Award-winning actor Micheal Ward has fronted a new national cinema campaign devised by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the UK cinema advertising company Digital Cinema Media to inspire the creative talent of tomorrow to pursue a career in the screen industries.
It includes a 90-second trailer for the big screen created by DCM’s creative arm, DCM Studios and independent production company, Common People Films, with stories inspired by some of the young people BAFTA has supported to realize their creative potential.
The campaign is in theatres across the UK now and will run until January 17, 2024. Follow Your Spark is the second collaboration between BAFTA and DCM following last year’s Behind Every Bafta cinema campaign.
This year’s campaign was conceived by director Jeaniq Amihyia around the concept of following your creative spark, or in Ward’s words, “The exact moment you unlock your true passion” as well as the ways in which BAFTA can help develop your career. Ward won the EE BAFTA Film Awards’ EE Rising Star Award in 2020, and his impressive credits include Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, Top Boy, and Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light. Amihyia, director and photographer, is founder of The Starting Seven – a community-based production studio in London prioritizes working with young creatives regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
Ward said, "It’s not always easy to recognise the opportunities and the different job roles there are in the film and TV space, especially for people of my background. Some of my friends studied to become electricians at college, and you can use that to go on to work in Film Lighting, which you might not know about. So, it’s important to show people that there are opportunities out there. And BAFTA’s work is also important because it tries to level the playing field, for the amazing people from ethnic minorities that are very good at their jobs but don’t get the opportunities because the pathways aren’t there for us."
The video highlights the range of free resources and programs on offer from BAFTA year-round, through three stories inspired by real-life examples.
Amihyia said, “I wanted to create a film that sheds light on those who often don't receive the help and support they should, while also showing that sometimes even the smallest spark is enough to motivate someone to chase their dreams – to make sure we convey that no matter where you are based, your sex, and what your skin color is, everyone deserves a shot to let their spark manifest."
“By focusing on these three testimonials, I aimed to create something relatable for viewers while allowing them to immerse themselves in each individual's world with some dramatic setups. This film also touches on some industry issues I've highlighted. I chose to include a barber breaking into the film and TV industry, as this is often overlooked. I believe there are not enough examples of this in the industry, so my hope is that highlighting this will inspire and show that there is a place for them in the industry.”
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip said, “Inspiring and nurturing the next generation of creatives and practitioners in film, games and TV is fundamental to our purpose as an arts charity. Studies tell us that young people today increasingly feel a job in the screen industries is out of reach. Our new trailer for cinemas nationally offers a glimpse of how you can unlock your talent, and the ways in which BAFTA can support you in a creative career.”
Jeremy Kolesar, creative director, DCM Studios, added, “We are thrilled to be working with BAFTA once again to use the power of the big screen to tell these powerful stories that highlight the brilliant work they do through their mentoring and bursary programs to inspire future talent into the Film, TV and Gaming industry.”