Award-Winning Journey

Meet Lucia Wells, a talented young filmmaker from Essex. During the pandemic, Lucia started to take filmmaking more seriously just as everything started to shut down. 

Thankfully, The Offshoot Foundation we’re organising online classes at the time, providing a creative outlet for young people like Lucia to get involved, she explains: 

“It was just before lockdown, and I was 14 and then I found my mum found the Offshoot workshop online. So, I did those two years in a row. I then went to college, and I did TV and film production which I’ve just finished, which is very cool.

Lucia found a passion for directing and cinematography through visiting the Offshoot Foundation workshops with the support of her parents who are from a creative theatre background. Lucia’s mother is a lighting technician, providing a creative role model for Lucia who also holds a passion for film “During lockdown, we started a tradition that we still keep up. Every Saturday, we have pizza and watch a film. It’s something we look forward to, and we end up watching a lot of films.”

Attending filmmaking workshops.

The Offshoot Foundation offers young people a unique platform to explore filmmaking, providing access to new equipment, teaching various techniques, fostering friendships, and ensuring a fun and engaging experience. Lucia Wells, a participant in both our virtual and in-person workshops, shares her transformative journey through these sessions.

Initially uncertain about what to expect, especially with the shift to online sessions during the pandemic, Lucia described her first experience: “I wasn’t sure what to expect since everything was online during the pandemic. It was great! On Zoom, we watched the films others had made and got new project ideas.”

Despite being new to filmmaking, Lucia quickly adapted, using her dad’s camera to explore her creative vision. “Since I hadn’t filmed before, I used my dad’s camera, which is mainly for photography but has a video option. I made a short film called ‘The Intruder’ without any audio, just music. I didn’t know how to edit, so they had Zoom calls to teach us, which was really cool. I learned a lot and enjoyed the process.”

Her initial online interaction laid a solid foundation, prompting an invitation to join in person the following year. Lucia’s continued engagement with the Offshoot Foundation highlighted significant personal growth. “They invited me back the next year, saying they liked my work and asked if I wanted to join again. At 15, I wasn’t great with people and felt awkward, but the Offshoot workshops were an invaluable experience”.

Participating in person allowed Lucia to further develop her skills through collaboration: “We were split into two teams, came up with film ideas, wrote scripts, filmed, and edited over a few days. It was the same process, but this time I had to collaborate with others. It taught me a lot about working in a team and different filmmaking skills, beyond just pressing the record button and hoping for the best.”

Workshop Skills

At the Offshoot Foundation, we pride ourselves on helping young filmmakers like Lucia Wells develop crucial filmmaking skills in a hands-on environment. Lucia, reflecting on her experiences, expressed her growth in several key areas of filmmaking. “I definitely learned editing because that was something I’d never touched before. My dad takes pictures, so I knew a bit about how to make things look alright, but yeah, I learned a lot about that.”

Lighting, a fundamental aspect of creating the right atmosphere in films, was another area where Lucia expanded her knowledge. She recalls, “I learned a lot about lighting and how to light things in a certain way to make things feel a certain way on screen.”

One of the standout experiences for Lucia involved applying these skills to create a specific mood in a scene. She recalls, “My favourite one that we did was an interrogation scene. I really liked that. I want to do something like that again because I really enjoyed doing that scene the way it was lit, the way it was filmed. It made it feel dark and dramatic, and I think that’s really cool.”

Lucia’s journey through the Offshoot Foundation workshops showcases how young filmmakers can not only learn about the technical aspects of filmmaking but also how to apply these skills creatively to enhance storytelling. Her experience underscores the value of practical, hands-on learning in developing a filmmaker’s ability to convey powerful emotions and themes through visual storytelling.

Offshoot Foundation Impact

Lucia Wells’ story is a testament to the transformative power of collaborative creativity and the supportive environment at the Offshoot Filmmaking Workshops. When Lucia first joined our workshops, she was a quiet student surrounded by louder peers, making her feel somewhat withdrawn. Reflecting on her experience, Lucia shared, “Being around a completely new group of people sort of started it for me, I needed to learn to talk to people a bit, you know, so I did.”

The workshops provided Lucia with an opportunity to break out of her shell and connect with others who shared her interest in filmmaking. She explained how meeting new people helped her develop social skills: “I’ve made some friends. And then I went to college and that helped me a lot and at work because I meet… a lot of different people. And that’s helped. And I think overall I’m now a lot better at talking to people, which is very good.”

Lucia’s involvement with the Offshoot Foundation didn’t just help her socially; it also enhanced her creative abilities. She noted the importance of collaborative input in filmmaking, saying, “You’ve got lots of different people’s ideas and perspectives, you can make a much better story because there’s lots of different people going, ‘Oh, that won’t work, but this might work instead.’”

Making an Award-Winning film.

The Offshoot Foundation is proud to showcase the creative journey of Lucia Wells, a young filmmaker who turned constraints into opportunities to create an award-winning film. Lucia shared her initial challenges, saying, “I don’t find it hard to find inspiration to write or come up with ideas, I can shoot on zero budget or by myself.”

Lucia’s breakthrough came during an online webinar, which sparked the idea for her first short film. She explained, “Because the people felt so distant from each other, I came up with the idea to film this one person on their own. It was quite an interesting project and did quite well. It was really fun to do.”

Her focus on meticulous planning was evident in her filmmaking approach. “I’m very focused on the angles, and when I made my first short film, I knew exactly what I wanted because I spent so long thinking about it,” Lucia reflected.

The concept developed into a short film about a woman with agoraphobia, made as part of a college project. Lucia described the process: “It was our first project term and was like, you make a short film, and obviously, they give you all the tools to do that. This was the idea I came up with, and it’s a 10-minute short film.”

Lucia’s determination led her to enter the film into the Short and Sweet Essex Film Festival. Her entry was unique as she was the only one from her college to participate, following a recommendation from a teacher. Lucia won best Director for Hope Beyond the Threshold and a second place in Best Cinematography, a fantastic achievement for a debut film.

Advice for young people going to an Offshoot workshop.

At the Offshoot Foundation, we aim to create a supportive and positive environment where young filmmakers can thrive and discover their potential. Lucia Wells, a past attendee, enthusiastically recalls her experiences and the lessons she learned. Lucia says, “With everything I’ve made during and since then, every time I finish something, I’m like, ‘I made that. That’s so cool, I’m very proud.

Lucia encourages all aspiring filmmakers to seize any opportunity to attend workshops offered by the Offshoot Foundation. “It’s a really good opportunity to learn, even if you think you already know things. You can still learn something from being there, whether it’s working with a particular group of people, how to develop a story, or anything about filmmaking,” she says.

The positive environment at the Offshoot workshops is crucial for nurturing creativity and openness among participants. Lucia emphasizes the value of being receptive to learning: “It’s really good to go in and go, ‘I’m going to learn something,’ because if you don’t, if you sort of shut yourself off to that, you’re not going to improve on anything.”

Reflecting on her own experience, Lucia highlights how the welcoming atmosphere helped her and others who felt unsure of their skills. 

The Offshoot Foundation wish Lucia the best of luck in her next step as she heads off to study filmmaking at Portsmouth University. 

“When I did the Offshoot Foundation, it was really good and positive experience. The environment was really open and I think anyone who gets the opportunity to do that should definitely jump on that chance.”
Lucia Wells
Director & Filmmaker

Lucia's top three films:

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