 | WHAT IS INDUSTRY LINKED TRAINING AND WHY IS IT AN ADVANTAGE? |
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 | WHY DO YOU HAVE ENTRY CRITERIA ATTACHED TO THE COURSES? |
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 | WHAT SKILLS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WHEN ASSESSING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 7 WEEK COURSES? |
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 | WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ANY WORK WHICH IS SUITABLE TO SHOW? |
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 | WHAT IF I DON'T MEET THE NECESSARY STANDARD? |
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 | CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT DOING A COURSE WILL GET ME A JOB? |
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 | HOW MUCH CONTACT WILL I HAVE WITH MILLENNIUM FX? |
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 | DO YOU DO TRAINING FOR HIGH DEFINITION? |
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 | WHY CHESHAM AND NOT CENTRAL LONDON? |
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 | WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING WITH ME? |
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 | IS THERE ANY PREPARATORY WORK I CAN DO BEFORE MY COURSE? |
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 | WHAT WILL I TAKE AWAY WITH ME FROM THE 7 WEEK COURSE? |
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 | HOW MUCH WILL NEILL BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY TEACHING OF THE COURSES? |
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 | HOW WERE THE OTHER TUTORS CHOSEN AND WHY? |
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 | IS THERE ANY FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THESE KINDS OF COURSES? |
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 | HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT ACCOMMODATION IN THE AREA? |
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 | WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 18 TO ATTEND A COURSE? |
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 | HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THERE BE ON EACH COURSE? |
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 | DO I GET A CERTIFICATE OR SOME FORM OF RECOGNITION THAT I HAVE COMPLETED THE COURSE? |
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 | WILL I BE ABLE TO GET A REFERENCE FROM NEILL OR THE TUTORS FOR FUTURE JOBS? |
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 | I WANT TO VISIT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY TO STUDY AT THE STUDIO, HOW DO I GO ABOUT THIS? |
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 | CAN I VISIT THE STUDIO TO VIEW THE FACILITIES? |
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 | ARE COURSES EVER CANCELLED? |
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| WHAT IS INDUSTRY LINKED TRAINING AND WHY IS IT AN ADVANTAGE? There are now many places you can study prosthetics, either as an individual subject or as part of a wider course, all of which are designed to teach you to work in the film or media industries. An essential part of learning your trade is to acquire the necessary knowledge about the industry itself, rather than just the practical skills the job requires. The most effective way to do this is to take a course which has direct contact with the industry, so you learn about it first-hand. This can be through tutors who also work professionally themselves or who keep up to date with the industry through their own studies, or through access to a 'real' professional working environment. This type of experience will be crucial in helping you to successfully translate what you have learnt during your training, into a professional FX workshop or film set. The film industry is always changing and developing; new techniques, materials and technologies are emerging all the time and it is important that as you prepare to break into a business which is hugely competitive, you are equipped with the latest skills and information, otherwise you'll be at a disadvantage from day one. Again the most effective way to do this is through contact with the industry itself, which is the key ingredient to a properly comprehensive training that will leave you ready to look for work. back to top > |
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| WHY DO YOU HAVE ENTRY CRITERIA ATTACHED TO THE COURSES? So that students can get the most out of the courses. If you don’t have the basic skills to work with, you will not gain from the course i.e. you wouldn’t be a good show-jumper if you’ve never been on a horse! You are paying for the course, so we want to ensure that you get value for money. The basic skills required can be learnt for free and in your own time, so you don’t want to be paying to learn them at the Studio. back to top > |
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| WHAT SKILLS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WHEN ASSESSING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 7 WEEK COURSES? It is down to showing an artistic or technical ability, and basically being able to craft with your hands. This can be shown through drawings, paintings, models or even skills such as cabinet making or other craft forms. As long as you have the potential there, we can help develop it. In the past we have assessed students based on pictures of their water colour paintings, clay models and home-made prosthetics for example. back to top > |
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| WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ANY WORK WHICH IS SUITABLE TO SHOW? Please give us a call so we can find out a bit about your creative interests, and suggest a piece of work to undertake on which Neill can assess you. back to top > |
