Career Clips picks up an education ‘Oscar’

1 May 2012

The Institute of Physics and Picnic Films were this year’s winners of the General Education Non Broadcast category at the Learning on Screen Awards for the creation of four short films, Career Clips.

The creators of Career Clips were commended for imaginatively illustrating a selection of physics’ applications that would help young audiences understand the breadth of career opportunities open to those with qualifications in physics.

From the use of ultrasound at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Football Club to the application of real world laws of motion in video game creation, the films demonstrate the relevance of physics in some surprising walks of life.

The Awards Ceremony, held at the BFI Southbank on the evening of Thursday 26 April, was hosted by Professor Lord Winston, Professor of Science and Society and Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London, and Professor Stewart Purvis CBE, former Chief Executive at ITN, now Professor of Television Journalism at City University London.

Career Clips – designed to fit neatly with particular aspects of GCSE physics – include animated sequences, interviews and lively presentations from individuals who directly apply physics in their daily work.

The clips, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England through the National HE STEM Programme, beat more than 100 entries to the General Education Non Broadcast Award.

Ian Wall, Founder of Film Education and member of the Awards Jury, said the DVD “stood out for its educational value and ability to meet the needs of its target audience head-on by linking the application of science with important world issues.”

Taj Bhutta, education careers officer at IOP, said, “We produced these 5-6 minutes clips as an ideal finishing activity for physics lessons on forces and motion, ultrasound, thermal physics and solar energy.  We’re delighted that the judges think that they’re as good as we do.”   

IOP and Picnic Films were in illustrious company with awards also going to KEO North for Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die in the General Education Broadcast category and BBC Learning for Stargazing LIVE in the General Education Multimedia category. 

See the Career Clips playlist.