Colin Young
A look into Colin Young's work and philosophy as founding director of the National Film and Television School.
Colin Young NFTS Car Park by NFTSNational Film and Television School
Colin Young, the Founding Director of the National Film and Television School, came to that position by a circuitous route. He was fond of quoting Heraclitus, "no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man".
Colin Young (2)National Film and Television School
After graduating from UCLA Colin worked first as a technician and was later commissioned to make short children's programmes for NBC before eventually being asked to return to UCLA as a teacher for six months. After that he was put in charge of the Department of Theatre Arts.
Colin Young and Roger Crittenden (2) by Courtesy of Roger CrittendenNational Film and Television School
Colin was able to guide a brilliant generation through the school, including Jim Morrison, Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius, Barry Levinson, Lawrence Kasdan, Haskell Wexler and Paul Schrader.
Colin Young Filmmakers Quote (2018) by NFTSNational Film and Television School
He was particularly involved in the creation of UCLA's Ethnographic Film Program with the intention of bringing film and anthropology together, an initiative that he would build upon at Beaconsfield.
In 1970 he was invited to apply for the post of Director of the newly established National Film School in England. Accepting a three year contract from the British Government, in the secure knowledge that he retained tenure back in California, Colin had little to lose in inventing a School dedicated to the idea, as he put it, that ‘filmmakers should be missionaries for a better way of life’.
NFTS Stage 1 by NFTSNational Film and Television School
When the School welcomed its first twenty students in September 1971 the empty unheated and leaking Stage 2 boasted twenty five folding directors’ chairs and a portable projector.
NFTS Edit Suite by NFTSNational Film and Television School
For staff, Colin deliberately recruited the essential craft practitioners: camera, sound and editing to begin with, followed by production, and an engineer to keep the technology, such as it was, working; but no ‘creatives’ - in the mould of screenwriters or directors for that first period.
Michael Radford by NFTSNational Film and Television School
A core group of the first students understood the agenda of Colin’s “open curriculum”. Not only did Michael Radford design his own experimental exercises before making a proper ‘film’ but he also did the camera work for Jana Bokova on films in Paris.
Roger Deakins NFTS Workshop (2021) by NFTSNational Film and Television School
Roger Deakins not only shot for Michael but he made his own documentary on stag hunting in North Devon. The more perceptive of them realised that the generosity of a shared learning environment brought the greatest rewards.
Colin Young, Lynne Ramsay and Jon Wardle (2019) by NFTSNational Film and Television School
The truth of this approach was maintained over the years perhaps climaxing in the extraordinary team around Lynne Ramsay, which stayed together throughout her first features.
A Grand Day Out - Wallace and Gromit (2019) by Nick ParkNational Film and Television School
When the RCA offered a place to one of a pair of animators but turned down his partner, Colin sourced a rostrum camera and created an animation department to take them both. In this way Nick Park had somewhere to prove his talent, and Wallace and Gromit were born.
Dario Marianelli by NFTSNational Film and Television School
When Trevor Jones, studying music composition in York wanted to specialise in film music for his final year Colin created a scoring department, which now boasts an Oscar winner in Dario Marianelli amongst its graduates.
The Dollar Bottom Oscar by NFTSNational Film and Television School
By the nineteen-eighties the Colin formula for success was paying off. Graduates were winning prizes around the world and the movers and shakers were offering to be involved.
Stephen Frears (2016) by NFTSNational Film and Television School
Stephen Frears acknowledged publicly that teaching was one of the few remaining honourable activities and was running regular workshops in direction.
David Puttnam and Colin Young (2009) by NFTSNational Film and Television School
Mick Audsley became a familiar figure in the editing rooms and Walter Murch visited to hold masterclasses. Ossie Morris and Billy Williams ran camera workshops. Sandy Lieberson was Head of Producing and his friend and former partner David Puttnam became first a Governor and then Chairman.
Producers and agents were now falling over each other for invitations to screenings where they might grab the stars of each graduation show.
Colin Young and Nick Broomfield by NFTSNational Film and Television School
For members of his staff Colin’s inexhaustible support for students was often maddening since he always believed that developing a talent takes the time it takes. Much in the spirit of how many people does it take to change a light bulb in California? Answer; none: if it wants to change it will change.
Colin Young by Roger CrittendenNational Film and Television School
This open-ended attitude to learning and development was only sustainable whilst Colin held the reins and in 1992, having reached 65 the Government insisted he retire. Colin might then have quoted again from Heraclitus who said “nothing is permanent except change.“
