Former BBC Boss Heads Ealing's New Film School
Lisette Johnston will be in charge at Screenspace
Ealing's Met Film School and the University of West London have joined forces and launched an industry orientated degree for film makers.
The BA (Hons) in Content, Media and Film production is a three-year practical course and part of Screenspace based here in Ealing.
It's just been announced that the former BBC World News editor, Lisette Johnston is the new Head of School, she's given a ringing endorsement to the BA.
Lisette, aged 37 and from Perthshire, studied Film and Media at Sterling University having spent two years working at the Blairgowrie Advertiser.
After graduating, she got a job with the Press Association (PA).
Eight years later she joined the BBC and went on to work on the BBC News Channel, and also managed to qualify as a teacher. By 2011 she moved to BBC World News and completed a PhD.
Ms Johnston believes professors who have had experience in the industry are vital to help undergraduates best prepare.
She says: “These days, most students need to be work-ready and capable. They have paid a lot of money for their degree and when they graduate they need to be able to do the job,” she explains.
“The skills needed in the media industry are changing and developing fast, there are time constraints and huge technological advances - keeping up requires knowledge, competency and skill.
“Our students will be creating content for TV, digital, websites and mobile. The social space is changing really quickly and our students will be able to adapt, they will have the skills to future-proof themselves, because none of us know what’s coming next.
“This BA offers an opportunity for students from all walks of life to get into a really exciting industry. I subscribe to the belief everyone should have access to learning and this should not be linked to your ability to pay. Success should be down to hard work and a little bit of luck.
“Not everyone is going to be the next Stanley Kubrick, or the next Zoella but we will be preparing our students for jobs that don’t exist yet, they will be able to navigate a rapidly changing media landscape and they will be able to carve out a successful career for themselves. Our students will have a business plan and most importantly they will learn how to tell a story.
“This is the triangulation of the creative industries, collective intelligence and a degree that is going to deliver graduates with highly employable skills.
“If this degree was on offer 20 years ago, I’d have signed up.”
May 3, 2018