Gareth Ellis-Unwin, head of film and animation at UK film and television training body ScreenSkills, is stepping down from his role to return to full-time producing.
The King’s Speech producer will leave ScreenSkills at the end of May with two film projects already in the works. Emma Turner, currently head of film continuing professional development and future skills, has been appointed head of film and animation on an interim basis.
Ellis-Unwin joined ScreenSkills in 2017, and has been responsible for both the film and animation skills funds. He delivered the Future Film Skills programme of National Lottery funding for the British Film Institute (BFI) during its previous funding cycle. The Future Film Skills programme launched in 2017 and drew to a close at the end of March.
“The Future Film Skills programme had a limited term and reached its natural conclusion. I am incredibly proud of everything we’re achieved,” said Ellis-Unwin.
“What was exciting at the outset was the breadth and depth of the Future Film Skills programme. The seduction from the outset was that scale of ambition, and as that shifts and changes over time, it reaches its natural end.
“Alex Pumfrey, when she stepped down [as CEO] from the Film and TV Charity, referred to these roles as [us being] custodians, rather than people who define them forever more. I feel a similar way.”
Over the last five years, the programme has enabled over 120,000 beneficiaries, including 50,000 new entrants, to pursue a career in the screen industries as well as creating bespoke online training assets accessed by over two million people; trained over 3,000 teachers and career advisers; and issued 2,765 bursaries totalling over £2m.
“Gareth has been instrumental in improving the impact and stature of ScreenSkills’ programmes and activity across film and animation over the last five years, and his passion for all aspects of the screen industries has been the driving force of his success,” commented Seetha Kumar, CEO, ScreenSkills.
“His leadership of the Future Film Skills programme, our most ambitious and successful publicly-funded programme of the last five years is testament to his total commitment to ensuring that everyone who wants to pursue a career in the screen industries, has equal and fair access to training and development of the highest standard. Everyone at ScreenSkills is incredibly grateful to Gareth for his dedication and support.”
“Under Gareth’s leadership, the film and animation skills funds have made a real difference in terms of helping to tackle the skills gaps and shortages in the sector,” continued Anita Overland, chair, Film Skills Council. “On behalf of the Film Skills Council, I would like to thank Gareth for his dedication and commitment to helping people realise their dream of having a career in this incredibly exciting and creative industry – he will be missed.”
“Gareth has been an unrelenting champion for skills within the animation industry, helping drive so many impactful initiatives that have helped thousands progress their careers, always in the most caring and equitable ways,” said Tom Box, Chair, Animation Skills Council and co-founder and managing director, Blue-Zoo. “I’d like to convey the Animation Skills Council’s immense thanks for everything Gareth has helped us achieve.”
Ellis-Unwin talks to Screen about his proudest achievements in the role and why the industry needs to push for a longer-term skills training plan.
What has been your proudest moment at ScreenSkills?
Gareth Ellis-Unwin: My proudest moment was seeing as a sector how we responded to Covid. We came together, education, industry, training organisations like ourselves. I remember burning the midnight oil with colleagues and the BFC [British Film Commission] and BFI because we had to get shooting again. That was absolute. It’s an indication of what can be achieved when we all work together.
Film Distribution Association (FDA) outgoing president David Puttnam gave an impassioned address yesterday (April 4) at Bafta HQ in London, urging further investment in skills and training in the UK. What are your thoughts on his speech?
I’ve got a huge amount of respect for David. He’s one of the producers I looked up to and one of the reasons I got into producing. But I have to be honest, I was a little saddened that the good work being done in terms of workforce development space hasn’t been recognised.
One of my parting takeaways is if we are going to properly address the talent delivery pipeline in our sector, and recognise that capturing hearts and minds of school age, and people all the way through to them being in career, we are talking about 10-15 years. This constant resetting of the clock every five years is not helping. We need to be looking longer term to industrialise the training of our workforce. It’s a frustration because of various funding models, everything resets every five years and has no permanence.
I sometimes walk away from meetings and think – what are we messaging to the wider world about our industry? We’re saying we’re non-inclusive, we’re riddled with nepotism, if you do get into the industry you’re likely to experience bullying and harassment and develop mental health challenges. This is not the way to market the opportunity of working in screen. We’ve got a long road to travel in terms of being inclusive and a kinder workplace, but we’ve got to recognise the good work done along the way, otherwise we’re going to just keep burning bridges behind us.
How do you feel about the BFI moving from the national distribution of skills funding to a more regionalised model, administrating funds through local clusters?
The delivery of any workforce development or training opportunity, whether it’s localised or on a UK-wide level, is to be applauded, and has merit. What we have to do is make sure it’s properly strategic and joined up. In the space of the last week, I sat on the BFI Skills Taskforce on Monday, and heard exactly the same themes and challenges shared as a day I had over at the University of Reading on Thursday. There are so many pockets of activity, all absolutely virtuous in terms of their ambition, but they all need proper alignment.
How do we break that cycle of seeming like it’s someone else’s challenge and someone else’s solution? The only way we are going to navigate our way through it is being properly collegiate in our approach.
What is the most immediate action that needs to be taken to help with the skills shortage in UK production?
The real solution is to come up with a 10,15, 20 year strategy that would be uninterrupted and properly committed to by all. If you’re going to try and capture someone when they’re 13 years old making exam decisions, and support them all the way through to their second or third year in the industry, you’re talking about a 10 to 15 year life cycle. When that gets interrupted by changes in funding, attitude or political whim, that doesn’t give someone the certainty or longevity of a career they can look at when they are being attracted by other things.
It’s not just about pumping more money in – it’s about being more strategic and better aligned.
How do we keep those skills in the independent film sector, rather than talent being seduced by the bigger budgets of streamers and studios?
When there is balance in the eco-system, it gives opportunity for independent film to be the nursery slopes for the talent of the next generation, and I’m not saying that that is always going to be one way traffic. The interesting thing the independent sector offers is the role itself will be more involved, there will be fewer of you doing it, there are greater responsibilities.
I have wondered if there are other ways the independent space could be further supported – whether that’s by a multi-tiered approach to how the tax credit works, or extra pennies on every cinema ticket that goes back to the independent producer. We have to be careful to nurture our independent film space. If we are talking about opening up our industry to underrepresented groups and people of heritage that hasn’t often been seen in the content creation space yet, then the independent sector has an absolutely vital role to play.
What could be done to help productions that are having to upskill people on the job, who may not quite be ready for the leap?
What would ease the pressure cooker of this is for there to be a longer lead time to start of shoot – quite often it goes uncommented on, the speed between the commission decision and entering production. It’s a very accelerated schedule. Particularly when you’re trying to reach underrepresented groups that take time to recruit from.
How are you going to continue to advocate for skills development, when back in production?
Bedlam [Ellis-Unwin’s production company] will always make sure it contributes to the Film Skills Fund across all its projects, we will take on trainees and adopt the best recruitment practices I’ve learned over the past five years.
Final thoughts?
I would like to thank the support I’ve had from industry over the years. A lot of people, either in an obvious or not very obvious way, have helped support me along the way. I’m very appreciative of all the help we’ve had from skills councils, industry peers and colleagues at ScreenSkills.
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