Former pupil secures place at Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Art
Rydal Penrhos is always delighted to hear about the success of its former pupils. Many of our alumni are doing great things either at university or in the world of work.
A prime example of this is Luca Leggieri (RPS 2015-2018). Mark Sherrington, Head of Art and an ex-pupil himself was thrilled to confirm that Luca has just been accepted to the College of Motion Picture Arts at Florida State University in the United States of America following a successful application process.
This three-year course is something Luca says he is “very excited about” and he hopes to “learn a lot” after gaining an additional diploma to become eligible for enrollment in the two years after leaving Rydal Penrhos.
Luca joined the school at the start of his Sixth Form journey and integrated superbly. He grew up in America and Switzerland, enabling him to speak three languages fluently, and although he did not do Art at GCSE level, the pupil felt A Level photography would be of interest to him, could inspire him and may lead to career opportunities.
Mr Sherrington was tasked with guiding Luca, turning his keen eye into something a little bit more, and it was clear from very early on that he had a real gift when it comes to photography and all its intricacies.
He said: “Luca was the kind of pupil who was always on Instagram or posting pictures but never really had any tuition or help. It was just something he enjoyed doing and felt he could be good at.
“From the moment he joined the photography classes it was clear he had an instinctive and deep knowledge of how to manipulate images on the computer and he would build on that skill over the two years with us at Rydal Penrhos.”
It wasn’t just in the digital aspect of photography processing that Luca demonstrated great skill, he also “immersed himself in the practical stuff”, according to Mr Sherrington.
This involved learning how to physically change pictures through texture or lighting, with Luca also excelling at film-making despite his relative lack of experience in this particular area.
“From the start, he was making small films or linking pictures to enhance his theme,” recalls Mr Sherrington.
“Luca ended the Photography A Level by taking over the drama studio for a weekend and erecting a set where he made a music video using one of his peers as a model.
“He also created another film using the local mountains as his set and placing figures on hills in incredibly windy conditions holding sheets.
“He used a steady cam and a high-quality camera to produce an incredibly professional couple of pieces that were backed up by equally good still images.”
Luca is now gearing up for the next exciting stage of his journey at Florida State, with his university application featuring his portfolio from Rydal Penrhos and a glowing recommendation from Mr Sherrington.
“He is definitely a student to watch over the next few years and I expect to see his name in lights or in the credits of a film soon.”
We are incredibly proud of what Luca has achieved since leaving Rydal Penrhos and hopefully this is just the start of great things to come in his future.
