The Forces Media Academy is inviting applications from service leavers, veterans, and reservists to embark on a free one-year Higher National Certificate (HNC) Media Production Course.
The Academy, which is part of the Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC), provides 15 ex-service personnel per year with the training, experience and qualifications they need to forge successful careers in the media, whether videography, digital, TV or radio.
The accredited first year degree course is run at SSVC’s headquarters in Buckinghamshire harnessing the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) and Forces TV, so students work in a live media environment, with award-winning media teams who understand the military, alongside the programme of lectures.
The first intake of students come from a range of ranks and backgrounds from across all three services, and were selected for their aptitude and passion for the media industry.
Pamela Joseph, who served in the Royal Logistics Corps and the Royal Military Police, has completed her first term at the state-of-the-art Forces Media Academy.
“I was interested in the media as a career path when I was younger, but was encouraged to take a different direction,” said Pamela.
“The course has been incredible. I’ve been in education recently, having studied computing at college, but the course and the equipment here are leaps and bounds ahead of that.
“The opportunity to create real life content for a real life client is amazing and the atmosphere on the course is incredible.”
Work experience and practical skills feature heavily in the course, which includes modules such as: Camera and Lighting Skills, Film and Video Editing, Promo Video Production, Contextual Studies, Research Techniques and Practical Skills for Moving Image Production.
The Forces Media Academy’s principal charity partner, The Royal British Legion, provides each student with an £18,000 bursary to assist with living costs, and the free HNC course is funded by the Chancellor’s LIBOR Fund.
Forces Media Academy Director, Alistair Halliday, said: “Our first course come from a wonderfully diverse range of backgrounds and the students are already discovering where their interests lie in the media industry.
“It has been fascinating to see how each individual has tackled the syllabus – after just one term at the Academy the students are already demonstrating immense creativity, making great video content and developing expertise in specific subjects.
“We are delighted to be inviting applications for the next course, due to start in autumn of 2018, and we encourage service leavers, veterans, and reservists to get in touch if they are keen to know more about the unique benefits of studying at the Forces Media Academy. We remain hugely grateful for the support of the Royal British Legion, our principal charity partner, for their amazing bursary, along with a number of organisations who have given support.”
The Royal British Legion’s Head of Grants and Social Policy, Steven Baynes, said: “The Academy’s work is innovative and practical, building on the existing and highly transferrable skills of those who serve in HM Armed Forces. We’re proud to provide bursary funding to make the course accessible to as many future media professionals as possible.”
The Forces Media Academy is open to anyone who has served, whether as a regular or is serving as a reservist. Personnel with an aptitude for, and keen interest in media can apply online now for the next intake in September 2018 via www.forcesacademy.com.
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Notes to Editors:
About the Forces Media Academy
The Academy was set up in 2017 with a £1.8m grant from the Chancellor’s Libor Fund. The Royal British Legion has contributed £800,000 to support the Forces Media Academy which offers veterans a unique opportunity to gain new skills and qualifications in media production after leaving the Services. The contribution from the Legion will cover the living expenses for 15 academy students annually for the next three years. Forging new careers and developing different skills after the Armed Forces can be challenging and the Legion is dedicated to supporting veterans’ transition back to civvy street at any point in their lives.
The Services Sound & Vision Corporation
The Forces Media Academy is run by SSVC, the charity which runs the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) and Forces TV. SSVC is a not-for-profit organisation, founded in World War II and specialises in providing media services to the UK Armed Forces.
SSVC remains dedicated to informing, entertaining and connecting the military abroad and at home. SSVC’s mission is to champion the Armed Forces and keep them in the public eye. SSVC makes a vital contribution to Service morale and welfare and specialises in communicating effectively with the wider armed forces audience.
Our services include, but are not limited to:
- Forces TV – is the home of entertainment and military life – broadcasting comedy, entertainment, drama, news and sport 24/7
- BFBS TV – multichannel TV broadcast worldwide providing the best of UK and international TV to serving forces and their families posted around the world
- Forces Radio BFBS – broadcasting 24/7 from seven overseas locations, nationally and locally in the UK, and to the Gurkha community
- Forces News – a fully-integrated news capability produced by specialist journalists and technicians with intimate knowledge of the Armed Forces
- Forces Cinemas – fixed and mobile digital cinemas providing the latest film releases to military venues around the world
- Forces Events & Entertainment (CSE) – suppliers of live entertainment for British Forces personnel and civilian audiences, including music, comedy, celebrity visits and event services
- SSVC Training – offering quality training in a range of subjects including digital media, video content generation and media training to defence and wider government departments
- net – state-of-the-art online capability, placing video, digital imagery and articles at the heart of our growing New Media presence
