Pinewood Studios launches free online course ‘The Business of Film’

Pinewood Studios has announced that its free online course that looks at the business side of film making launches today (Monday 5 October 2015). The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) launch coincides with the opening of the 59th BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday 7 October 2015.

The Business of Film course, launched in partnership with The Open University Business School (OUBS), provides a practical and in-depth exploration of the key business decisions in film production and the complexities of development, distribution and finance. As well as providing step-by-step guidance on the main processes, this course will also help students answer critical questions such as why films fail, why do films get public funding and what is the relationship between marketing, box office returns and overall film success?

As the leading provider of studio services to the global screen-based industries, Pinewood Studios is ideally placed to provide practical and business understanding for budding film makers, producers and financiers. The studios are where Star Wars: Episode VII – the Force Awakens and the 24th James Bond film Spectre were recently filmed.  Senior individuals within various aspects of the industry, including Bharat Nalluri, Director, Spooks - The Greater Good, have contributed to this unique course.

Our partnership with The Open University will help to stimulate the future of British film making by ensuring the UK has some of the most innovative and creative people working in film. Combining Pinewood's world class resources, expertise and experience with a University that has such a strong track record of exploiting developing new and emerging technologies will ensure that students who want to lead the UK's next generation of creative talent will be equipped to realise their potential and ensure the UK continues to lead the world in making films of quality, innovation and imagination.

Andrew M. Smith
Director at Pinewood Studios

Our partnership with Pinewood Studios is an exciting opportunity to combine the expertise of two international organisations that are world-leading in their respective fields. The course draws on the OU Business School’s well-established approach of applying academic theory to practical learning in the workplace, bringing this to life with film industry experts who provide context through real life scenarios.

Professor Rebecca Taylor
Dean of OUBS

'The Business of Film’ is available on FutureLearn.