Thanks to the UK’s booming film and special-effects sectors and an endless need for screen content, A-level media studies is experiencing a renaissance, and Hurtwood House is at the forefront of this movement
The media team at Hurtwood House – a school set in the beautiful Surrey hills, specialising in sixth form education – is convinced that there has never been a better time to study this once derided subject.
Hurtwood House
The demand for on-screen content is at an all-time high due to the explosion of film and television platforms in the last decade. ‘The British Film Institute’s official statistics reveal that the spend by the production sector was £5.64bn in 2021.
Britain has always had a rich history of filmmaking, and is once again taking full advantage of the production boom. With a history of specialisation in visual effects, a pool of undeniable talent and government tax incentives, overseas companies are flocking to Britain to make films. Warner Bros filming Barbie and Wonka in Leavesden studios in Watford is the tip of the iceberg. Studio spaces are popping up everywhere – Pinewood Studios is undergoing a £800m expansion and Shepperton Studios are doubling in size. Quite simply, the sector needs people to work in it and Hurtwood House proclaims that there has never been a better time to go into film. Deputy Head James Baker says: “Online streaming services such as Netflix, Prime and Apple TV+, together with social med...