC Big Screens in cities across the UK in June 2010. Awards include: 2010 Online Audience Award at Future Waves, Seattle International Film Festival; Winner of the UNTV Short Feature Award and the Signis Award in the Plural+ International Youth Video Festival in 2010; First Light film award for best film by over 13.s 2010. Lights Out – 4.55” animation made by 25 young people aged 11-14 working with Sanday Community School, Isle of Sanday, Orkneys through a Young film Fund Pilot Grant in 2007. Synopsis: How can the local Orkney seals possible get any sleep with that lighthouse glaring all night? This claymation film follows the seal.s quest to switch off the lighthouse light, with a little help from friends seagull and the lighthouse cat. Selected for 17 screenings/festivals between 2008 and 2010. Across the UK from a local screening at the school to the Darlington Arts Centre, Bradford animation Festival, the Stamford film Festival and Igloo cinema at the South Bank in London. Internationally screened at Videotivoli festival in Finland, National Arts Festival South Africa, 3rd Lahore Children's Film Festival and Little Big Shoots Australia & Singapore. Awards include: Dundee Discovery Youth Screen Award 2008 Happy Cloud – A 5.24” animation involving 60 young people aged 7-18 working with Worthing Youth Theatre through the support of a Young film Fund Studio Grant in 2009. Synopsis: Kids TV show, Happy Cloud, is losing viewers. In an attempt to boost ratings, the director brings in Jiggy Bigwig to give his cast a makeover. As the show.s star, „Happy Cloud. is not happy with the changes until he realises change could mean the opportunity of winning some prestigious awards! However a bump on the head & a visit from the Awards Fairy shows him his future self & how the show hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Selected for 16 screenings/festivals from local screenings in Worthing to UK and international screenings including BBC Big Screen in June 2010; the Public West Brom, Co-op Film Festival Bradford and Fordham Music Festival Cambridge in 2011. Awards include: First Light Best Comedy Award in 2010, Winner of Small Films Awards at Canterbury Anifest 2010, Winner of Best Film in the Young Shorts category at Flip Animation 2010 and a nomination in Films by Children & Youth at Lola Screen Festival, Nairobi. Our research shows that First Light is respected among the professional film industry and organisations working with young people as the UK leader in young people.s digital media and film education and training. Interviewees talked of First Light as providing a „national framework of excellence. for digital and media education and training provision. The strong partnerships with the professionals across the film and digital media industries are central to the strength of the First Light brand and the value that working with First Light brings to organisations and young people. “First Light works best when it links with grass roots organisations and professional film and video production companies like ourselves. The profile and professionalism of First Light as an organisation creates an aspirational national framework for groups, young filmmakers and professional filmmakers” Young Film Fund grant recipient. Evidence from our survey shows: 91% of leaders agree First Light plays an important role as advocate for film making education and training (66% agree strongly). 91% agree First Light plays an important role helping organisations to deliver their film-making work with young people (75% agree strongly). “First Light has a good national profile and one of the films made by young people on a First Light Young film Fund project we ran won an award so this helped raise profile” Young film fun project leader. 90% agree that First Light has helped raise the profile of the filmmaking work they do. “First Light has an excellent reputation for successfully engaging children and young people in filmmaking, which has opened doors for us. The opportunity to work in partnership with professionals has improved the production values of our work” Young Film Fund project leader. Our interviews support the survey findings. Opening up access to quality digital and media training: Over the last 10 years, First Light has played a pivotal role in opening up opportunities for young people to access quality digital and media training and education. The knowledge of filmmaking that First Light brings to their role of funder and commissioner of digital media training and education for young people is really appreciated by those they support. Organisations that have been grant funded in particular talk about First Light understanding the process (and sometimes the challenges) they have to go through to develop a film with young people. It can often be difficult to shoe-horn a filmmaking project into other types of funding available to support the engagement or skills development of young people as the fit is not always easy. The majority of organisations would simply not have been able to deliver the level and quality of work they have without First Light: “There are no other sources of funding for the type of film work we have done with young people” Young Film Fund project leader. Building the capacity of young people’s digital and media education and training