BUDDING film-makers in York will have a chance to learn from the professionals through a new media training partnership.

Organisers say with higher education courses becoming increasingly costly, community-based short courses delivered by media professionals can offer a much more cost-effective way forward for aspiring film-makers.

The North Yorkshire Media Training Partnership is intended to offer professional, targeted and affordable training in all aspects of media and media production.

The first set of pilot courses, which are aimed particularly at the growing number of York film-makers, will be held on Saturdays and Sundays at the Reel Cinema in Blossom Street, starting on June 16.

The eight workshops will look at topics such as the basics of camera work, community video journalism, recording and editing sound, screenwriting, video editing and business and marketing. Each day-long workshop will cost £30.

A spokesman said the trainers were private individuals and from companies and educational institutions.

“We take the view that who the trainers are is irrelevant, it’s what experience they bring that matters,” he said.

He said that as an educational partner, York College supported the partnership’s aims in developing student’s media skills and would offer a range of courses for adults complementing the offer.

The spokesman said the partnership aimed to keep administration costs to a bare minimum, with course fees paying for training and not layers of bureaucracy and excessive management salaries.

He said: “The built in flexibility will allow people to pick and mix the training they think they need.

“It’s also hoped that the companies involved in providing the training will go on to provide internships and work based training.”

He said teaching would be done with an eye to affordability.

“Tutors will not be training people on kit they have no realistic hope of owning,” he said.

“This is all about using kit that is within almost anyone’s price range and software that can be downloaded very cheaply or for nothing.”

For more information, email training@randomaccess.org.uk, phone 07840 796788 or go to facebook.com/groups/224988404287089/