Library
Steve Peters
42
“Students days are too much effort to go to.”
“You don’t get anything out of the BFI Open Days.”
No!
As a student that attended an open day at Southbank, I can confirm that it’s worth going just based on what you obtain.
The ‘BFI Southbank Student Open Day’ was an event where the BFI presents all the opportunities they have for students. For example, future festivals and networking events.
They tell you apps to access like The BFI Player where you can play video content that’s not on air. For free, if you’re a student.
You also get discounts like the under 25 scheme. You pay £4-6 to attend a screening at the Southbank Cinema.
The BFI Library comes for free, which has books by industry professionals. Industry insights and unseen releases.
What’s nice is that the ethos is very casual and laid back, giving a welcoming impression almost like they remember what it’s like to be a student and it’s a part of them.
They offer a lot of emails of which I’ve saved, just to reach out and keep as a connection which is always useful. I’ve reached out to some and they have recommended other networking events.
Even if it’s just once, I recommend going to these events. You get a lot out of it and they offer a free screening at the end. Which I think is always a lot of fun, because it’s always something off-air you haven’t seen before.
For anyone that could be interested in future events; All screenings and events | BFI Southbank | BFI Southbank
What Is BFI Player Like?
I’ve used BFI Player for around a week, and I really like it because it has content that isn’t on other streaming platforms. Festival features, content that’s no longer on-air and a lot more.
It’s quite similar to the way Amazon Prime operates. You can add films or series to a watchlist.
There are so many categories. Family films, Crime, Coming Of Age, The Biopic, Forgotten Features etc. The app is very simple to use where you can browse through all the categories at your own pace.
There is a lot you can watch off-air for free. For example, I watched Beauty And The Beast (1978). And I had a lot of fun with it!
The video and sound quality is just like watching on any other streaming platform. Very high quality for both sound and video. You also have an option of subtitles which I took. No buffering issues, just a simple good watch!
And just like with other platforms, there are summaries of the film underneath, ratings and a list of the featured actors.
There are some rentals you have to pay for. For example, films that have been in BFI Film Festivals like BFI Flare.
The only problem I’ve encountered is that it doesn’t save your progress when you go off the app, so you should make a note where you’ve ended up.
Overall, I strongly recommend this app, because it’s free and there’s a lot of high quality content that’s not mainstream that can be seen.
If anyone is interested; Sign up | BFI Player – You have to make an account before you download the app (I got mine on the app store). After you make an account, you can just log in to the app.
An extra guide is here if you need help to get started; Database Guide – BFI Player – Canterbury Christ Church University
If you do use it, have fun! There’s a lot of hidden gems.
This blog was made by Kian Kelly, a Third Year Film Production Student (with an extra year abroad in America). My personal favourite genre are dramas. My favourite film is ‘Logan’ and my favourite series is ‘The Last Of Us’.
All Photographs and Screenshots by Kian Kelly
