Programme Manager: Children & Young People, BAFTA
FAVOURITE TECH DURING LOCKDOWN: Video calls
“Lots and lots of work meetings but also enjoyed a few online quizzes with friends and family. The younger people in the family have taken it in turn to be quizmasters and that has been the highlight of my lockdown week.”
Lisa, can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at BAFTA?
I work for BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) as the Programme Manager for Children & Young People. I’m part of the Learning & New Talent team and it’s an interesting, creative and exciting job with lots of variety. Normally I’d be travelling the country putting on events for schools and family festivals but obviously everything has moved online during lockdown. We’ve introduced a new content strand – BAFTA Kids at Home with Place2Be – on the BAFTA & Kids Teens YouTube channel with messages of support and recommendations for film, games and TV for the family.
Like every organisation we’re looking at how to be creative without encouraging excessive screen time. We’re also in the middle of reviewing how BAFTA engages with children and young people and it’s been fascinating to see how people have become more creative in lockdown and turned to the arts for comfort, escapism and mental wellbeing. BAFTA Young Game Designers celebrates its 10th birthday in 2020 and will remain a cornerstone of activity with free resources at ygd.bafta.org
Our overall mission is to encourage young people to use their imaginations and help them understand that there are many different creative roles within film, games and television. Obviously not everyone will want to work in the media industry but by running workshops with television presenters, writers, directors, animators etc we encourage creativity, storytelling, team building and other important skills like self-esteem, confidence, aspiration and resilience. It’s so important that we support our children’s wellbeing.
What top tips could you share with anyone wanting to take part this year?
I’m very aware that everyone will have different access to technology but it’s not always about the biggest budget or VFX. Make the best of what you have available. I love to see innovative and original ways of telling stories and simple can be good. I’m delighted to see the introduction of a storyboard competition. Your idea is everything and then being able to tell that story in an entertaining and engaging way is what everybody strives for across film, games and TV. Take the time to think through the key moments of your story and make those stand out in your storyboard.
What is your favourite family film of all time?
Genuinely don’t have one favourite – I am the Children’s Programmer after all! Paddington 1 and 2 are masterpieces of cinema but I also have a soft spot for a lot of Pixar/Disney films because I love a good singalong. I have recently re-watched Tangled, Moana and Frozen 2 too.