GUIDING LIGHT

Mentees and mentors have been paired and 2024’s BSC Mentorship scheme is in full flow. We speak to BSC Education Committee chair Oliver Stapleton BSC about changes made to the scheme, benefits past mentors and mentees have enjoyed, and how cinematographers can get involved. 

“I’m always interested in the column called ‘Other interests’ when reading application forms,” Oliver Stapleton BSC tells us when asked what advice he would offer mentees looking to apply for the BSC Mentorship scheme. He should know, as being head of the BSC Education Committee, co-head of Cinematography at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), and an esteemed cinematographer, Stapleton has a wealth of experience in knowledge sharing, nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, and the application process. 

“When people apply for the NFTS, I tell them the same thing: don’t just write down ‘Photography, going to the cinema…’ where it says ‘Other interests’. The word is other. So I enjoy if someone says they cycled around the world, climbed Mount Fuji, love going to concerts, or they’re a guitarist in a band. Just rounded people,” he says. “I don’t mind if they’re obsessed with making films, that’s all well and good. But you need a life with balance.” 

Having been run in conjunction with ScreenSkills from 2020 until last year, the BSC is managing the mentorship scheme from 2024 onwards. The scheme was funded twice – in 2020-21 and 2022-23 – and was supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds, as part of its Future Film Skills strategy. 

“We figured having a personal relationship with BSC members would make matching applicants and mentors easier and this year we were happy to secure 38 mentors, more than double last year,” says Stapleton. “We also received 332 applications. We were expecting around 100 applications and received 332 which was more than I imagined in my wildest dreams.” 

Despite spending extensive amounts of time with web designer, Julian Parge redesigning the backend and user interface of the BSC website to make the admin side of the mentorship easier, matching mentors and mentees will inevitably always be a manual process. Therefore this year Stapleton recruited 12 trusty BSC members who aren’t mentors – including Nina Kellgren BSC, Nic Knowland BSC, Stuart Bentley BSC, and Stephen Murphy BSC ISC – to help read forms and select this year’s successful applicants. 

“Stephen also suggested a great idea – a Zoom call for all those who applied to be mentees but don’t make it onto the scheme. We’ll recruit some BSC members to host a Q&A call to say we’re sorry we couldn’t accommodate you this year, but let’s chat for an hour or two and hopefully we can help,” says Stapleton. “We’re also considering whether those groups could swap contact details to continue offering each other advice and support.” 

While Stapleton’s role has been pivotal in administering the scheme, he’s also received help from, among others, Duncan Bruce, alumni manager and Cinematography co-ordinator at NFTS and membership engagement and social media manager for the BSC, who helped secure mentors. Kate Reid BSC also assisted with the wording of the mentorship announcement and application forms as Stapleton “really wanted simplicity, one page, straightforward language, and no legalese”. 

Together, they worked on the text mentees and mentors would read before filling in the form, outlining what they would be expected to do so “mentors would not go blindly into it thinking they just need to have a cup of coffee and a phone call”.  

Knowledge is power 

Open to those working in the UK only, the BSC Mentorship scheme aims to nurture 40 young cinematographers and camera operators each year by pairing them with more experienced peers who are members of the BSC. The scheme is free for mentees (and they cannot claim expenses for travel to meet up with their mentor). 

The basic commitment is six one-hour sessions across a six-to12-month period. This can be on Zoom or a phone call, but the BSC encourages the first meeting to be in person if possible. Beyond this commitment, a mentor might arrange a set visit or for the mentee to join them for a recce, part of pre-production or in the grade. 

Stapleton decided, along with the committee, that the mentorship should be for “DPs who are on the road”, so they must have shot a couple of shorts, music videos, or features, and be earning their living as a DP. 

“One thing the ASC does with its mentorship which I think we will also introduce next year is it is only open to people aged 25 and above. Currently the BSC scheme is open to anyone living in the UK aged over 21 but I don’t think you’re ready for mentorship under 25 as the mentor is not able to have a technical discussion in as much depth about lights, cameras, sensors or celluloid,” says Stapleton.  

“I’m looking for real technical knowledge from the mentee as they’ve shot productions, dealt with producers, actors, focus pullers and cameras. They’re fellow warriors in the trenches.” 

