Tuesday 7th Feb
After an enjoyable coach journey down to Watford, Media & Film students were welcomed to Leavesdon Studios by an impressive sight – an active film set! Huge cranes, lights, reflectors and green screens loomed over the fence where they were filming House of the Dragon Season 3! However, destination was set to Hogwarts so off they apparated to a Warner Bros. Studio Tour classroom for a workshop on Foley Sound...
Students listened intently as the role of Foley Artists was explained, before they were tasked with creating their own sounds to enhance a silent clip from the Harry Potter franchise – props ranged from door handles, coconut shells and keys, to skipping ropes, plastic tubes and bags of pasta shells!
Lucky for Luke Chadwick that his birthday fell around the time of our visit as he was then invited to open the doors of the Great Hall to welcome all guests in to the tour!
After a fulfilling meal at the Hard Rock Café, the students slept well at the YHA and ensured they stocked up at breakfast in preparation for their walking tour of London! Starting out at BBC HQ, home of BBC Radio and BBC News, they walked to Libertys where Cruella was most recently filmed and then took in the sights of the sixties down Carnaby Street. A short walk to Savile Row and the Kingsman tailors, followed by the rooftop where The Beatles famously played their last public performance, through the park via The Ritz and then it was time to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace!
Wednesday 8th Feb
As students meandered through Horse Guards Parade heading towards 10 Downing Street they were able to see the road being closed off for the Ukranian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s cavalcade. Here we waited to then see the same cavalcade leave shortly after along with Rishi Sunak on his way to Prime Ministers Question Time at the Houses of Parliament…
Thursday 9th Feb
Having filled up on the all-you-can-eat buffet at Pizza Hut (a new SJP record has been set at 24 slices!), seen Back to the Future The Musical and slept well again, it was time to embark on the final day with a trip to the largest cinema screen in the UK – the BFI IMAX! Students engaged in a Q&A session on the proliferation of 3D in cinema before being immersed in a 3D laser screening of Avatar: The Way of Water.
Just before the coach journey home, students strolled along the River Thames taking in such sights as Shakespeare’s Globe, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
The students represented our college community brilliantly and were an absolute pleasure throughout the trip and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them.
I would like to thank Mr McLoughlin for allowing us to offer this opportunity to our students and to Mr Hoey, Miss Robinson and Miss Davies for their support throughout the trip.
Mr Witcher.