Weekend film school opens in Palmerston North for budding movie buffs

The School of Film founders Caleb Rayner and Arka Gupta.

A new movie school in Palmerston North is hoping to influence the next generation of actors, film directors and scriptwriters.

The School of Film opened this week providing intermediate and high school students aged between 10 and 18 with a chance to learn the fundamentals of different careers behind the big screen.

School founders Arka Gupta and Caleb Rayner both have experience in the film industry and have collaborated to give youngsters with a passion for film a chance to learn skills and gain experience.

“You’re always learning though,” they said.

The School of Film was a joint initiative with Te Manawa museum after trial classes met with good responses from parents and students. It was at the suggestion of a parent that they pursued the idea.

The pair had just collaborated to produce a 10-episode podcast and agreed it would be a good idea to share their knowledge and experience with budding young actors, movie moguls and film directors.

“We got in touch with Te Manawa and had a trial with 26 students. They loved it,” they said.

The School of Film is in session in Palmerston North.

“We had great feedback, especially with the practical aspect of it, the hands-on approach of learning how to create and film a scene. We gave a demonstration of the different roles and then stepped back and left them to it.”

“It was great to see that confidence grow.”

Some of the knowledge was more passive, like forming an understanding of how the movie world operated, and how the different roles collaborated to produce the end product from the lens of an actor, a director, or a camera operator.

“It’s useful to learn at a young age,” they said.

“And its good to mix with people with a similar passion and drive. We want to create a space where students can find their voice and what they want to be.”

The course taught the fundamentals of film-making, from theory and practical perspectives, including how to apply for funding.

The official program launched this week and would run each Saturday for a term. It was $20 per session or $200 for a semester.

Arka Gupta and Caleb Rayner from The School of Film.

Rayner had seven years experience in the industry while Gupta had written a number of short films, some of which had been nominated for awards at international festivals.

But mostly they were self-taught and wanted to share what they had learnt.

“We know what works and what doesn’t,” they said.