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Mark Milsome Foundation

This foundation was inspired by the achievements, character and unique nature of our respected friend and colleague, Mark Milsome

Holly Robertson

Mark Milsome Foundation Call to Action

MARK MILSOME FOUNDATION CALLS FOR CULTURAL CHANGE IN FILM AND TV INDUSTRY

The 5th anniversary of Mark Milsome’s tragic death on set approaches and “Nothing has changed” says MMF’s Chair Samantha Wainstein.

As the 5th anniversary of the tragic on-set death of respected British cameraman Mark Milsome approaches on 18th November 2022, Samantha Wainstein, Chair of MMF, the charitable foundation set up in his name, has called for long overdue cultural change to protect crews working in the British film and television industry:

“Mark was killed whilst filming a car stunt on location in Ghana in 2017. Five years have passed during which time nothing has changed to improve crew safety – we are marking this tragic date by demanding mandatory health and safety education for all working on set and behind the scenes.”

The Foundation is asking for the industry establishment, including BECTU, PACT, PGGB, and all industry guilds, to unite to create lasting change. Since its inception, MMF has had continual dialogue with crew. In 2020, it commissioned a detailed survey to gauge opinion on their working conditions and then created a Health and Safety Passport course in 2021. Whilst individual crew have responded positively to the course, as far as the established industry goes, nothing has changed.

“The powers that be can’t just treat policy on health and safety along with the wellbeing of their crews as a box-ticking exercise,” says Mark Milsome’s widow Andra. “The overall culture on sets needs to change for good. We are using the 5th anniversary as a call to action and I would like to echo the wise words of our esteemed patron, Rory Kinnear, whose own father Roy died on set: ‘No-one should die for the sake of a shot.’”

MMF will launch Black T-Week on 18th November, when film and television crews across the UK will honour their late colleague by wearing black T-shirts exclusively designed by celebrated cinematographer Benoit Delhomme. Benoit and Mark worked together on The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Theory of Everything and he has kindly lent his passion and talent to this important MMF initiative, creating a design with the simple yet powerful words, “Because Mark” and “Inspire Change”.

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The Mark Milsome Foundation was set up in 2018 to encourage and support young people wanting to enter and thrive in the film and television industry, particularly those from backgrounds who traditionally find it difficult to gain access due to lack of knowledge of the sector and lack of contacts. The cohort of MMF trainees who have successfully started working in the industry is testament to Mark’s legacy. The support the Foundation has received from major organisations, including the Association of Camera Operators, BAFTA, BSC, EON Productions, the Guild of British Camera Technicians, Mission Digital, Panavision, Arri Rental, Pinewood Studios, as well as on screen stars Emma Thompson, Daniel Craig, Eddie Redmayne, Colin Firth, Harrison Ford and most importantly, UK film and TV crew including Fabian Wagner, Andrew Dunn, Peter Robertson, James Layton, Sean Savage, Aaron Leach and Jack Plumridge, demonstrates the positive impact the Foundation is having. Inspiring, nurturing and protecting the next generation of talent is at the top of MMF’s mission list.

Mark Milsome Foundation Health & Safety course provides a SkillSet Level 2 safety passport, valid for 5 years. It takes 90 minutes, costs just £20 and all profits are gifted to the Foundation and Mark’s family. The course was created in response to a UK wide survey of film and tv crew that received close to 5000 comments and which found that current H&S education is virtually non-existent. It covers all the areas that failed Mark in Ghana, and attempts to protect and empower crew so that such accidents never occur again. The course has received widespread support and praise from all those that have taken it. Topics include Speaking Up, The Law, Working Hours, Health & Safety Abroad, Bullying and
Discrimination. The course is available here. https://www.mmfonlinetraining.com

Date issued: 26 October 2022
Press contact: Julia Jones, juliajonespr@icloud.com +44 (0)7768 263279

Foot in the Door 2022 and Mentors

We are very excited to announce our 2022 Foot in the Door trainees – Angie Ymeraj, Robert Oliver & Alfie Thompson. It’s great to have them as part of the Foundation. Head to the Education page on our website to find out more about their experience and availability! Alfie has worked on a range of productions including The Crown, Angie worked on The Winter King and Rob has previously worked on House of the Dragon. Our trainees are available to work and their details are available here: https://www.markmilsomefoundation.com/trainees/

We are very grateful to our new mentors Operators Peter Robertson, ACO and James Layton, ACO and 2nd AC Jack Plumridge. The mentors will provide their time, advice and expertise, which will be invaluable to the new trainees.