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| WHAT IF I DON'T MEET THE NECESSARY STANDARD? If we don’t think you’re quite there yet, we will send you a guidance letter. This will include information and ideas of projects you can do simply and cheaply to develop your skills to the standard we require. back to top > |
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| CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT DOING A COURSE WILL GET ME A JOB? No! And any course which says it will is deceiving you. What we can give you are the relevant practical skills to give you a solid foundation in make-up FX and prosthetics. We guarantee the best standard of education of its kind available, the most relevant to the industry and in the most up-to-the minute techniques. Because we are affiliated to Millennium FX, which is an employer, we fully understand what employers are looking for, and can therefore equip you with exactly the right information to point you in the right direction to get a job. Actually getting work will be down to your talent, dedication and determination. back to top > |
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| HOW MUCH CONTACT WILL I HAVE WITH MILLENNIUM FX? You will be in the same building with one of the Millennium workshops and next door to the other, and contact with and input from the company is what makes the Studio special, and relevant to the industry it serves. There won’t be unlimited access as Millennium is a busy FX workshop, but there will be regular visits to see ongoing professional projects, plus students will be able to access Millennium’s archive of moulds, prosthetics and make-up FX to help them with their course projects. Members of the Millennium team will also be available at certain times to advise individual students on their projects, show their portfolios and share their experience of the industry. back to top > |
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| DO YOU DO TRAINING FOR HIGH DEFINITION? Yes! Please click here to find out more about High Definition, our experience in the field and how our courses prepare you for successfully working with it. back to top > |
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| WHY CHESHAM AND NOT CENTRAL LONDON? Millennium FX has been established in Chesham for 9 years, and happily operates from here thanks to easy access to central London (please see the Chesham page), on top of which it is a really nice, quirky place to be! The Studio has grown out of Millennium and requires access to Millennium’s workshop for its students to get a genuine feel for the industry during their time with us, so it would be detrimental to locate it elsewhere. Although we have great links to London the area isn’t as expensive as the city, so we can offer a better service as we are not paying the enormous overheads that London demands, plus accommodation and living costs for students are cheaper here. In addition, none of the major film studios are in central London, so we are operating in the same way the film industry operates. back to top > |
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| WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING WITH ME? GENERAL:Bringing a packed lunch is a good idea as it means you don’t have to leave the building all day. However it is possible to dive into Chesham or to the nearby garages and buy something to eat during the lunch break, and there is a fish and chip shop at the end of the road! Please note, a sandwich lunch is provided on-site for one day classes. 7 WEEK COURSES | MAKE-UP FX AND PROSTHETICS CREATION:We will provide all the make-up and modeling tools you will need to complete the course, however if you wish to bring any craft tools and equipment with you, please do. In addition, all the necessary power tools will be available for your use in the Studio, but you are welcome to bring your own which will be checked by a tutor to ensure they meet health and safety standards prior to use. The basic modeling tools supplied by the Studio are yours to take away at the end of the course. 1 WEEK COURSES | CREATURE DESIGN & ADVANCED CREATURE DESIGN:Please bring your own sculpting tools with you and we will provide all the necessary materials. WEEKEND WORKSHOPS | VARIOUS SUBJECTS:We will supply all the basic make-up materials required to participate fully in all the activities. If you would like to bring you own kit you are more than welcome to use it, and please be advised that the brushes we supply are very basic so bringing your own is advisable! The kits supplied will be for use at the Studio only, rather than to take away with you. The reason for this is that we don’t want to sell you a kit that you don’t need, and there are no ‘hidden extras’ in our fees. MASTERCLASSES & SEMINARS | VARIOUS SUBJECTS:If there are rare occasions when you are required to bring anything in the way of tools with you, this information will appear on the promotional literature for each individual one-day event. back to top > |
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| IS THERE ANY PREPARATORY WORK I CAN DO BEFORE MY COURSE? It isn’t absolutely necessary, but basically the more knowledge you have before you arrive, the better. Keep abreast of trade publications, as the courses are intensive, and hitting the ground running will ensure you make the absolute most of your time at the Studio. Please see the Links page for guidance in this area. back to top > |
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| WHAT WILL I TAKE AWAY WITH ME FROM THE 7 WEEK COURSE? Throughout your time with us, we will keep a photographic record of your work, both in process and finished. These photos will be supplied to you to take away on a CD and for students on the 7 week course whose final projects are appropriate for a filmed record, a VHS video or DVD of your work will be made to help build your portfolio. You will also leave with all your moulds, casts and finished pieces of work, and notes from all classes forming a technical journal of your studies. back to top > |
