Over the Easter holidays our Media Department took the students to Los Angeles on a trip designed to be the perfect blend of industry insight and hands-on experience.  The students toured Warner Bros. Studios and at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, they gained valuable insight into the inner workings of the film industry. They developed their knowledge on production techniques and the history and cultural impact of cinema. The exhibition on the Spielberg classic ‘Jaws' was a highlight for many and the experience brought everything they have been learning in the classroom to light.   

The students also had the opportunity to engage directly with leading film schools. Workshops at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and a visit to the University of Southern California (USC) allowed them to get hands-on with filmmaking techniques while exploring pathways into the industry. These sessions gave students a genuine sense of what studying and working in Hollywood could look like. 

Across the trip, students also explored the wider Los Angeles landscape — from studio tours, Universal Studios Theme Park, Griffiths Observatory, and Santa Monica Beach — ensuring a balance of education, culture, and fun. To top it off they had dinner with some of our actors, filmmakers and audio engineers working in Hollywood (Daisy Jelley, Nanci Kelham, Courtney Madincea and Phil Raskin). Daisy, famous for ‘How to Date Billy Walsh’, was in LA filming the new Netflix Series ‘Poser’ alongside Sadie Stanley and Annie Murphy.  

Staff and students said that from the moment they landed in LA, the energy and excitement never let up. Attending a live NBA game at the iconic Crypto.com Arena, the students fully embraced the atmosphere — cheering, waving foam fingers, and soaking up the spectacle. The Media department’s mission was accomplished – industry insight and hands on experience by the bucketful together with once-in-a-lifetime moments that everyone should remember for a long time to come.