A number of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) 55 public bodies are set to be merged, abolished or streamlined as part of the Government’s drive to cut costs and increase transparency, accountability and efficiency, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today.

Mr Hunt has proposed a number of changes, including abolishing the UK Film Council and establishing a direct and less bureaucratic relationship with the British Film Institute.

The BBC website gives further details include industry reactions.

course structure: full-time
dates: September – September
location: 2A Merchiston Avenue Production Centre
application deadlines: Rolling deadline for Sept entry

Are you an ambitious, talented, film graduate film-maker keen to take your studies further in your chosen specialist area? Screen Academy Scotland is looking for students with a BA (Hons) film or a related discipline, or equivalent experience. You should have some practical film-making under your belt already, and will be looking to bring your experience up to the standard expected for entry in the professional industry.

Students apply to the course as specialists in one of the following disciplines: Directing, cinematography, editing, and sound. Coursework consists of a large number of practical exercises and projects that allow students to deepen their own technical, creative and professional film making skills. The year’s work culminates in a major project module in which students will work, in their chosen discipline, on one or more short fiction films.

For more details, visit the Screen Academy website

Lenny Crooks, former head of the UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund, is moving across the pond to set up a consultancy service. Crooks, who also used to run the Glasgow Film Fund, says he wants to act as a bridge between both sides of the Atlantic. Features that the NCF backed during Crooks’ tenure included Cannes Special Jury Prize winner Fish Tank and Bright Star. The NCF wound up at the end of March, replaced by a consolidated £15 million Film Fund.

Source: www.deadline.com

Glasgow Film Office will be closing for the Christmas period on Thursday 24th December 09 and will re-open on Tuesday 5th January 2010.

Please email the office at info@glasgowfilm.com and we will reply to all enquiries on our return.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Perspectives is the first Creative Scotland online discussion forum which will be live from 5th October 2009.
Designed to engage the artistic and creative communities, this discussion forum is your chance to share your views on the emerging role of Creative Scotland, the new national development body for the arts, culture and creative industries.
Perspectives aims to break new ground in practitioner engagement. It will also generate and share information and intelligence to develop the sector, as well as informing and directing future engagement.
Keep up-to-date on forum developments by logging on to: www.perspectives.creativescotland.org.uk

TRC’s acclaimed International Development Programme is looking for a project manager initially for a 12 month period.
The International Development Programme was launched in 2004 in response to the growing importance of global media markets and international rights exploitation. The aim of the programme is to help media companies gain a share of international business by developing the right type of content in the right genres that will appeal to the right global buyers.
For more information on the programme itself and the vacancy check out www.trcmedia.org. Closing date for applications is 12 noon, 16th September 2009.

Film Bang is the essential guide for film and TV production in Scotland. From its inception 30 years ago, Film Bang has developed into the definitive source of information, listing production companies, facilities and technicians. There will shortly be a revised Film Bang website for subscribers to update their details and pay in a matter of minutes with their own online Film Bang account. The old Film Bang site will be up and running the whole time that the approvals process is ongoing to make sure that you still have your online presence.
For only an extra £10 you can now add a Logo, Integrated Showreel and C.V to your listing and basic listings are available at the same great price as last year!
Be sure to renew your listing by Aug 31st to make sure you’re in both the printed and online version of filmbang! www.filmbang.com

Cultural Enterprise Office (CEO) is Scotland’s specialist business support and development service for creative and cultural industry businesses and individuals.
CEO are looking for an enthusiastic and efficient individual with an interest in or working experience of the creative sector to join the central office team based in the Merchant City.
Reporting to the Director and working closely with Cultural Enterprise Office staff you will be responsible for ensuring the efficient and safe CEO service delivery, operational processes and the building functions of the Glasgow office.
Deadline for applications has been extended to 9am Friday 21st August 2009. Interviews will take place the week commencing Monday 31st August 2009 with a preferred start date of Monday 5th October 2009.
For a full job description, person specification and how to apply, please visit www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk.

Glasgow Media Access Centre (GMAC) moves to a landmark new home next week. On Wednesday the filmmaking hub will begin relocation to new premises at Trongate 103, Glasgow’s new centre for the arts and creativity.

The building will bring eight leading lights in Scotland’s cultural scene together in one purpose designed space. Filmmakers will cross paths with artists, musicians and members of the public in the new centre, which includes galleries, workshop spaces and artists’ studios. GMAC’s premises are on the fifth floor, and include new edit suites, an HD screening studio, a digital training suite, production offices and a media caf, where you can access over 26 years of GMAC films.

For more information on Trongate 103 please visit www.trongate103.com

Andrew and Gregory Byatt, producers of the Scottish Film Actors and Writers Workshop (SFAWW) have organised this most ambitious cutting edge equipped screen acting course. It replicates an actual movie shoot, allowing participants an invaluable opportunity to undergo a realistic environment similar to one they will encounter in the professional world.
This five-day practical, intensive, continuous professional development course will take place from 24 -28 August at BBC Scotland. It will empower actors to perform to their maximum potential by filming, instantly reviewing and analysing their movie scenes using state of the art high definition panavision cameras, cinema sized projection and ten highly professional crew members under Robin Vidgeon, who has worked with De Niro, Redford, Speilberg and Hopkins and sound recordist Brian Simmonds who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Braveheart.

Please send a CV, photo and showreel to Andrew Byatt, C/O SFAWW, 16 Greenbank Park, Edinburgh, EH10 5SR. For further information, please contact: T: 0131 446 9898 or 07521290451 W: www.theactorscut.co.uk