Skillset Academi+ has confirmed the date and venue for a special celebration event that will mark the end of the media training project’s first phase.
Organisations, companies and individuals from the creative media sector and academia will join in the celebrations at the Stones Bar, Wales Millennium Centre, on 28 March 2011. The 200 guests will include those who have provided, funded and participated in Skillset Academi+ courses over the 15 months of successful delivery.
Project coordinator Sue Jeffries explained: “Reaching the end of this chapter of Skillset Academi+ is the perfect time to celebrate the project’s achievements with all of those who have contributed and benefited.
“The Milestone Celebration event will be a chance to reflect on how this innovative project broke new ground within training in the media industries in Wales, and how it has succeeded in bringing the media industries and Higher Education closer together.”

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

A prestigious European scheme aimed at developing the next generation of multiplatform creators will be co-ordinated in Wales for the first time, it has been announced, after funding worth £80,000 has been secured by the Skillset Media Academy Wales and its European partners.

The Welsh Academy has today announced that funding for the Transform@Lab has been secured from the European Union MEDIA Initial fund to run the high-level scheme in various European locations in 2011.

The Transform@Lab will be hosted in Wales by the University of Wales, Newport, and in Europe by two of the leading media schools: the Danish Animation Workshop, Viborg; and the Maholy-Nagy University of Art & Design, Budapest.  The intensive lab will offer nine trainees selected in early 2011 the opportunity to attend 17 days of residential workshops over six months.

(left to right) Hannah Raybould, Skillset Media Academy Wales Project Manager, Derek Lawther, Dean of Newport School of Art, Media & Design, Alex Gallop, Skillset Media Academy Wales Marketing Coordinator.

“Entrepreneurship and graduate development is at the heart of what we do at the Newport School of Art, Media and Design,” said Dean of NSAMD, Derek Lawther, “and with the move to our new city centre campus, where we will work side by side with the Business School, we are looking to offer new and innovative learning for a worldwide audience. The Transform@Lab firmly positions the University and our forward thinking staff within an exciting new European context of partnership and discovery and we look forward to drawing on our industry links to offer an innovative new scheme.”

This will be the first time that MEDIA Initial Training has been approved for a training provider in Wales, and the funding has been secured through the support and advice of the MEDIA Antenna Wales and following groundwork undertaken at initial meetings and attendance at conferences funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for the development of the Media Academy Wales in 2005-10.

The creative media scheme aims to address the current industry need to develop cross-platform creatives and will draw on the Europe-wide pool of recent graduates of animation, games, interactive media, writing and producing degrees.

The nine graduates selected will also benefit from studio visits and networking events with industry professionals and e-support through online learning modules before they put their finished projects before a Dragon’s Den style industry panel in a pitching session.

“The Skillset Media Academy Wales put together a hugely impressive application,” said Judy Wasdell, Head of the MEDIA Antenna Wales. “We are delighted that they are the first Welsh recipients of MEDIA training funding.  The pan European dimension of the Transform@Lab offers participants the opportunity to benefit from access to leading European professionals and offers invaluable networking opportunities.”
The Lab will guide participants on the latest techniques for multiplatform content creation, from mobile phone apps to web publishing and digital workflows, as well as studying the craft of script writing for the interactive audience. In addition, they will concentrate on areas such as online copyright, compliance, funding and budgeting – essential knowledge for new entrants in the field.

“This training presents exactly what is needed within the media industry to enable designers to take advantage of the full range of new platform opportunities, said Jenny Hann, Head of Design and University of Wales Newport’s School of Art Media and Design.

“This European tri-nation development has been two years in the planning but I am thrilled to see it now coming to fruition. Course developers and participants will benefit from this training and the timing is for the Transform@Lab progamme is perfect.”

Hannah Raybould, Project Manager of the Skillset Media Academy Wales concluded; “This is an exciting new development for the Academy and we are looking forward to putting the lessons we have learnt delivering innovative industry-led training over the past five years into practice for a wider European audience. And we are very excited at the prospect of working with the brightest new crossplatform creatives to help them develop their ideas and progress their careers.”

Those attending will be offered European flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, all training and course materials for the fee of 785 euros (£650) for the 6 month course.

The Transform@Lab launches a new website in mid-December and will be opening for applications in early January. The full programme will be announced in January.

www.transformatlab.eu

The Film Agency for Wales has completed a development programme for ten of Wales’ most aspiring production companies enabling better business support for the Welsh film production industry.

