After an intensive virtual programme from October 2020 to date, our Moving Image Arts 2020-21 learners are currently in production with their short films across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Funded by Screen Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council, 10 young people aged 16 to 25 have been given a unique opportunity to develop their voice as filmmakers through the study of the Moving Image Arts AS level qualification, covering the history, techniques and creative impact of film, which includes amongst others Classical Hollywood style and Expressionist techniques, the work of DW Griffith, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles, and the memorable visuals of films like Nosferatu and the classics of Film Noir.

This knowledge combined with film craft learning in screenwriting, cinematography, lighting, sound, directing and editing has informed the development, style and production of each young person's short film, with stories ranging from the difficulty of expressing love, to comedies, to nightmarish destinies inspired by myth - 

• Wanting to Tell Her, a psychological drama about suppressed emotion, by Declan Affley.
• Ghost Friend, a ghost story which aims to turn fear on its head, by Holly Coleman.
• Party for One, where wishing people away has consequences, by Aimee Combe.
• Andrew, an assassin suffers an existential crisis, by Ivy Edwards.
• Pizza Boy, where a mysterious call for fast food leads to horror, by Duncan Forbes.
• The Fox, a coming of age tale, by Fatima Jawara.
• Sidewinder, a young girl must choose if she’s to take on the supernatural family trade, by Maisie Pirrie.
• For My Last Trick! A tale of dealing with isolation through magic, by Stanley Treshansky.
• Butterworth, where trying to appear to be brave means dealing with your deepest fears, by Eden Villiers.
• Hole, a psychological horror about voyeurism and paranoia, by Vincent Wolff.

The learners are also completing an extensive portfolio of work in support of their films, which alongside written assessment, determines their final grades for the course, moderated by awarding body The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.

The SEE team look forward to seeing the completed films and portfolios, with the learners deserving high praise for their weekly engagement and dedication via virtual learning since the autumn, developing their knowledge, skills and passion for film.