sector: Through its Lottery funding and other partnerships, First Light has sought to develop the capacity of young people.s digital media training organisations across the UK and many organisations have grown alongside First Light. The 12 Filmmaking Partners awards made in 2006 gave organisations funding and support to develop their work trialling new ways of working, reaching out to new groups of young peoples and working with new partners. Since these awards First Light has continued to nurture and develop the young people.s digital and media sector: “As a production company funding from First Light has allowed us to work with more young people and develop working relationships with schools and the local authority. It has also allowed us to try new types of work with young people including comedy” Young Film Fund project leader. For an organisation in Scotland First Light had a dramatic effect on how they and the young people they worked with were perceived: “When we started winning awards and getting into the press, council officials started to boast that they had an “award winning internationally recognised centre of excellence” in there service. One senior officer even claimed that “North Lanarkshire is Scotland.s Hollywood”. As a result of this, members of both the British and the Scottish parliament asked us, and the young filmmakers, to visit them. We also presented to a full Council meeting. This was both pleasant and productive as it secured our match funding and gained us access to shooting locations (due to our local fame). In short it opened may doors. It also unquestionably helped the CVs of youngsters who were looking to work or train in the industry.” Networking the sector and the industry: The work of First Light in supporting the development of partnerships and networks locally and nationally is also recognised but there is clearly more work to be done. Nearly all organisations have developed new partnerships as a result of work, particularly partnerships with local authorities and other young people.s organisations but many are still not connected to broader digital and media industry networks so the young people they work with may be missing out on opportunities to progress. An endorsement of quality: The First Light brand is now viewed almost as a kite mark for young people.s digital and media training and education. Receiving a grant from First Light or being commissioned to run a First Light workshop or training session helps secure the position of organisations as providers of quality. In turn this helps them to lever in additional funding, secure new contracts and develop partnerships inside and outside the digital and media industries: “First Light has a national profile so any work that they fund us to deliver allows us to raise our profile. Having a First Light grant in place also helps lever additional funds. We often develop new or further develop existing partnerships in order to deliver work funded by First Light. Our Media Box grant was match funded locally” Film Nation workshop leader. First Light Awards have helped to cement the brand as clearly being film industry endorsed. The high profile annual awards ceremony, supported by industry partners including EON Productions, YouTube, Special Treats Production Company and attended and judged each year by well know film names, receives international media. The attention that the winning films, organisations and young people receive result in new opportunities opening up: “We received huge amounts of publicity after winning First Light awards, with all the big names that involves. This was hugely influential in persuading youth organisations and local authorities to work with us and contribute to our projects” Young Film Fund project leader. “We have now managed or been delivery partners on seven First Light projects and in particular, our Beacon Hill Film Project has been funded three times by FL. First Light funding has been absolutely central to supporting this project which supports young people with learning disabilities to create and exhibit their own films. We were rewarded a National Lottery Award for UK's Best Arts Project (broadcast live on BBC1) as recognition of the highly effective use of First Light funding and the impact this had on our beneficiaries. Our project was up against projects funded by other (larger) Lottery distributors, but we feel very proud that it was a First Light funded project that ended up winning in front of an audience of 2.2 million viewers” Young Film Fund and Film Nation project leader. Critical learning points Our research shows that First Light has played an important role is raising the quality of digital media training across the UK and opening up access to training to thousands of young people. The value of the strong First Light brand (which works like a badge of quality) and the skills and knowledge within the organisation should be built upon and not lost as the film education offer is restructured following the National Film Review. 7. In Conclusion / This Evaluation has explored how First Light has delivered across six core outcomes: 1. Developing skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. 2. First Light as an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. 3. Developing of personal and social skills and supporting improved educational outcomes. 