Workshop Tutors
Tutor profile: Paul Cotrulia, Workshop Tutor
Paul Cotrulia's workshops at LFS
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Tutor profile: Rebecca Morton, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Art Director
Rebecca Morton's workshops at LFS
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Production Designer, Set Decorator, Art Director Rebecca Morton has over 25 years’ experience working in all levels of TV and film. She originally trained in Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art and when on to design sets and costumes for various dance and fringe productions. In 1996 Rebecca got her first break in TV becoming the design assistant for Ragdoll Productions’ Teletubbies. She was responsible for building the original card models, technical drawings and concept visuals as well as sourcing suppliers and props ahead of filming the original episodes.
Rebecca then art directed light entertainment shows for London Weekend Television at The London Studios which later became ITV. She worked on live celebrity chat and music shows such as Clive Anderson’s All Talk and Cilla’s Surprise Surprise.
She then spent 6 years as acting series designer for the long running topical daytime show This Morning. She has always regarded this as excellent training in ‘Thinking on your feet’ in a fast-paced live broadcast environment. She thrived designing and realising temporary sets for the latest bands, celebrity chats, cookery, fashion and human interest in as little as a 3-day turnaround.
Rebecca also has designed and styled for a multitude of commercials and charity appeal films including Chelsea FC, Nike, XBOX, The Body Shop, BHF, RNIB, FASD and Sky Arts.
Rebecca has also art directed and set decked for various drama and soaps such as Brothers and Sisters, Family Affairs, EastEnders and Holby City.
In the early 2000s, Rebecca launched a mural business which grew very quickly from painting private homes to entire interiors and exteriors of public buildings, schools and hospitals. She still paints and uses her experience in set design regularly employing other scenic artists and various crew to help her realise her designs. This has now branched into theming educational sensory rooms and workplace corporate clients such as ITV Rebecca has designed a multitude award winning short films. She is now in preproduction for two short films to be shot in France for DrAx productions and a feature film for LonRom Pictures based in Italy and the UK.
Rebecca loves set decorating and buying for all sorts of productions. Last year she worked on a brand new four-part, ninety-minute surreal detective series for Acorn TV and a children’s series for Sky Factual both will be aired this year. Rebecca has been lecturing in film and TV production design for about 15 years at various film schools and universities. She also is often invited to critique student’s films at the London Film School.
Tutor profile: Robyn Forsythe, Producer
Robyn Forsythe's workshops at LFS
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Tutor profile: Sophie Simpson
Sophie Simpson is the founder of The Standout Agency.
She has worked with over 100 luxury service-based businesses to grow their businesses. From launching businesses, to quadrupling revenues.
“Filming professional content is what will separate you from the rest, but we are also going to teach you our secret sauce - that has helped us quadruple our clients incomes/open venues/take on team members and more.”
"This won't be another social media course. This will equip you with EVERYTHING you need to know to succeed on social media & succeed in business"
Tutor profile: Sue Austen, Module 3 Leader and Term 6+ Tutor
Sue has worked in independent film and television production since 1982. Her career began at the now legendary Goldcrest Films, where she worked for four years on programmes produced for the new Channel 4. After Goldcrest’s collapse Sue spent a short time as a freelance script editor, before joining Granada Films as Head of Development. Whilst there she worked on a number of feature films including David Hare’s STRAPLESS and Aisling Walsh’s first feature, JOYRIDERS. Sue left Granada to co-produce the medical thriller, PAPER MASK, co-funded by Film 4 and British Screen, released in over 70 territories and selected as the closing film in Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990.
Sue then spent 5 years working at the European Script Fund, part of the MEDIA (Creative Europe) organisation and returned to production in 1997 with her first television film, VICIOUS CIRCLE, developed and produced for BBC Films and Irish Screen. This was followed by the BAFTA nominated comedy drama DONOVAN QUICK starring Colin Firth. Over the next twelve years she produced more than 50 hours of primetime television drama for BBC1, BBC2 and ITV and received a second BAFTA nomination.
She continues to develop new productions as well as tutoring and lecturing part time at the London Film School, Goldsmiths University, Serial Eyes and Regents University.
Tutor profile: Tim Fywell, Director
Tim Fywell's workshops at LFS
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Tim Fywell is one of the most accomplished directors of drama working in UK television today. The range of his work extends from GRANTCHESTER (2014, 2016 & 2017) to HAPPY VALLEY (2014); from MASTERS OF SEX (2013) to DRACULA (2014); from CRACKER (1994, To Be a Somebody, with Robert Carlyle) to MADAME BOVARY (2000, adapted by Heidi Thomas); from Sarah Waters’ AFFINITY (2008, adapted by Andrew Davies) to THE TURN OF THE SCREW (2009, adapted by Sandy Welch); plus SILENT WITNESS, WAKING THE DEAD, THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY, DCI BANKS, LEWIS and WODEHOUSE IN EXILE (TV Movie, 2013).
Tim’s feature credits include I CAPTURE THE CASTLE (2003) with Romola Garai, Bill Nighy, Rose Byrne and Tara Fitzgerald, and THE ICE PRINCESS (2005) with Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack and Kim Cattrall. Tim studied English at Cambridge University and began his professional career directing in fringe theatre before moving on to the West End.
