26th of June

The Wales Games Dev Showcase will offer public and industry an insight into the companies creating and distributing Games from Wales and the Universities developing new talent in this growing sector. With exhibition spaces, master classes and more this is now a key event in the media calendar.

www.walesgamesdevshow.org

Leading creative industry and digital sector companies will meet to showcase and discuss the digital future of the creative media industries in Wales during Digital Cardiff Week, which will be hosted by Wales Millennium Centre from June 24 to 27.

This ground-breaking event will bring together the best talent in the public, private, educational and training sectors to explore new ideas, innovation and opportunities across the whole digital spectrum.

The event is led by a number of partners, including BBC Cymru Wales, S4C, Cardiff Council, Creative Skillset Cymru, BAFTA Cymru, Media Academy Wales and the Welsh Government

http://digital-futures-day.eventbrite.com/#

Creative Skillset Cymru has launched its DIGITAL TALENT FUND! – to support your bespoke training requirements.

What is the Digital Talent Fund?
The aim of Creative Skillset Cymru’s Digital Talent Fund is to offer support to companies to address bespoke training requirements with a particular focus on developing skills associated with creating new products and services that can be exploited across multiple digital platforms and in international markets. For example, a company may need to rapidly access specific skills ,appoint an expert in the field for the short term duration of a project, up-skill members of staff working on a new production or send existing staff on specific training.

How much financial support is available?
Companies are restricted to apply for an award of £10,000, the company submitting the application must provide cash funds of 25% in support of the overall project/programme cost. In very exceptional circumstances the maximum award may be increased.

Are you eligible?
Companies must be based in or employing people living in West Wales, the Valleys, or North West Wales. To view full eligibility guidelines please click here.

How to apply
Eligible companies are required to complete and submit an application form along with supporting documentary evidence to demonstrate their eligibility via email to Creative Skillset Cymru’s Project Administrator at nerysr@creativeskillset.org by 12.00 noon on Monday 12 November 2012 applications received after this time/date will NOT be accepted. For a copy of the application form please click here.

Further information
If you require further information on the Digital Talent Fund including details of the application process please visit the Creative Skillset Cymru website at http://www.creativeskillset.org/uk/cymru/digital_economy/ or contact Jane Davies, Project Co-ordinator at Creative Skillset Cymru on 02920 459154 or e-mail janed@creativeskillset.org

This activity will be carried out as part of Creative Skillset Cymru’s £4.5m Skills for the Digital Economy programme, which is backed with £2.7m from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government, with the rest of the funds provided by Welsh broadcaster S4C, the trade association for independent producers in film and television in Wales, Teledwyr Annibynnol Cymru (TAC) and Creative Skillset Cymru.

We want to deliver our courses in the way that best suits you. That way we’ll help as many creative professionals in Wales to gain more skills and contacts. Please help us to know what you want by filling out the survey below.

Creative professionals who are attending the Skillset Academi+ Production Accounting course are to benefit from placements at the BBC.

Production Accounting is a short course for professional accountants and those involved in media production who wish to broaden their skills. Each participant who completes the assessed project will be provided with a short placement on set and/or in a production office at BBC Cymru.

Participants will experience first hand the way that the different production areas – design, art direction, camera, sound, and postproduction – impact on the creation and handling of the budget.

The placements are to include two days on Eastenders at Elstree Studios learning how to keep track of design costs; one day on Casualty and one day with the contracting team at Roath Lock studying the implications of contracting crew on Schedule D vs Schedule E; and two days on a Drama production exploring how a Production Accountant can add value by reviewing production budgets.

Debbie Somerville, Head of Production Accounting at the BBC said: “We are keen to increase the Production Accounting talent base in South Wales and, by working with the participants, we are able to identify potential and provide opportunities for development.”