4. Reaching more disadvantaged and harder to reach you people. 5. Developing young people.s film literacy. 6. First Light as a major provider and advocate for quality filmmaking training and development for young people. Clearly, First Light delivers an important part of the overall national strategic offer for education and training in film and digital media. The organisation has developed its capacity and profile over the last decade, and combined this with a push for excellence that engages many young people who would otherwise not have access to industry-standard activities and certainly would not be connected so directly to active high profile industry practitioners. In this context, First Light is delivering a critical element of the often-stated continuum of „learning, making and watching., delivering positive outcomes across this continuum while majoring on the central activity of making. Here First Light can be seen as a talent development programme that positively influences audience development while delivering additional outcomes for learning. However, successful delivery does not come without significant challenges. For example, as a national organisation, First Light has to work hard to balance extensive reach with high quality, and it is inevitable that at times high quality is not delivered. However, this is as much a consequence of the shortcomings of partner delivery organisations (and of partnership working in general) as it is a result of any failing from First Light. Indeed, it is a credit to First Light that it has mobilised so many activities across the country in ways that lift the capacity, confidence and quality of delivery partners, often in very trying social and economic circumstances. Where quality has dipped then, this can be seen as a developmental outcome with First Light supporting partners to improve their overall offer while accepting that being dependent on partners can involve an element of risk and that mistakes are likely „along the way.. It is important here that partners learn from mistakes and collectively lift the film and digital media training and education offer available to young people. Here First Light has played a vital leadership and coordination role. However, as recognised in the National Film Policy Review, overall film and digital media education provision remains under-coordinated, with links between learning, making and watching weaker than desirable for a distinctive and competitive UK film industry. Significant progress has been made in recent years – with the Film: 21st Century Literacy project9 strengthening partnership and enabling progress in the development of a more 9 Film: 21st Century Literacy was a three year project funded through a National Lottery grant and delivered by FILMCLUB, BFI, Skillset, Film Education and First Light. integrated national film education offer. An outcome of the National Film Policy Review will be further integration, and partners will be required to coordinate delivery, connect activities and share efficiencies like never before. First Light has shown that it occupies a critical element of the overall film and digital media education offer for young people across the country. It has developed the brand, reputation, knowledge and capacity to blend reach with high quality in ways that link learning, making and watching. It has shown particular success in engaging harder to reach young people and then opening up industry opportunities in ways that deliver genuine diversity advantage to the UK film industry. It has taken ten years of improvement, growth and partnership work to deliver activities that supply the film industry with new talent it would otherwise not benefit from; and to supply the wider economy (i.e. those who develop other career paths) with more confident, connected and literate young people. The task now is to build from these activities, to leverage the successes of First Light, but to do so in ways that complement and ultimately integrate the strengths and assets of other areas of the film education landscape – notably in learning and watching. This will be a difficult strategic process and for it to ultimately be a success, it will need to ensure the outcomes currently delivered by First Light – as measured by this evaluation - remain central to film education provision in the future. Appendix 1: The approach and methodology / The overarching aim of the evaluation is to evaluate the impact of First Light programmes on the creative and transferable skills, talent, confidence, achievement and entrepreneurial capabilities of young people. A series of evaluation outcomes were agreed to evaluate: . The impact of First Light on developing skills and knowledge for employment, particularly in the digital media and wider creative industries. . The role of First Light as an alternative progression route for young people into careers in the film, media and digital industries. . The impact of First Light in supporting the development of personal and social skills and supporting improved educational outcomes . The effectiveness of First Light.s reach and impact for the more disadvantaged and harder to reach you people. . The impact of First Light programmes in developing young people.s film literacy. . The value and effectiveness