Northern Film School

Equipment & Facilities

Electric Press Building
Equipment
Studio & Workshop Facilities
Post Production
Sound
Production Offices
Props Store and the Film & Script Archive
Teaching Spaces & Screening Facilities
History of the Building
Student comments

Electric Press Building

In January 2005, the School of Film, Television & Performing Arts moved its courses and resources concerned with film, moving image and television production into a newly refurbished building on Millennium Square, at the heart of the Civic Quarter in Leeds. The Electric Press is now the established home of the Northern Film School, where students have access an impressive range of facilities.

Students on the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses are based at the Electric Press: CertHE/FdA Film and Television Production, BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production, BA (Hons) Animation, and MA Filmmaking. With Northern Film School students, academic staff from a variety of film disciplines, learning officer and support staff all in one building, the Electric Press provides a supportive environment and vibrant networking community for students.

Equipment

The School is equipped with appropriate resources to support the production dominant curriculum. This includes a variety of cameras from Arri and Aaton 16mm film through to Z1 digital HD, a range of lights affording creative flexibility, and an array of gripping equipment including dolly, track, stands, reflectors and gels. The Northern Film School also has good links with production equipment hire suppliers in the area including ProVision, from which the students can hire an impressive range of camera and lighting equipment including RED cameras, paid for from the student’s production budgets.

Studio & Workshop Facilities

There are two production studios, East and West Side, within the Electric Press. The studios are of a significant size and enable the building of substantial film sets. This affords the opportunity for students to explore set design and prop building.

Production design students can in addition use external workshop space at Factory 4 (formerly Artsmix), which is a 15 minute walk from the Electric Press. Factory 4 is a workshop space shared by other artists and crafts people. The students have a machine and health and safety induction initially and then with specialist carpentry teaching and support they are able to build the sets and props required for their films.

As well as having access to all the facilities and equipment available to film, moving image and television production students, students specialising in animation have an animation studio with line testing facilities and a dedicated model animation studio. There are also animation specific 16mm bolex cameras, digital SLR cameras, light boxes and access to blue screen facilities and state of the art sound recording and mixing facilities through co-operation with Leeds Met Innovation North students

Post Production

There is an array of edit suites providing both PC based Avid and Mac based Final Cut Pro. The School has recently revamped the Mac facility providing a teaching space for motion graphic work, animation and effects work augmenting the core edit facilities.

The Mac facilities available include: 10 iMacs with Final Cut Studio 2 and Adobe Creative Suite 3, 8 iMacs with Avid Media Composer, Apple MacPro with Blackmagic video card and grade A Standard definition monitoring and an Apple MacPro with Digidesign Pro Tool audio workstation and Digidesign 002 Mixer.

Sound

Students working with sound benefit from good quality recording equipment, appropriate for location and studio work. Northern Film School students often collaborate with music technology students from both the Innovation North Faculty within Leeds Met and Leeds College of Music.

Production Offices

The Electric Press holds several production offices available for students to access throughout the academic year. The production offices come complete with PCs with internet access, access to printing facilities, telephones and whiteboards; providing an essential base for student film crews to work on producing their films from pre production to post production stages.

Props Store and the Film & Script Archive

Students have access to a small props store in the Electric Press building. The props store contains a good collection of costumes and small to medium size props.

Next door to the props store there is a film and script archive, housing over 15 years worth of the Northern Film School’s back catalogue of student films.

Teaching Space and Screening Facilities

The majority of teaching spaces and lecture rooms in the Electric Press are equipped with screening facilities enabling the projection of DVD, MiniDV, DVCAM, VHS, and computer screens. The main Screening Room has played host to many public events including the Poland Through Animation Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival.

History of the Electric Press Building

The Electric Press building was constructed in the late 1860s, principally as a warehouse, but was altered in the late 1890s to house a printing works. More info can be found here.

Student Comments

“The facilities in general are of a high standard – the production office facilities standing out as something that has significantly enriched my student experience.”

“The facilities are excellent – everything you need is located in the building. All aspects of film production are catered for – from meeting spaces, to studios, to editing suites, to screening rooms.”

“The fact that all the facilities are together in one building saves a lot of time and contributes heavily to the quality of my education. For example, I can pop up from the studio to see a tutor if I have a question.”