 

BSC honours Mark

Mark Milsome was awarded the Posthumous BSC Honour. Doug Milsome was presented with Mark’s Associate BSC membership certificate at this year’s BSC Summer Lunch, which took place in July. He delivered a moving speech thanking the society and industry friends for their support.

Andra Milsome, who originally accepted the posthumous honour on Mark’s behalf at the BSC Awards earlier in the year, also spoke emotionally on receipt of the honour. “Mark would be truly honoured, humbled and touched to receive this accolade from his colleagues who he held in such high esteem. Mark will never be able to show his full creative potential to the world. He started, but had his life cut off in his prime, by such an avoidable tragedy.”
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Newly appointed BSC President, Christopher Ross, said “Mark was a camera operator of the highest calibre, having been a similar skilled focus puller and clapper loader, but more significantly, he was a human being of the highest calibre and embodied everything that is great about the camera department -warmth, compassion, and determination. I urge you all to ‘Be More Mark’.”⠀
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Chris urged the audience to follow and support the work of the Mark Milsome Foundation and to take their recently launched ‘Film and TV Online Safety Passport’ course (available via link in bio) developed to “Build an industry that prides itself on mutual collective responsibility, and respect for everybody’s wellbeing.”

Christopher Ross BSC speaks to BSC

Thank you to Christopher Ross who promoted our MMF Health and Safety Online Course during his recent chat with BSC.

“I urge you all to sign up to the Mark Milsome Foundation’s “Film and TV Online Safety Passport”. A ninety-minute course that will open your mind to on- set responsibilities and inspire you to be a force for positive change in the way that individual health and well-being are respected.”

Link to article: https://bscine.com/presidents-column

 

The Mark Milsome Memorial Cup

⁣Thank you to @markmilsomememorialcup for organising such a fantastic event on Sunday 22nd May.⠀⠀
We saw the Ted Lasso crew go head to head with the Heart of Stone. In a thrilling penalty shootout Heart of Stone won the Mark Milsome Memorial Cup!
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The event raised an amazing sum of money which will help fund our aim to make the Film & TV industry a safer place to work. ⠀
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Thank you to everyone who organised, played, watched and took part! The Foundation appreciate all of your endless support.

 

We are at this year’s BSC Expo!

We are delighted that, thanks to the support of the British Society of Cinematographer’s and Mission Digital, the Mark Milsome Foundation will be at this year’s BSC Expo.

 

We are particularly pleased to be participating in a BSC panel, discussing what needs to be done urgently to keep everyone safe when working on productions. Please join us at 10.15am Friday April 8th in the BSC Main Seminar Room, for “Protect & Empower: Mental & Physical Safety On Set”

 

Panelists include:

Samantha Wainstein – Mark Milsome Foundation,

Leo Anna Thomas – 6ft From the Spotlight,

Tracy Riddell – Film and TV Charity,

Kate Wilson – Call It App and panel chair,

Kate Rolfe – Digital Orchard Foundation,

And find us on our stand, situated between Movietech Camera Rentals (310) and RED (022).

 

The BSC Expo provides an opportunity for crew and production members to learn more about our Mark Milsome Foundation Film & TV Online Safety Passport Course, of which BSC President Christopher Ross, says.

“This is the first H&S course I have seen that understands and conveys the importance of collaboration, collective responsibility and looking out for fellow crew members. I would encourage everyone in the Film, TV and Commercial Production industries to take this course and to uphold the values that it represents.”

Details of the course can be found here https://www.mmfonlinetraining.com/

 

Announcing the New MMF Chair

We are thrilled to report that the Board of Trustees have appointed Samantha Wainstein as its new Chair. Samantha will replace Kirk Jones who has worked for four and a half years setting up the Foundation and guiding it through the early years. Samantha and the board asked Kirk to consider staying on as a Patron and we are glad to say that he has accepted so although stepping away from the daily business he will join Rory Kinnear as Patron and will be present whenever needed.

 

Kirk comments “I could not be more thrilled to see Samantha take on the role of chair. Thanks to the Founding members of the MMF, the trustees and the support of crew and production, we have made great progress in the first few years and Sam is well placed to build on those foundations and take the charity to the next level”.

Sam has a strong track record of leadership and delivery across the charity, business, film education and culture sectors.

She was part of the founding team of FilmClub, established in 2008 by Director Beeban Kidron. By 2013 the project, now known as Into Film had grown from a pilot of 25 schools to over 7,000.  Samantha played a lead role in securing £26 million of funding from the BFI and £2.8 million from the cinema industry.  Into Film is the UK’s leading charity for film in education. In 2016 Sam founded a not-for-profit, ‘Film Literacy Europe’ which delivered film education projects across 8 European countries, and in 2017 working for the BFI, she launched their 2022 Future Films Strategy with an action plan to build skills for the future of film, tackling diversity and inclusion, so those from all backgrounds can have a future in the industry.

