Pinewood Group supported Into Film’s Every Child a Filmmaker initiative in celebration of their 10th anniversary. Our project was in collaboration with a group of twelve Year 9
students from Thamesmead School in Shepperton. The project was delivered between May and July 2024 over the course of several weekly sessions and two intensive shoot days. Filmmakers Justin Alder and Richard Elson delivered the project and brought a wealth of film industry experience, including having directed big budget feature films.
Over the course of the project the group of young filmmakers learned practical filmmaking skills through hands-on workshop sessions. During pre-production they developed a story and script, including rich back stories to all the characters. Then, during production, each young filmmaker got involved either in front of or behind the camera, including roles in camera, lighting, sound, directing, props, costume, script supervision and acting.
As a direct result of taking part in this project, 100% of the group felt more confident in their creative voices, had better understanding of job roles in the screen industries, and felt their team working skills had improved. Their film follows a group of young people trapped in a school building. While trying to escape one student discovers the sinister ‘Project Off-Roll’.
“My communication skills have definitely improved over the past six weeks, because I’ve had to present my ideas to the group and develop them with other people.”
STUDENT
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THAMESMEAD SCHOOL, SHEPPERTON
The film was featured as part of our Into Film Festival programme in November 2024, at the Vue Cinema in Staines. As part of the project’s legacy, the group’s film is now featured on our website and YouTube Channel for educators and young people to watch and to inspire others to start their own filmmaking journey. Additionally, we included the film in our video reel while presenting at Pinewood Futures Festival 2025.
Watch the film here
JUSTIN ALDER
“The group gained a good understanding of the filmmaking process. During filming, one of the young people said: ‘OK, so the script is the blueprint or plan for the shoot and your job is then to go and realise that plan in the filmmaking.’ It was magical to see the group’s reaction as their story came to life and their realisation of how all the different roles, from cast to crew, made that possible.”
FILMMAKING PRACTITIONER
Rachel Jones
“The film is absolutely stunning, it really moved me to tears when I first saw it [...] There were pupils there who had taken leadership roles I absolutely didn’t think they’d be able to do, and you feel going into new situations that they’re going to take the lead, they know what to do, how to react. “They’ve got an ‘in’ to that industry and they’re genuinely thinking about roles that they can do. I would promote this project to any other schools that I’ve spoken to, it’s really excellent.”
Teacher, Thamesmead School • Shepperton
Into Film’s Every Child a Filmmaker initiative delivered 28 in-depth filmmaking projects across the UK to diverse groups of young people, who wouldn’t otherwise have
had the opportunity to learn practical filmmaking skills and tell their stories through film. They collaborated with 65 filmmakers.
OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THESE PROJECTS…
92% said they felt more confident after taking part in
their project
89% said taking part had increased their understanding
of film production
83% said taking part had increased their understanding
of screen careers
87% said they felt better able to creatively express
themselves as a result of taking part
90% said their teamwork skills had improved as a result
of taking part