BAFTA-nominated cinematographer visits Leeds Met

Sean spoke for three hours to a packed screening room full of undergraduate and postgraduate students, about storytelling and filmmaking. He then went on to run an advanced class on the filmmaking process, from beginning to end, from a Cinematographer's perspective through a one-and-a-half day workshop with a group of 20 final year undergraduate and MA Cinematography students.

Both sessions were a huge hit with the students, with Sean recounting his experiences of moving from news to documentary to feature films. Explaining the whole process from concept to distribution, he talked about the cinematographer's professional working relationship with the director.

Sean is best known for his work with Steve McQueen, but he has also shot for Spike Lee, Michael Winterbottom, Neil Jordan, and Derek Cianfrance. His films include 12 Years a Slave (for which he has been nominated for a BAFTA), The Place Beyond the Pines, Shame, and Hunger.

Final year BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production student, Chloe Newbigging, commented: "It's virtually impossible to teach and advise the amount that Sean Bobbitt did in the two days that we spent with him but he did it! Having the privilege to ask him face-to-face as many questions as we liked and to talk about our own projects with him was mind-blowing. What I got most from the experience was this huge surge of motivation to work hard and at the same time to remind myself how much I love and enjoy working on films."

Senior Lecturer in Cinematography, Mark Carey, added: "Having Sean Bobbitt teach at the Film School was fantastic, and getting him to come at such a busy time when 12 Years a Slave is in the cinemas and up for several major awards was amazing. Not only is he a great and inspired Cinematographer but he also has a great belief in teaching and nurturing new talent. Sean is a regular visiting lecturer at the National Film and Television School at Beaconsfield and his commitment to this two-day masterclass is a sign that the Northern Film School can attract the best of world class talent."