Developed by the Film Agency for Wales, Film Junction was designed to further develop production company strategies; improving viability and capacity for Welsh production companies.

‘Film Junction’ was been developed in conjunction with course leader Angus Finney who has extensive experience as a creative industry tutor with clients including the CASS Business School. Fomerly, Managing Director of the international sales agent, Renaissance; producer of the annual London Film Production Market and an industry journalist and author (The International Film Business (2010), The Egos Have Landed: the Rise and Fall of Palace Pictures (1997), Developing Feature Films in Europe: A practical Guide (1996), The State of European Cinema: A New Dose of Reality (1996)). He is currently completing a Phd at Cass Business School, City University, in film business strategy, and is a visiting lecturer, Judge Business School, Cambridge University. His fourth and most recent book is The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood (Routledge).

The four-month Film Junction programme was funded by Skillset Academi+, providing bespoke company strategy and film financing, sales and distribution advice to ten production companies. The programme specifically focussed on creative management, business planning and reaching the audience, in addition to company specific consideration of strategies to improve cashflow and overcome impediments to furthering their film ambitions within their overall corporate strategy.

L-R: Pauline Burt (Film Agency for Wales), Andrew Lowe (Element Pictures) & John Giwa-Amu (Red & Black Films)

Participants had the support of a high level mentoring scheme with directors of international film and media companies including Andrea Calderwood of Slate Films (producer of The Last King of Scotland and I Am Slave); Robin Gutch of Warp Films (Hunger, Donkey Punch, Submarine), Paul Trijbits of Ruby Films (Tamara Drewe, Jane Eyre) and Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures (Lassie, Garage and The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse).

Film Junction highlighted the critical role of the talent base that underpins the independent film industry, with participants exploring strategies to discover, nurture and maintain talent relations, particularly as between director and producer, as well as wider relations with acting talent that can unlock financing and sales/distribution opportunities. Central to the programme, was the development and exploitation of Intellectual Property by Welsh production companies.

Angus Finney comments: “The challenge when addressing Welsh film and programme producers is how to balance local issues and opportunities with national and international factors. Effective storytelling can sometimes achieve what power-point presentations and hard-nosed analysis cannot. Selecting relevant case study material and drilling into the narrative can serve a wider purpose.”

“A trainer can only achieve so much. A Cohort, meaning in our recent experience in Wales a group of around 12 different producers, is a tool that can become larger than the sum of its parts. By meeting at least three or four times over a six month period, the group has an opportunity to collaborate, share their experience and the time to absorb knowledge and grow effectively.”

Film producer and director John Giwa-Amu of Cardiff based Red and Black Films is already using his learning from Film Junction to identify and develop new revenue streams. He produced the feature film Little White Lies which received six BAFTA Cymru nominations and was listed in Variety’s Top 10 British Films of that Year. As a Director, John has also been nominated for the Screen Nation Award twice, has won a BAFTA Cymru award and the BBC New Filmmaker Award.

“Film Junction is proving to be an incredible opportunity – being able to learn from industry experts at the highest level means that I’m better prepared to manage our business,” explains John Giwa-Amu.

“Indeed, the complexities of closing film finance, understanding distribution channels and the developing new revenue streams to support cash flow have until now been a dark-art. What’s more, we now understand the need to diversify and are actively using our skills and experience to develop new revenue streams that fund the business while projects are in development. This has included launching a feature film course throughout the UK (Inside Edge) and the marketing of a Directors Masterclass. The support of Ed Guiny as my mentor, Angus and the Film Junction team is superb.”

John Giwa-Amu and business partner Caradog James have several projects in development including Money starring Luke Evans (Tamara Drewe, Immortals and Vivaldi) and two that are funded by the Film Agency for Wales (Cyrano, a modern adaptation of the French classic Cyrano De Bergerac and The Tunnel set on the border to Palestine).

Pauline Burt, Chief Executive of the Film Agency for Wales adds: “Film production in and of Wales is thriving but we must ensure adequate business support to ensure that the vital infrastructure of Welsh production companies are well placed to develop, exploit and benefit from film-based intellectual property. This in turn feeds a host of other distribution channels, including television, DVD, internet based distribution, soundtrack and the exploitation of ancillary markets, such as stageplays and radio. Film is a challenging environment, requiring careful and company specific thought on how best to provide capacity for the long lead in time for developing and sustaining talent relationships and individual projects, whilst ensuring there is sufficient turnover and opportunities for profit to maintain viability. There are several examples of UK companies that have thrived in this area, including Revolution, Blueprint, Sigma and Warp, and we want to ensure the best opportunities for Welsh companies to similarly excel.”