The Filmmakers' MA BA (Hons) Animation BA (Hons) Film & Moving Image Production FdA Film & Television Production Short Courses & Workshops Documentary Staff Students Associates Alumni News Contact NFS About NFS Links & Partnerships Equipment & Facilities Festivals International	Equipment & Facilities Electric Press Building Equipment Studio & Workshop Facilities Post Production Sound Production Offices Props Store and the Film & Script Archive Teaching Spaces & Screening Facilities History of the Building Student comments Electric Press Building In January 2005, the School of Film, Television & Performing Arts moved its courses and resources concerned with film, moving image and television production into a newly refurbished building on Millennium Square, at the heart of the Civic Quarter in Leeds. The Electric Press is now the established home of the Northern Film School, where students have access an impressive range of facilities. Students on the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses are based at the Electric Press: CertHE/FdA Film and Television Production, BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production, BA (Hons) Animation, and MA Filmmaking. With Northern Film School students, academic staff from a variety of film disciplines, learning officer and support staff all in one building, the Electric Press provides a supportive environment and vibrant networking community for students. Equipment The School is equipped with appropriate resources to support the production dominant curriculum. This includes a variety of cameras from Arri and Aaton 16mm film through to Z1 digital HD, a range of lights affording creative flexibility, and an array of gripping equipment including dolly, track, stands, reflectors and gels. The Northern Film School also has good links with production equipment hire suppliers in the area including ProVision, from which the students can hire an impressive range of camera and lighting equipment including RED cameras, paid for from the student’s production budgets. Studio & Workshop Facilities There are two production studios, East and West Side, within the Electric Press. The studios are of a significant size and enable the building of substantial film sets. This affords the opportunity for students to explore set design and prop building. Production design students can in addition use external workshop space at Factory 4 (formerly Artsmix), which is a 15 minute walk from the Electric Press. Factory 4 is a workshop space shared by other artists and crafts people. The students have a machine and health and safety induction initially and then with specialist carpentry teaching and support they are able to build the sets and props required for their films. As well as having access to all the facilities and equipment available to film, moving image and television production students, students specialising in animation have an animation studio with line testing facilities and a dedicated model animation studio. There are also animation specific 16mm bolex cameras, digital SLR cameras, light boxes and access to blue screen facilities and state of the art sound recording and mixing facilities through co-operation with Leeds Met Innovation North students Post Production There is an array of edit suites providing both PC based Avid and Mac based Final Cut Pro. The School has recently revamped the Mac facility providing a teaching space for motion graphic work, animation and effects work augmenting the core edit facilities. The Mac facilities available include: 10 iMacs with Final Cut Studio 2 and Adobe Creative Suite 3, 8 iMacs with Avid Media Composer, Apple MacPro with Blackmagic video card and grade A Standard definition monitoring and an Apple MacPro with Digidesign Pro Tool audio workstation and Digidesign 002 Mixer. Sound Students working with sound benefit from good quality recording equipment, appropriate for location and studio work. Northern Film School students often collaborate with music technology students from both the Innovation North Faculty within Leeds Met and Leeds College of Music. Production Offices The Electric Press holds several production offices available for students to access throughout the academic year. The production offices come complete with PCs with internet access, access to printing facilities, telephones and whiteboards; providing an essential base for student film crews to work on producing their films from pre production to post production stages. Props Store and the Film & Script Archive Students have access to a small props store in the Electric Press building. The props store contains a good collection of costumes and small to medium size props. Next door to the props store there is a film and script archive, housing over 15 years worth of the Northern Film School’s back catalogue of student films. Teaching Space and Screening Facilities The majority of teaching spaces and lecture rooms in the Electric Press are equipped with screening facilities enabling the projection of DVD, MiniDV, DVCAM, VHS, and computer screens. The main Screening Room has played host to many public events including the Poland Through Animation Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival. History of the Electric Press Building The Electric Press building was constructed in the late 1860s, principally as a warehouse, but was altered in the late 1890s to house a printing works. More info can be found here. Student Comments “The facilities in general are of a high standard – the production office facilities standing out as something that has significantly enriched my student experience.” “The facilities are excellent – everything you need is located in the building. All aspects of film production are catered for – from meeting spaces, to studios, to editing suites, to screening rooms.” “The fact that all the facilities are together in one building saves a lot of time and contributes heavily to the quality of my education. For example, I can pop up from the studio to see a tutor if I have a question.”