The people on the bus...

It's a mark, surely, of how small the Irish audiovisual sector is that the two people selected to participate in the 'Inside Pictures' training programme advertised by the Irish Film Board on March 2 are a serving and a former member of staff at the agency.

Both Alan Maher and Rebecca O'Flanagan undoubtedly meet the criteria of being executives and producers who display determination to succeed and.. have at least five years' experience in film or an associated creative industry such as television. Maher is due to leave the Film Board in July while O'Flanagan was Ireland's EFP 'Producer on the Move' in 2011, having developed and produced the feature 'My Brothers'.

While FÁS Screen Training Ireland and the Irish Film Board were collaborating with Inside Pictures to offer support for up to two eligible and experienced Irish applicants the nature of the support was not detailed.

The registration fee for a Full Participant place is €6,000. The fee covers programme participation, documentation, return economy travel  allowance to and accommodation in Los Angeles, certain meals and transport from the module base to and from venues. For non- UK participants it also covers return economy travel allowance to and accommodation allowance in London.

The 'Inside Pictures' programme has been running for nine years and has offered 16 places on the current programme from more than 100 applications which had been selected by a panel. It is not known how many Irish applications were received, or whether the two places to be offered to Irish participants were guaranteed. The programme consists of three full-time, one-week sessions taking place in London and LA over the latter half of the year.

The extensive list of industry practitioner speakers lined up this year include Ed Guiney of Element Films and Teresa McGrane, Deputy CEO of the IFB.

The Programme is funded by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union and by the UK film industry through the Skillset Film Fund which is supported by the UK National Lottery through the UK Film Council (sic) and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.

[Irish Participants last year were - John McDonnell, (Fantastic Films)  and Audrey Sheils, (Element Pictures). Irish 'Associated Observers' who attended the 2011 London sessions were Katie Holly (Blinder Films), Stephen McDonogh (BBC Worldwide), and Martha O’Neill (Wildfire Film & Television Productions).]