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| HOW MUCH WILL NEILL BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY TEACHING OF THE COURSES? 7 WEEK COURSES | MAKE-UP FX AND PROSTHETICS CREATION: Neill will be involved in key aspects of the course, giving demonstrations and advice. The specialist areas and general Studio work will be led by the other tutors, all of whom are highly accomplished make-up FX artists in their own right – please see their CV’s on the Tutors page. 1 WEEK COURSES | CREATURE DESIGN & ADVANCED CREATURE DESIGN:These courses are taught entirely by special guest tutor Jordu Schell WEEKEND WORKSHOPS | VARIOUS SUBJECTS:Neill will teach the entire workshop MASTERCLASSES & SEMINARS | VARIOUS SUBJECTS:Neill will present and teach all the one-day events back to top > |
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| HOW WERE THE OTHER TUTORS CHOSEN AND WHY? The tutors have been chosen because they are well rounded and highly experienced artists, who have worked frequently with Neill and Millennium FX. Visiting specialists are all people who Neill works a great deal with, and employs to collaborate with Millennium on various projects. back to top > |
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| IS THERE ANY FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THESE KINDS OF COURSES? If you need financial assistance with the course fees, there is funding out there for courses like ours. Please see the ‘Funding Advice’ section for suggestions as to possible sources. back to top > |
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| HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT ACCOMMODATION IN THE AREA? Please refer to the Place to Stay page for some suggestions. When you book a place on a course, we will send you further details including a guide to Chesham, which has an extensive accommodation section. You can also look on: www.chesham.gov.uk and www.chesham.org for guidance. back to top > |
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| WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 18 TO ATTEND A COURSE? We have to set a limit somewhere, and feel this is sensible particularly as it may require staying away from home. If you are under 18 please don’t give up! We are more than happy to offer guidance and advice to you in the meantime, and you can book yourself onto a course for when you are actually 18. back to top > |
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| HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THERE BE ON EACH COURSE? Seven Week courses and Weekend Workshops are designed for no more than 6 people, with a full-time principal tutor on each course, Neill's regular input, plus contact with the Millennium FX team. This is because these courses are fully participative on the part of the students and therefore require more space and a very small student/teacher ratio to ensure maximum attention and guidance is given to each individual. 1 week courses can accommodate up to 16 people, as the subject is taught using static work stations for each participant. Masterclasses and Seminars are designed for a maximum of 12 people, as there is more demonstration by Neill and less direct participation by students. back to top > |
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| DO I GET A CERTIFICATE OR SOME FORM OF RECOGNITION THAT I HAVE COMPLETED THE COURSE? We will give you a letter, which states that you have completed the course and outlines the key aspects covered. There will be no ‘grading’, and students are absolutely not in competition with each other. Please remember that the most valuable thing to you will be the photographs of your work, as this is what will really mean something to prospective employers in the industry. back to top > |
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| WILL I BE ABLETO GET A REFERENCE FROM NEILL OR THE TUTORS FOR FUTURE JOBS? Yes we will give references based on your course work, and our experience of working with you during your time at the Studio. Please bear in mind that this reference can only be an assessment of you as a student rather than an employee, and this will be made clear to prospective employers. back to top > |
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| I WANT TO VISIT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY TO STUDY AT THE STUDIO, HOW DO I GO ABOUT THIS? The Studio welcomes international students. We will be pleased to issue an official confirmation letter for use in immigration applications as soon as we receive your 10% deposit to secure your place on a course. There is a huge amount of information about short-term student visas on the Internet. A good place to start for straightforward immigration advice is www.migrationexpert.com back to top > |
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| CAN I VISIT THE STUDIO TO VIEW THE FACILITIES? Yes! Please do come and look around but it is essential that you book an appointment to do so as we are extremely busy and Neill is not always around due to filming commitments. Please call Martina on 01494 785 028 to arrange a time. back to top > |
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| ARE COURSES EVER CANCELLED? Although we always endeavour to run all the courses as advertised, very occasionally circumstances may arise which prevent a course from happening. In this case if you have booked a place, we will notify you of this as soon as possible and all monies you have paid will be refunded in full immediately. back to top > |
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