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07 Feb 2018 | 3 min read
Once again, Ingenious is proud to sponsor the Inside Pictures programme. Inside Pictures is an intensive film business training and leadership development programme presented by the National Film and Television School. Supported by Creative Europe and Creative Skillset, the programme is for film industry executives from all disciplines and is designed to develop the skills needed to lead successful businesses.
Ingenious Media’s Investment Director, Andrea Scarso, took part in the 2017 programme.
Andrea is an Investment Director in the Media division and is the Fund Managing Director for the Greenlight Media EIS Service. Andrea supervises all investment activities in Greenlight while focusing on the commercial side of entertainment deals, which includes sourcing and evaluating projects, running commercial negotiations and managing all aspects of the production and exploitation of film and television projects.
What is the Inside Pictures training programme?
Inside Pictures is the National Film and Television School training programme for international media managers. The aim is to develop and enhance understanding of the global film business. The modules include highlighting the key financial considerations and controls which can determine success or failure, establishing your knowledge surrounding raising finance and understanding revenue flows and strengthening core leadership and management skills, including business planning and corporate strategy. The Inside Pictures programme also provides the opportunity to raise your profile in the industry and introduce you to an extensive range of industry contacts.
How long does the training programme take?
The programme is modular and takes place in London and in Los Angeles for a combined length of three weeks and two days throughout the year. You also have to work in your own time on a project (which takes approximately two/three weeks to be completed). Throughout the programme there are also many networking opportunities with working lunches, dinners and evening receptions. Three modules are here in London and one is in LA.
You currently work at Ingenious Media as an Investment Director. Can you tell us what you look for in a project? What type of project particularly excites you?
In my role at Ingenious, I focus on the commercial side of entertainment deals, which includes sourcing and evaluating projects, running commercial negotiations and managing all aspects of the production and exploitation of film and television projects. We look for projects that have the potential to become commercial successes and attract wide audiences, while keeping an eye on quality and the potential to win awards. We like to get involved at an early stage, that way we can use our expertise and experience to help get the project off the ground and ensure that we work with the best teams to realise the film. Alignment of interest with our partners is also essential for us. We like to see a good creative team behind a project, with a strong track record of delivering quality films but also commercial potential. We spend a good deal of time reviewing the script, budget and finance plan and we take time to find those projects where great stories become great films.
How has this enhanced your role at Ingenious?
The programme has enhanced my skills hugely. A sample of the benefits of the course I have taken back to my role at Ingenious are, a better understanding of the global film business and the key players within it, a privileged look at global sales and distribution opportunities and an insight into marketing strategies and audience analysis and perhaps most importantly an expanded network of key industry contacts across the globe, including greater access to the US marketplace, studios and agents.
Why would you recommend this course?
Inside Pictures is a fantastic programme that gives participants a unique insight into the global film business through its access to a wide range of industry experts. It also provides participants with an in depth analysis of the rapidly growing and changing international film business. It is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone that is interested in expanding their knowledge in the industry, sharpen their skills and enhance their development prospects. Inside Pictures is one of the only executive training programmes in the film business that could really add value to your career. The speakers, ambassadors, participants, alumni and the team running Inside Pictures are all top executives in the industry, therefore providing a network of unrivalled value.
You can read more about Inside Pictures here.
