Barton Peveril's Film studies trip to Los Angeles
At Travelbound, our knowledgeable staff can create a wide variety of educational trips to suit your curriculum needs. We believe that the importance of educational trips, comes from experiencing the curriculum first hand, which further supports the theory learnt back in the classroom. We plan curriculum trips all over the world and for all subjects, to ensure you hit all the educational outcomes for your students.
A Travelbound trip to the USA can support a wide array of subjects and learning intentions, such as:
This extensive range of educational possibilities, paired with the personal development long-haul trips bring, means that America is a sought-after destination for further education students. A long-haul trip allows older students a new sense of independence, organisation and understanding of the wider world.
One US destination which continues to charm students due to its direct relationship with the world of film, is Los Angeles. An educational tour to Los Angeles is perfect for older students; due to the diverse and vibrant culture the city offers. We sat down and chatted to Laura Barbey at Barton Peveril, to hear how her students used their LA excursions to enrich their Film studies A-Level.
To start, could you give us an overview of your Film Studies trip to Los Angeles? What were your aims, and what did you hope students would experience?
“Our Film Studies trip to Los Angeles was designed to immerse students in the heart of the global film industry. The aim is to take what they study in the classroom: film form, production, and industry, and bring it to life through direct experience.
Across the trip, students visited major working studios, explore iconic filming locations, and engage with the history of cinema through places like the Academy Museum. We wanted them not just to enjoy the experience, but to deepen their understanding of how films are made, from concept through to exhibition.”
Check out some of Barton Peveril's itinerary:
- 13th February 9am Downtown LA Film Locations Tour
- 13th February 1pm Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- 13th February 4pm Griffith Park Observatory
- 15th February 9am Disneyland Park & Adventure Park
- 16th February 10am Sony Pictures Studios Tour
Direct Curriculum links from a Film Studies LA trip
Was there a particular moment when LA felt like the right fit for your group?
“While New York offers fantastic cultural experiences, Los Angeles is the centre of the global film industry. For Film Studies, it’s unmatched.
Our students study Hollywood as a key industry, so being able to stand in the spaces where films are produced, rather than just consumes, felt like the right fit. The moment we worked with Travelbound to map the itinerary around studio visits like Warner Bros., Universal, and Sony, it became clear that LA would offer something uniquely powerful, an experience many students will never forget or experience again.”
How did your students respond to being in the heart of the film industry: surrounded by studios, sets and iconic locations they've grown up seeing on screen?
“The response is always a mix of excitement and disbelief. Students are suddenly surrounded by locations they’ve only ever seen on screen, from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to studio backlots. What’s particularly powerful is that these spaces stop feeling abstract. Film becomes real and tangible. You can see students making connections constantly: recognising locations, referencing films, and starting to think more critically about what they’re seeing.
Students got to recreate some iconic moments, they sat at the ‘Friends’ fountain, they danced around Griffith Observatory, experienced the room where John Williams records his iconic soundtracks and walked through the Academy Awards venue, unforgettable.”
What did the studio visits reveal about the filmmaking process? How did behind-the-scenes access help students understand the journey from script to screen?
“The studio visits are where the real learning happens. At places like Warner Bros. and Sony, students see the full filmmaking process laid out: from sound stages and set construction to post-production workflows. What’s brilliant is that the Travelbound team organise all these fantastic studio visits, which would have been a lot of admin for me otherwise. Experiences like ‘Script to Screen’ and Warner Bros. helps students understand how an idea develops into a finished product. Seeing working sets and production spaces demystifies the process and shows just how collaborative filmmaking really is.”
In what ways did Los Angeles help students see the scale of the industry: the teams, the technology, the amount of work behind even the smallest scene?
“Los Angeles really brings home the scale of filmmaking. Whether it’s the size of studio lots, the complexity of sets, or the organisation behind theme parks like Universal, students see how much coordination goes into even small moments on screen. It shifts their understanding form film as a finished product to film as a large-scale industrial process involving huge teams and resources, walking through the lot where Wizard of OZ was filmed was thrilling.”
Were there moments when you felt students moved from simply being film fans to thinking like filmmakers? What sparked that shift?
“There are always moments where you see that shift happen. Often, it’s during studio tours, when students start asking questions about how something was achieved rather than just enjoying it. Another key moment is during location tours, when they being to think about framing, lighting, and why a director chose a specific space. That’s when they move from passive viewers to active analysts and creators. Guides told stories of the production processes and crew, and a highlight of our tours had to be that we got to see a working Foley studio.”
How did Travelbound's support help you manage the logistics of such a big trip?
“Travelbound played a key role in making such a complex trip manageable. With a large group, multiple locations, and tight scheduling, having transport, bookings and logistics organised in advance was essential. It allowed us as staff to focus on the students’ learning and wellbeing, rathe than the operational side of the trip. Support was on hand any time of day, with Travelbound I felt supported, and I enjoyed the trip just as much as the students.”
Looking back, was there one moment, big or small, that summed up the value of your trip?
” One standout moment was the studio backlot tours. Seeing students walk through working sets, spaces where major films and TV shows have been created really captures the value of the trip. I’ve been going to LA for 10 years, and I just love to see students’ sense of awe. ‘They filmed that HERE!‘. They realise that filmmaking is both creative, technical and happening all around, and that’s a powerful takeaway.”
Finally, what advice would you give to another Film studies teacher debating between LA and New York? Why might LA be the right choice for their next school trip?
“My advice would be to think about what you want students to gain. If your focus is Film Studies, Los Angeles offers something truly unique. It connects directly to the curriculum, exposes students to the realities of the industry, and inspires them in a way that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
LA is a large city, and therefore coach travel is essential, the upside of this: no pounding the sidewalk to get 50 students to your next destination on time!
New York is a fantastic city, but if you want students to understand filmmaking at its core, Los Angeles is the place to be.”
With destinations across the globe, waiting for you and your students to explore, why not get in touch with our experts? From the first enquiry to the moment you land back home, Travelbound is there to plan and deliver an educational tour to suit your curriculum aims. No matter the destination, duration, or itinerary requirements, our team can curate a bespoke trip for you.
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