SUCCESS STORIES
From Bournemouth To Blockbusters
We don’t just hand out certificates, we launch careers! For over a decade, our training programmes have served as the “first credit” for young talent now working in the UK film and television industry.
BFI Film Academy: a decade of excellence
For 11 years, White Lantern Film Advance managed the Bournemouth regional BFI Film Academy. We trained 16–19-year-olds with raw passion and gave them the technical rigor needed for professional sets.
Rebecca Timlett
After attending our course, Rebecca was referred to the BAFTA Mentorship scheme. She has since worked on massive studio franchises, including Star Wars and Marvel productions.
Rebecca Timlett
After attending our course, Rebecca was referred to the BAFTA Mentorship scheme. She has since worked on massive studio franchises, including Star Wars and Marvel productions.
Crispin Hutton
After attending our film academy, Crispin went on to establish Thin Reel as a regional production company employing 5 people to produce commercials and content for major brands.
Crispin Hutton
After attending our film academy, Crispin went on to establish Thin Reel as a regional production company employing 5 people to produce commercials and content for major brands.
Jack Sutton
Jack used the physical production skills learned with us to secure a place on the prestigious BBC Production Apprenticeship Scheme, eventually becoming a successful freelance editor.
Jack Sutton
Jack used the physical production skills learned with us to secure a place on the prestigious BBC Production Apprenticeship Scheme, eventually becoming a successful freelance editor.
Industry Integration
Our alumni haven't just stayed local; they’ve progressed to specialized residential programmes at the NFTS and secured roles at companies like Aardman Animations and Pinewood Studios.
Everything I have achieved in my career so far has stemmed from attending the course with White Lantern Film.
Kickstart Programme: economic resilience
In the wake of the pandemic, we acted as a Government Kickstart Gateway, ensuring that economic volatility didn’t steal the future of our local creative talent. We facilitated 6-month paid placements for over 300 young people, embedding them directly within local and national creative companies. Our Kickstart initiative also focused on long-term retention by providing mentoring for the kickstarter and the employer, supporting growth and opportunity.
Graduate Retention & Mentoring
Through our partnership with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, we have supported and mentored dozens of graduates. Working with our partners to provide support, office infrastructure, knowledge and connections, our aim is to build a thriving local ecosystem where the next generation of producers, directors, writers, actors and technicians don’t feel the need to move to London to find work—because it’s happening locally.
Short Sounds Film Festival: art of the ear
Across five editions, we launched, managed and grow the only UK festival dedicated entirely to cinematic sound and music. The Short Sounds Film Festival (SSFF) wasn’t just a series of short film screening; we created a masterclass in the technical craft of sound and music that highlighted the technical excellence that is cinematic sound.
ICONIC ACCESS
We brought Hollywood to the South Coast, with talks from Oscar-winning sound mixer Ray Beckett (The Hurt Locker), Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman (Emma), and Skywalker Sound’s ‘Godfather of Foley’ John Roesch.
LAUNCHPAD
The festival provided a global stage for filmmakers to have their work judged by the industry’s best. Many shortlisted filmmakers have gone on to win BAFTAs and RTS Awards, citing SSFF as the first time their technical craft was truly recognized.
NEW ERA
After a successful five-year run, we have transitioned the festival’s legacy to Bournemouth University for the “SSFF Student Takeover,” ensuring the next generation of sound designers continues to have a platform to shine.
Short Sounds didn’t just show my film; it changed how I think about storytelling. To hear my work discussed by the same people who worked on Star Wars and Marvel was a game-changer.
B-Reel: where the industry meets
Networking shouldn’t be a chore. We created B-Reel as a quarterly antidote to “stuffy” industry mixers—a high-energy environment where local talent of all ages and experience levels can mingle, screen work, and find their next crew. This has now evolved into the UK Government Shared Prosperity funded BCP Crew Connect network.
COLLIDING COMMUNITIES
B-Reel has been the birthplace of dozens of independent collaborations. By bringing together veteran producers and fresh graduates, we’ve fostered a “flat hierarchy” where the best idea wins.
SCREENING OPPORTUNITY
We don’t just talk; we watch. Our short film showcases have given local creators the chance to see their work on a big screen in front of a live audience with immediate feedback filmmaker need.
REGIONAL GROWTH
Our networking events connect local crew helping make the BCP area a more attractive for incoming productions, proving that we have the talent and infrastructure to support large-scale shoots.