“As the Welsh Assembly Government has underlined in its Economic Renewal Programme, this sector has significant potential to bring a wide range of economic, social, cultural and educational benefits to Wales. We are therefore particularly interested in developing the commercial expertise and business acumen of film producers while additionally focusing on innovation, technology and a networked approach.”
Sue Jeffries of Skillset Academi+ adds: “Skillset Academi+ was set up to make the industry stronger and with a wider focus coming out of recession. Our intention also was to make the Welsh media industries capable of competing, not with each other, but within the wider context of the UK and Europe. Film Junction met these criteria like no other course that has been before in Wales. It exposes Welsh producers to industry mentors with a proven track record, and gives them a taste of how to run a film production company effectively. SA+ is proud to finance Film Junction, due to the breadth of its ambition, the quality of its mentors and training, and the strong leadership skills of Angus Finney, backed by Film Agency research and industry knowledge.”

BUSINESS ACUMEN AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS TRAINING

‘HOW TO CREATE A CROSS-MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT BRAND’
…

1+2 December 2010, Cardiff

ONLY
A LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE – MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS THIS
OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME!

DATES – 1+2 December 2010

LOCATION – CYFLE Training Centre, Cardiff

COST – two days for a fantastic £150+VAT

FURTHER INFORMATION -
http://www.cyfle.co.uk/training-and-skills/professional-development/short-courses/trionacampbell

TO BOOK A PLACE OR ASK A QUESTION PLEASE CONTACT –

caernarfon@cyfle.co.uk/ 01286 685242

******
This course is funded by S4C, TAC and Skillset Academi+ and is supported by Skillset Cymru

|||

|||
|||
|||
|||
|||

As part of the MIKE project, CIRIC at Swansea Metropolitan University is organising a media financing seminar at the SONY Technium, Bridgend at 2pm on 10th November 2010 for businesses in TV, Film, Animation, Interactive Media or Games. Ben Grass of PureGrass Films is our guest speaker. He will talk to us about his successful approach to raising finance for the development of film and media for other platforms. The goal of this

session will be to focus on the importance of this approach to developing your production strategy.
After the seminar we will take a tour of Dragon DI and their grading theatre, complete with a massive 7-metre screen (the largest in the UK) served by the best in digital and film projection.

Please contact james.moxey@smu.ac.uk to confirm that you would like to attend this seminar.

Skillset Media Academy Wales are pleased to announce the launch of their new website:

www.mediaacademywales.org

Skillset Media Academy Wales is a centre of excellence in vocational media education and training in Wales. Offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses, short courses and Continuous Professional Development, the Academy brings together academia and industry to foster new talent and ensure an innovative and thriving media industry.

As a member of the UK-wide Skillset Media Academy network, its work is endorsed and supported by industry. Carrying the Skillset Tick is a mark of quality, assuring students and industry-alike that courses and training meet the highest standards, as set by Skillset’s industry stakeholders.

The Academy encourages innovation through collaborative partnerships between universities and the media industry, at home and internationally.  Skillset Media Academy Wales is the largest Higher Education partnership within the UK-wide network, bringing together South and Mid Wales, and teaching in both English and Welsh, in its mission to prepare students and graduates to work in the media industry.

The partnership involves the University of Wales, Newport; Aberystwyth University; Swansea Metropolitan University; and the University of Glamorgan.

Together, the partners offer industry-focused, practice-based education in a range of creative disciplines, including:

• Animation, 2D, 3D and CGI
• Media Production: including Radio; Film & TV Production; Scriptwriting; Fashion, Advertising and Documentary Photography; Documentary Film
• Digital Media, including Interactive Media and Games Design

Established in 2009, the Media Academy has worked closely with sister organisation Skillset Screen Academy Wales to develop collaborative projects to meet the needs of the Welsh media industry and share best practice. One such initiative is Skillset Academi+.

In September 2010, the Media and Screen Academies will merge under the name of Skillset Media Academy Wales, increasing the provision of creative media education in Wales and offering a more diverse range of courses.

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED: WWW.MEDIAACADEMYWALES.ORG

For all enquiries contact Alex Gallop on 02920 480453 / 01633 432679

12 Places Newly Available for ‘Assessing and Supporting Your Business’ (tailored to SMEs and Sole Traders) and ‘Preparing Future Leaders and Managers’ (tailored to rising stars within production companies)