LBP Partnerships

One of Left Bank’s key partnerships is with the London-based sixth form academy, The London Screen Academy (LSA). Left Bank has supported the LSA since it was founded by some of the UK’s most successful film producers in 2019. The mission of LSA is to diversify the screen industries, by enabling access to all, regardless of background and to develop the most well-rounded, highly skilled workforce possible, reflecting the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the world we live in.

Our COO, Grace Wilson explains how “The LSA is one of the first scheme’s to truly address the unrepresented by encompassing diversity to include ethnicity, gender and those from all income backgrounds, giving an equal opportunity and setting the stage to allow their story telling which can only enrich the industry for many more years to come.”

The curriculum at LSA focuses on behind the camera skills in three pathways, Technical, Craft & Post Production, enabling students to develop the creative, technical and academic skills needed to begin their careers in the Film & Television industry. Left Bank joined the LSA’s internship scheme in which we accept two students every three months. The students spend time learning about the industry both in house and on our productions.

The LSA has said “Left Bank Pictures has championed and supported the London Screen Academy from the very beginning and has been a key partner in the development of our flagship Traineeship Programme. By offering our alumni long term paid work with their teams, they are actively making the change in the industry LSA was set up to achieve. We are proud to be supporting and working with the LSA, providing a pipeline of new talent for the industry and our business”

Our first two interns Tess and Joe enjoyed their time at Left Bank gaining valuable industry experience, they spent time with each department in-house as well as going onto Everything Now set. Tess has gone on to become our office runner and now our Front of House, whilst Joe is making short films but keeping in touch.

Tess describes the experience in her own words, “I was ecstatic when Left Bank offered me the opportunity to join them. I was welcomed by a friendly and talented team and was pleased to be handed an exciting and manageable set of responsibilities. With aspirations to work in production but unsure exactly what role I want to do, my time with Left Bank has provided me with invaluable insights into the various roles involved in the film and TV production. Since completing my internship, I've subsequently joined the company on a full-time basis as a runner. I continue to develop and believe that my internship has provided me with the ideal start to my journey.”

We are looking forward to welcoming and teaching the new interns all about the industry!

Left Bank is a dedicated and long-standing supporter of the NFTS. We have two initiatives in operation: The Left Bank Pictures - The Crown Scholarship Programme and the NFTS Diverse Writers  Development Scheme. 

THE LEFT BANK PICTURES - THE CROWN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

The Left Bank Pictures  -The Crown Scholarship Programme was established with the proceeds of The Crown Auctions at Bonhams in February 2024. It will support at least 50 students to train at the NFTS over the next 20 years on fully funded scholarships with additional living expenses covered, allowing them to train on a wide range of specialist film and television MA and Diploma courses including Cinematography, Composing, Directing Fiction, Editing, Producing, Production Design, Screenwriting, Sound Design, VFX, Assistant Camera, Assistant Directing, Model Making, and Location Sound Recording. 

The Crown Auctions were a once-in-a-lifetime series of auctions of over 450 props, furniture, and costumes from all six seasons of The Crown. The auctions were white gloves sales in which everything was 100% sold. The auctions followed an exclusive 3-week exhibition at Bonhams New Bond Street in what was the highest ever attended exhibition at Bonhams. 

"It is a fantastically fitting end to The Crown to see the props and costumes raise such phenomenal amounts of money for the NFTS Left Bank Pictures scholarship at Bonhams this week. It was even more satisfying to see the model of the Funeral Procession go for such a high figure. Crafted by students from the NFTS for season 6 of The Crown it perfectly captures the ethos of The Crown Auction – to give back to the industry which made the series possible. Huge thanks to Bonhams for delivering this spectacular auction." Andy Harries, Chief Executive

Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/left-bank-pictures-crown-scholarship-programme

THE NFTS DIVERSE WRITERS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

This was a 10-week course designed to amplify the voices of six promising writers from across the UK. Backed by Sony Pictures Television, the participants were selected from a record number of applications and chosen for their exceptional potential to bring fresh and diverse perspectives to the UK’s television industry.

The writers began the programme in March 2024, with a number of sessions held at the London offices of Sony Pictures Television. Each participant led a writers room for the first time, engaging with character development, plot structure and dialogue to generate commercially viable television drama concepts. Under the expert guidance of tutors David Chikwe and Brian Ward, the writers also benefitted from numerous industry guests providing their unrivalled advice and expertise.

The programme concluded with the six writers pitching their original ideas to Left Bank Pictures executives Florence Haddon-Cave, Head of Development, and John Phillips, Executive Producer.  This final stage is designed to simulate the professional pitching process, and provided the participants with valuable experience in selling their scripts and ideas within the competitive television landscape.

The NFTS, Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures are proud to showcase the considerable talent and diversity of these screenwriters and look forward to seeing them progress in their careers, potentially leading to new and innovative projects for the UK's film and television industry!

Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/diverse-writers-development-programme