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Mark Milsome Foundation

Mark Milsome Foundation

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

Press

Mark Milsome Foundation Call to Action

26th October 2022

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

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Christopher Ross BSC speaks to BSC

10th June 2022

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

 

Filed Under: News, Press

The Mark Milsome Memorial Cup

7th June 2022

⁣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!
⠀⠀
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.

 

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

We are at this year’s BSC Expo!

5th April 2022

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/

 

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Mark Milsome awarded Posthumous BSC Honour

7th March 2022

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.

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Cinematography World article features MMF Chairman’s view on modern Health and Safety in Film and TV industry

28th February 2022

The link to the full article below:

https://www.cinematography.world/cinematography-veterans-speak-out-on-the-production-industrys-safety-crisis/

Filed Under: Media, Press

The Sunday Times – Baldwin shooting haunts widow of TV cameraman

8th November 2021

Please see a link to The Sunday Times article that featured an interview with Andra, Mark’s wife last week.

The Sunday Times PDF

The Sunday Times direct link.

“The widow of a cameraman who died during a stunt on the set of a BBC TV series has told how she had warned the industry of further “inevitable” tragedies years before the fatal shooting in America by Alec Baldwin.

Andra Levinson Milsome, who lives in Scotland, said “haunting images” returned after she heard that the actor had accidentally shot dead the Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, with a prop gun loaded with live ammunition on the set in New Mexico of Rust, a low-budget independent film.”

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Foundation Health and Safety film wraps with the support of the National Film and Television school.

28th October 2021

The chairmans’s health and safety, online training project completed filming on Sunday 24th October. Kirk would like to extend a huge thank you to Jon Wardle and the students (past and present) of the NFTS for giving studios, equipment, crew, pre and post production facilities. We hope to have a teaser for the project soon and to deliver the the online programme before the end of the year.

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

MMF Health & Safety Research Findings Are Published

28th October 2021

The results from the Mark Milsome Foundation, industry wide, Health and Safety survey are published today. With 2,000 surveys and a further 3,000 comments and concerns relating to Health and Safety in the modern Film and Television industry these results help understand the views of crew and production at a time when the spotlight is rightly on Health and Safety once again. Crucially 75% of respondent said they would welcome a Foundation, online Health and Safety course and would voluntarily take it, rising to 93% agreeing to take the course if it was recognised within the industry.

Here is a link directly to the summarised results:

http://www.markmilsomefoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Quantitative-data.pdf

 

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Cinematography Is The Deadliest Job In Hollywood: Death Of ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Puts Spotlight On Safety For Camera Crews

28th October 2021

We wanted to share this important article with you from Deadline discussing the risks that Cinematographers take whilst doing their job. Mark’s death is marked in 2017.

Cinematography Is The Deadliest Job In Hollywood: Death Of ‘Rust’ Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins Puts Spotlight On Safety For Camera Crews

 

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

Halyna Hutchins’ Death

21st October 2021

The Foundation extends its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins following the tragic shooting on the set of RUST. Kirk Jones, chairman comments “Injury and death in the film and television industry are not freak accidents, they are consequences of employing inexperienced crew to save money, of pressurised schedules, ignoring rules, regulations and laws, long working hours and a failure to uphold the most basic of principle, to put the health and safety of crew first.”

Filed Under: News, Press

No one should die for a shot – Telegraph Article details the failings and lessons from Mark’s death:

11th August 2021

Chris Harvey from the Telegraph has written an article regarding Mark’s death. Please click below to read the full article or see attached PDF.

‘No one should die for a shot’: the tragic death of a BBC cameraman In 2017, Mark Milsome was killed while filming a stunt for the Michaela Coel drama Black Earth Rising. How did things go so badly wrong?

Telegraph article PDF

Filed Under: Media, Press

Mark Milsome Memorial Cup

16th June 2021

The Mark Milsome Memorial Cup was back with a bang in May 2021! The match was organised by the team behind the Mark Milsome Foundation Cup (founder Andy Woodcock). With the help of industry sponsors he secured Selhurst Park, the home of his lifelong club Crystal Palace for a date that was close to Mark Milsome’s birthday, 23rd May, and they set about creating an event that honoured Mark in his ability to unite friends from across all departments and productions in the industry. Mark was not a sportsman, he did like to watch odd game of football, but was not an avid fan, however on May 29th, we brought together many colleagues, friends and family for a much needed day out, and an occasion that Mark would have relished.

The teams were from the crews of the new Indiana Jones film and Essex (production working title, Netflix series) Forming a squad from one production brings together players with very different experience levels, and this and allowing mixed sex teams brought a high level of inclusivity and set a friendly tone to the day, on the pitch and off.

The event was a great occasion with a final score of Indiana Jones 6 – Essex 3. All the proceeds made from the event went to the Mark Milsome Foundation.

ROBERT VIGLASKY PHOTOGRAPHY
ROBERT VIGLASKY PHOTOGRAPHY

Filed Under: News, Press

⁣The Mark Milsome Memorial Cup is back!

5th May 2021

Thank you to the @markmilsomememorialcup who have organised the event and made it possible.

“The Big Clash, it’s going to be huge! You don’t want to miss this battle between some of the industry’s finest filmmakers seeing if their creative and technical abilities translate to the football pitch.⠀
⠀
Expect incredible skills or highly dubious tactics on display or both, or neither, either way come along to finally meet friends and raise a glass to Mark Milsome. All proceeds to the Mark Milsome Foundation. Tickets on sale shortly.”

The event is taking place on May 29th in Selhurst Park. Purchase tickets here.

Filed Under: Media, News, Press

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