Market Place is the name for Film London and Film Export UK's training offer to the sales sector, supported by Skillset.

Market Place in 2008/09 was a new entrant training scheme, a six-month comprehensive work placement and training offer. Six successful applicants got the opportunity to undertake a paid, six month job placement supported by a full six month training course.

Delivered by Film London and Film Export UK, the scheme aimed to provide people starting out in the industry with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to establish a successful career in film sales - be it in acquisitions, business affairs, publicity and marketing, or sales.  The six host companies chosen by Film London and Film Export UK to take part in Market Place were: Bankside Films, Focus Features, Goldcrest Films Independent, Jinga Films, Odyssey Entertainment and The Salt Company. Through these placements, trainees gained experience across a range of specialisms.

As well as on the job training, the new entrants engaged in a series of classroom-based learning sessions that gave them a more thorough knowledge of the industry. Support was also provided through a company mentor, advised by Film London, to give more specific guidance.


Training Standards for New Entrants

As part of the scheme Film London and Film Export UK commissioned the drafting of Training Standards for New Entrants into the Film Sales Sector. This document (below) covers skills, knowledge and experience required to work in the areas of Acquisitions, Sales, Publicity & Marketing, Business Affairs, Technical Delivery and Servicing.

Sales Sector Training Standards

If you are new to using Standards - there is advice here from Skillset as to how these can be helpful in defining and supporting your future career in the Sales Sector.

To find out more about what being a sales agent involves please visit the job profile page of the Skillset website.

Market Place Seminars

As an extension of the Market Place programme, in 2009/10 Market Place Seminars were designed to address the key skills needed to become a more effective practitioner within the film marketing and PR sector. The course provided five lecture-based training sessions, each focusing on a specific aspect of the marketing and PR sectors providing a good overview of how the work of producers/sales/distributors links to the overall film distribution and marketing process across all exploitation windows.

Click on the links below for full interviews with the industry experts who delivered the sessions.

Seminar 1: Audience Research with Sean Steele (Nielsen NRG)
Seminar 2: Business to Business marketing with Ralph Kamp (Animals United)
Seminar 3: Traditional offline marketing with Anna Butler (Icon Distribution)
Seminar 4: Viral marketing, self distribution and the Internet with Luke Morris (Warp Films)
Seminar 5: Maximising talent and PR opportunities with Charles Macdonald

Market Place Live

Film London and Film Export UK supported by Skillset, presented a unique and innovative event called Market Place Live! - a revealing and entertaining look into the film value chain.

An expert panel - including film-maker Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham; Bride and Prejudice) and producer Barnaby Thompson (Importance of Being Earnest; St Trinians) were faced with an Hypothetical film project they had to take from inception to exhibition in just 90 minutes in front of an invited industry audience.

The event was filmed and was moderated by Film Business expert Angus Finney, who was primed to introduce production dilemmas' to throw the unsuspecting panelists off course.

You can view the full programme here.