From the mentor side of the scheme, the BSC encourages members who have “reached a point in their career where they have the confidence and time to consider helping the next generation of cinematographers. They might be surprised by how much they have learned over the years which will become apparent both to mentor and mentee as they start to engage”. 

Before the process begins mentors are sent their potential mentee so if they feel a mistake was made with the pairing or they are uncomfortable about anything another mentee suggestion can be made. 

Cinematographer Rachel Clark – who has been both a mentee (of Laurie Rose BSC in 2020) and a mentor – finds both experiences deeply rewarding. “Mentorship is such a vital part of how we as an industry grow, connect with others and strengthen our community. Sharing our knowledge and experience, providing a place for conversation or discussion can be invaluable,” she says. “As cinematographers, we are so often focused on looking forward; to the next project or the next exciting piece of kit. It’s also important to remember to look back, to extend a hand or ear to those who follow in our footsteps.”  

Like Clark, Stapleton views education as a two-way street. “It’s not that we flow our information downhill to the young people who will go, ‘Oh, master, how wonderful you are!’ I believe as a mentor you’re going to learn a lot from the mentee – it’s an exchange of views and skills.”  

When times are tough, rather than “hearing how great it was to shoot Star Wars”, Stapleton believes young people want to know how a top cinematographer “first got going. What happened when they weren’t working for six months? What happened when they had kids or when their partner was upset they went to Honolulu to work for 10 months? 

“I think a lot of mentees struggle with the mental side of being a DP and often want to know how top cinematographers stay sane in this very pressured industry? They also want to get beyond the BSC image and speak to the actual person. And if you actually have a conversation with them the reality and the problems encountered emerge. They have had to go through all the same things the mentees are going through, and they like to hear that. They’re looking for reality.”  

Applications for the 2025 BSC Mentorship will open in June. For more information on the BSC Mentorship scheme, please visit bscine.com/mentoring/.

If you have any questions, please contact Oliver Stapleton on education@bscine.com. 

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Mentor and mentee feedback 

“Henry was already a busy and much in demand cinematographer when I met him – most of our conversations seemed to be around exploring the notions of personal creative outlets and emotional resilience that is required to sustain a long career as a cinematographer. It was a fascinating process and at times I wasn’t sure who was mentoring who.” 

Angus Hudson BSC (Henry Gill’s mentor) 

“Being mentored by Angus Hudson BSC has been an absolute joy. We spent much of our time tackling challenges around creativity, identity, and work-life balance, where I appreciated Angus’s frankness and honesty. These were all conversations that would have been difficult to have with anyone but a mentor who understands the industry and demands of the job. Joining the BSC Summer Lunch was a pleasure. Connecting with some extraordinary DPs, members of industry, and other mentees, while attending a BSC Masterclass weekend was invaluable for sparking ambitions and broadening my perspective on progressing from short-form to film and television. For an industry that can traditionally feel inaccessible, feeling so supported and encouraged has been a truly priceless experience. Thank you Angus and the BSC!” 

Henry Gill (Angus Hudson BSC’s mentee) 

“I was part of the first BSC Mentorship Scheme in 2020. The opportunity to access personal and direct mentorship from a BSC cinematographer was an amazing opportunity. Laurie Rose BSC is such a champion of younger cinematographers and passionate about the community of cinematography so I was thrilled to be paired with him. Laurie was approachable, open and honest from the very beginning. The relationship developed into a friendship which has extended long beyond the mentorship programme. We are in regular contact, he often checks in on me to see how I’m doing and we chat about our projects or what we might like do next. I helped organise a panel at BSC Expo and Laurie kindly agreed to chair it for us. It is brilliant to know he’s always at the other end of the phone for advice or as a sounding board for ideas or problems I may be facing.” 

Rachel Clark (Laurie Rose BSC’s mentee) 

“I had the utter pleasure of having Mike Eley BSC as my mentor whilst he was President of the BSC. It felt like such a connection, particularly after the isolation of COVID, and we found that we have similar sensibilities. Although Mike was incredibly busy with his own projects, he was always readily available to chat with me. I could approach him about my lighting ideas and go through any potential problems that may occur regarding rigging or access when on location. We also chatted about navigating political situations on set! If it were not for Mike, I would not have the same confidence in my abilities. My last two projects have been large budget HETV dramas and I would not have had these opportunities were it not for Mike’s guidance, support and generosity.“ 

Caroline Bridges (Mike Eley BSC’s mentee)