A group of teenagers who started a film production company to "entertain, amuse and intrigue" have started work on their first commissioned picture.

The short film is being produced for the Business Community Project (BCP) and will be used to encourage companies in Brighton and Hove to carry out volunteer work.

The youngsters, who formed Purple Turtle Productions last year, won the contract after approaching American Express for funding earlier this year.

They wanted £500 to buy a digital camera. The National Lottery had already turned down a bid for funding and other organisations were reluctant to back the company because of its members' youth.

American Express (Amex) in Edward Street, Brighton, asked the company's five-strong management team to give a presentation to its funding steering committee. It was so impressed it decided to award Purple Turtle the money to upgrade its equipment.

Now the film-makers have been asked by the BCP, an organisation which links companies to volunteer projects, to make a five-minute promotional film about its work.

Filming began yesterday at Care Co-op Farm at Stanmer House in Stanmer Park, Brighton, where Amex staff are carrying out extensive refurbishment.

Purple Turtle production manager Chris Nunn, 16, said community-based projects were a good way to cut your teeth in the film-making world.

He said: "At the moment we are positioning ourselves as a not-for-profit, community project but long-term I would love to run a film company that gets paid to make films.

"There will come a point where, perhaps with support from the British Film Council, we will be able to make that transition."

Purple Turtle has 20 staff aged 14 to 18. They are all members of New Venture Youth Theatre and have aspirations to be actors, writers and film producers.

The company was started after five of the members completed work experience with Margina Eyes Community Films in June last year. Since then 15 more members from New Venture have been drafted in to help.

Jo Crockett, of Amex, said: "We were impressed with their vision and entrepreneurialism but also by how organised they were. Everyone on the management team had a clearly defined role. I hope they succeed."

Wednesday August 11, 2004