Some of his theatrical credits include: LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (Playhouse Theatre); SKIRMISHES (Hampstead Theatre); RED SATURDAY (Royal Court); THE MOTHER COUNTRY (Riverside Studios); HITTINGTOWN (Bush Theatre); NO HAND SIGNALS (National Theatre), which he wrote and directed; I MADE IT MA TOP OF THE WORLD which he devised and directed at the Royal Court, and SPRING AWAKENING (Royal Court).
Tutor profile: Tracey Gardiner, Producer
Tracey Gardiner's workshops at LFS
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Tracey Gardiner entered television after a career as a stockbroker in the City, when she joined FulcrumTV. After more than fifteen years at Fulcrum she then set up her own production company, Iridescent Films, which made the three part BBC 2 series PILGRIMAGE with Simon Reeve (a co-production with Lion Television). She is currently the executive producer of a feature length documentary, 100 MEN, funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and MPI Distribution.
Tracey started out making programmes about business and current affairs over twenty years ago but then branched out into science, arts, history and observational documentaries, putting together international co-production deals and private finance to fund projects. Key award winners include: KEYS TO THE CASTLE (BBC) which won A Scottish BAFTA and RTS in 2015; THE WINNER LOSER (BBC), shortlisted at IDFA and winner of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival Award in; HOW M&S LOST ITS BILLIONS (C5) Wincott, Best Documentary; SIGHTHILL STORIES (BBC) Scottish BAFTA; SEND ME SOMEWHERE SPECIAL (BBC) Grierson Newcomer Winner.
The Daily Mail said about PILGRIMAGE: “a truly miraculous journey”, TV Times: “a truly engaging first leg...4 stars”, Daily Mail: “The excellent Simon Reeve returns with a three-part series...illuminating, engaging and enjoyable viewing” and the Mail on Sunday said “a life - affirming new series...4 stars”
On BBC1 documentary TOO OLD TO BE A MUM? (2010) The Telegraph said: The film tiptoed through the ethical eggshells with an equanimity that did its makers proud. The bare facts spoke loudly enough...this was a perfect subject for a television documentary, because the pictures made their own argument."
Tutor profile: Udayan Prasad, Director
Udayan Prasad is a multi-award-winning director whose earlier films include the MY SON THE FANATIC by Hanif Kureishi and BROTHERS IN TROUBLE, winner of the Golden Alexander Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. He also directed THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF starring William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristin Stewart, and Eddie Redmayne, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released in the US by Goldwyn Films.
Television projects includes several with the British writer Simon Gray including RUNNING LATE, winner of the Gold Gate Award for Best Television Feature. And two BAFTA-nominated collaborations with Alan Bennett: TALKING HEADS 2: PLAYING SANDWICHES and 102 BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN, winner of a second Gold Gate Award.
Recent work comprises of BECOMING ELIZABETH and SELECTION DAY, an adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s Booker prize-winning novel for Seven Stories and Netflix, on which Udayan was lead director and executive producer. He also helmed the closing episodes of BBC TV's THE MUSKETEERS.
When not in production, he runs workshops on directing and screenwriting at several film schools including The London Film School, The Wajda School in Warsaw and the National Film Television and Theatre School in Łódź, Poland. He is also an advisor and mentor on various international directing and screenwriting workshops.
Tutor profile: Yarit Dor, Intimacy Coordinator & Co-founder of Moving Body Arts
Yarit Dor's workshops at LFS
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Yarit Dor Is an IDC Certified Intimacy Coordinator, SAG-AFTRA Registered Intimacy Coordinator and also works as a Movement Coach. She is the former chair of Bectu Intimacy Coordinators Branch and amongst the first generation of intimacy coordinators in the UK and EU. Co-director of MOVING BODY ARTS which offers choreography services to film, TV and stage. In 2020 she was nominated for the "Shaker of The Year" Award, BAFTA London. She is a visiting tutor at Rose Bruford and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Credits include: Glass Onion, Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, Adult Material, Atlanta, Domino Day, Mood and the upcoming anticipated Jilly Cooper’s adaptation, Rivals.
Tutor profile: Zillah Bowes, Writer, Director
Zillah Bowes's workshops at LFS
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Zillah is a Welsh/English writer, director and artist. Her short fiction film STAYING / AROS MAE won the Grand Jury Prize at Premiers Plans Angers Film Festival and Special Mention at Encounters Film Festival in 2021, and screened internationally including Palm Springs ShortFest. Her short film ALLOWED premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival, won the Jury's Stellar Award at Thomas Edison Film Festival and was listed for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2022. She is currently developing her first fiction feature film with Sixteen Films and Ffilm Cymru Wales.
Zillah trained at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) before working as a cinematographer, then as a director. Her debut as a director SMALL PROTESTS was nominated for a Grierson Award and won the Current Short Cuts Vimeo Award and Best Short Documentary at the London Independent Film Festival. As a cinematographer, her feature films include ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival.
She was a winner of the British Journal of Photography (BJP) International Photography Award in 2022 and also won in the BJP Edition 365 Awards in 2021 and International Photography Awards in 2020. She won the National Museum Wales Purchase Prize in 2022. For her writing, she has won the Wordsworth Trust Prize, a Creative Wales Award and a Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature. Zillah has taught at the NFTS and several other institutions as well as the LFS.