 

Message from Samantha

I am incredibly excited to take on the position of Mark Milsome Foundation Chair. My gratitude goes to Kirk, who has done the most amazing job of founding and leading the Foundation, and who has been a fantastic support in the last few weeks of hand over. In recognition of all that he has done including developing the Health & Safety Online Passport, it was important to me that Kirk be invited to become a Patron. I am delighted he agreed to the role, joining the wonderful Rory Kinnear.  I’m aware of how vital the film and tv community is to the success of the Foundation, and I hope we get the chance to meet soon. Until that day, please do let me have your thoughts, suggestions and feedback including if you would like to be more involved in anyway; my email is chair@markmilsomefoundation.com

War Cameraman Killed in Ukraine

The Foundation would like to acknowledge the deaths this week of Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski (55) along with Journalist Oleksandra Kuvshinova (24). At a time when the Film and Television Industry are doing their best to remove crew, production and cast from dangerous working environments, we should remember that for some crew, it is necessary to place themselves directly in the way of harm in order to truthfully record the atrocities of war and human suffering. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60756503

Mark Milsome awarded Posthumous BSC Honour

To acknowledge the exceptional talent and dedication of the late camera operator Mark Milsome, the BSC have awarded him an Honorary Associate Membership. Milsome was killed in 2017 while filming a stunt in Ghana.

Speaking emotionally at the 2022 BSC awards, Mark’s wife, Andra said: “Mark would be truly honoured, humbled and touched to receive this accolade from his colleagues who he held in such high esteem. Mark will never be able to show his full creative potential to the world. He started, but had his life cut off in his prime, by such an avoidable tragedy.

It is vital that more accountability and better health and safety practices are put into place and that these become not only standardised, but mandatory. No more cost cutting. No more cutting corners. Every single person should come home safely at the end of each working day.”

Mark’s father, Doug Milsome – BSC ASC said “We are incredibly proud to learn that the BSC has awarded Mark ‘An Honorary Associate of the Society’ especially following on from the BSC ‘Special Achievement Award’ to the MMF. Myself and Mark’s mother, Debbie, are overwhelmed and comforted that Mark’s talent has been recognised in this way”.

Newly appointed BSC President, Christopher Ross, said “Mark was a camera operator of the highest calibre, having been a similar skilled focus puller and clapper loader, but more significantly, he was a human being of the highest calibre and embodied everything that is great about the camera department -warmth, compassion, and determination. I urge you all to ‘Be More Mark’.”

Chris urged the audience to follow and support the work of the Mark Milsome Foundation and to take their recently launched  ‘Film and TV Online Safety Passport’ course (HERE) developed to ‘Build an industry that prides itself on mutual collective responsibility, and respect for everybody’s wellbeing.”

Read all about the #BSCAwards night and find out to what the winners had to say, and see more photos from the evening.

First Trainee becomes Trustee

The Foundation are proud to announce the appointment of their most recent Trustee. Daisy Allen was the first ‘Foot In The Door’ Trainee to be selected in 2019. Chairman Kirk Jones comments “We have monitored Daisy’s progress since helping her establish contacts and employment in the industry in 2019 and were thrilled when she accepted an invitation to join the board. Daisy is perfectly placed to help oversee the development of the ‘Foot In The Door’ training and mentorship programme having experienced it herself first hand. We are already seeing early trainees supporting and mentoring students from more recent intakes and hope to see this level of support continue in the future.”

 

If you are looking for a trainee or can offer mentorship then please see details of ALL past and Present Trainees HERE.

 

If you are an industry based company who feel you have something to offer our students that would help their understanding of the film and TV industry then please get in touch. This could include anything anything from a few days work experience to courses in understanding equipment or bespoke tours to expose them to new technology.

The Foundation Film and TV Online Safety Passport now fully launched

After the first few weeks the course has been embraced by the National Film and Television School and has received the following reviews from people who have taken the course:
“A very important course for experienced crew and producers, as well as new entrants to the industry also.”
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“A tremendous refresher before any production.”
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Mark Milsome Foundation Film and TV Online safety passport, excellent thorough course. Essential knowledge for anyone working on a film set. Relevant and accessible for all levels from new entrant to Producer. It would be amazing to see this course becoming a mandatory requirement for on set working.”
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“Absolutely amazing course. Very engaging, informative and well presented.”
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“Excellent level of training and should be mandatory for all cast & crew working in the industry.”
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Watch the four trailers for the course now by following the links below!

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