of First Light as a major provider and advocate for quality film making training and development for young people. The evaluation has focused in detail on five recent first Light programmes: — Young Film Fund — Film Nation: Shorts — Second Light Script and Producer Labs — Digital Documenters — The recently launched First Light in the Classroom. (See the Glossary on Page 5 for a short summary of each activity). Interviews have been carried out with 14 representatives from project beneficiary and delivery organisations and over 30 participating young people (See Appendix 2 for list of interviewees). Visits were made to 8 Young Film Fund projects with 4 of the visits and interviews with participants filmed. Footage of the interviews accompanies this report. Evidence of impacts from past programmes has been incorporated in the overall evaluation through analysis of past programme evaluation reports and monitoring data. Two survey online surveys have also been carried out including both quantitative and qualitative questions: — A survey of organisations First Light has supported and worked with over the past 10 years. Sent to 612 organisational contacts. 104 surveys were completed, a response rate of 17%. The majority of respondents have been involved in Young Film Fund projects (62% are representing organisations that have received Young Film Fund grant and a further 12% are film makers on YFF projects), 28% have been Film Nation project Leaders. (See Appendix 3 for a breakdown of respondents by project). Percentages used in this report are based on the number of respondents to each question. Between 78 and 104 people responded to particular questions. This gives a confidence interval of around 10 for each of the results. — A survey of young people participating in First Light projects. This was sent directly to 133 young people that have participated in Digital Documenters, the Second Light pilot and the Second Light producers and script labs – 133 young people. 35 young people from these projects responded. Organisations were also to send the survey to the young people that had participated in their projects. Only four responses were received from young people participating on other projects. The much lower levels of response to the young people survey mean we have not used the statistical findings in this report. However, the relatively high proportion of particular project participants has given additional qualitative evidence for analysis. For example, 14 Digital Documenters responded, all of those participating and 10 Second Light script lab nearly half of all participants. (Copies of survey questions are included in Appendix 4). Of course while this evaluation provides strong indications of the impacts of film and media projects and their positive outcomes for young people without clear base lines and long- term tracking of individual participants, attributing cause and long-lasting effects is not totally conclusive. With young people and organisations exposed to multiple influences that are likely to affect their lives isolating what specifically contributes to a particular change is a challenge. The evidence presented in this report should be seen as indicators of impacts. Appendix 2: List of interviews and projects visited Interviews Name Position Organisation Eddie Berg Head of Partnerships BFI Tim Cagney Deputy Chief Executive BFI Kate O'Connor Executive Director - Policy and Development, Deputy CEO Skillset Caroline Norbury CEO Creative England Andrew M Smith Group Director Corporate Affairs Pinewood Iain Smith Chair, Film Skills Group Skillset Sarah-Jane Meredith John Newbigin Senior Film Culture Manager Chair Creative England Creative England & CAV Network Young Film Fund Organisation Main contact Grant type Location Participants age range Shooting Fish Theatre Company Emily Bignell Studio Lincoln from 11 to 19 Reel Access Laura Breakwell Studio Birmingham from 8 to 18 Blueprint: Film Foundation Dave Blackworth Studio Lincoln from 7 to 18 Twin Vision Leila Romaya Studio Liverpool from 13 to 19 Thomas Adams Media Arts Programme Spencer Whalen Studio Shropshire from 6 to 19 OFVM Film Oxford Geron Swann Studio Oxford from 10 to 19 Tower Hamlets Pupil Referral Unit Lauren Hassan-Leslie Pilot London from 11 to 15 Suited and Booted Studios CIC Sara Strickland Studio Bath from 9 to 19 First Light in the Classroom Organisation Main contact Location Wakefield Youth Offending Team Rezina Kelly Wakefield Pensford Primary School Lorna McIsaac Bristol East Harptree Primary School Carole Wheatley Bristol James Brindley School Mark Gaynor Birmingham Film Nation Organisation Main contact Location Polkadotsandraindrops Mark Aitken London Petchy Academy (Latimer Films) Lucie White London Second Light Script Lab Participant Location Sarah Frankland Leicester Tom Severn Salisbury Louise Ogunnaike Kent Bwalya Mutale Liverpool Second Light Producers Lab Participant Location Alison Herrington Reading Aimee Spinks Moseley Kelly Li London Digital Documenters Participant Location Kathryn Smith Leicester Joe Pomeroy London Matthew Weston Torbay C:\Documents and Settings\Rosalyn Benjamin\My Documents\Downloads\ChartExport (4).jpg Appendix 3: Breakdown of organisation survey respondents by type / Appendix 4: Survey questions / Organisational survey Participants survey