“The course was developed with the BBC who is keen to see new entrants into the industry. The quality and range of placements that have been provided by the BBC to suit the students’ needs has exceeded all our expectations. This opportunity will allow the participants to gain valuable work experience – and it’s a golden opportunity to network within the industry,” said Mike Parker, Lecturer on the Production Accounting course.

Mike is an award winning independent Producer whose credits include Satellite City, A Mind to Kill, Rancid Aluminium, I Know You Know and 7 Lives. Also teaching on the course are Lucy Drake, Senior Production Accountant for the BBC, and Isabel Chick, a freelance Production Accountant based in Wales with over 30 years of experience with major broadcasters and independent production companies.

Skillset Academi+ provides fully/part-funded training for creative professionals in the convergence area of Wales. We work in partnership with the University of Wales, Newport, Swansea Metropolitan University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and Aberystwyth University. The Skillset Academi+ scheme is part of the Work Based Learning Programme, funded by the EU’s Convergence European Social Fund (ESF) through the Welsh Government.

Find out more about Skillset Academi+ courses or sign up for more information here. 

Production companies with a feature film focus have the unique opportunity to be mentored by established distribution executives, thanks to the latest iteration of the Film Agency for Wales’ ‘Film Junction’ programme.

Film Junction: Market Mentors will offer 12 film producers/company managers the opportunity to participate in a six-month mentored programme, led by international film industry executive, consultant and author, Angus Finney.   The focus will be on developing film content with a view to its UK and international market and exploitation across various digital platforms, including soundtrack, broadcasting, games and web content.

Programme leader, Angus Finney, who has been involved in raising more than $120m towards independent film production in addition to managing the annual London Production Finance Market, commented:  “All too often distribution is an after-thought rather than essential element for emerging producers. We hope that by bringing market practice into the training and packaging process, producers will benefit both creatively and commercially.”

Pauline Burt, Chief Executive of the Film Agency for Wales explains: “Building the capacity and profitability of film businesses is a priority for us as we work to further embed digital economy opportunities. There is far greater scope to connect with audiences, understand consumer behaviour and develop the intellectual property more widely.  Producers and distributors are entrepreneurs at heart and this is a time for innovation and where closer and earlier collaboration could reap real rewards”

The Film Junction Market Mentor programme is funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund as part of ‘A Bigger Future 2’, the UK film skills strategy.  Dan Simmons, Head of Film at Creative Skillset commented: “This is the first programme we have supported that provides mentoring for emerging Producers by leading Distributors. With the film industry urging Producers and Distributors to work ever

more closely together, this scheme will permit mutual understanding of need between two related but different film sectors, which we hope will enable better deal-making skills for Producers as well as enable professional relationships that could extend beyond the structured training. We look forward to observing the outcomes for both Producers and Distributors alike.”

A previous Film Junction participant John Giwa-Amu of Red and Black Films, commented that ‘The previous programme was a turning point that allowed me to see the film business in far greater clarity. Further courses like this are very welcome indeed.’ John has recently wrapped on his feature The Machine, directed by Caradog James and represented internationally by Content.

The programme is also sponsored by Wiggin Media Law Firm, Swansea Metropolitan University’s Creative Industries Research and Innovation Centre and Skillset Media Academy Wales.

Further information and application forms can be found at www.film-junction.co.uk

The Cross-Media Forum  16 – 19 October 2012

NFT1, BFI Southbank, London

PttP’s 6^th annual Cross-Media Forum, held in association with the 56^th BFI London Film Festival, will hear from some of the most influential and innovative people working across film, TV, advertising, publishing, interactive and games from around the world.

16 October – Conference

An impressive line-up of leading international digital experts and award-winning creatives including Sean Stewart (USA), lead writer and founder of Emmy-nominated Fourth Wall Studios; interactive film maker and producer for Caviar Films Peter De Maegd (BEL); NFB Canada’s Head of Digital Content & Strategy whose multi-award-winning projects include Bear 71, Loc Dao (CAN) who will showcase the company’s latest interactive projects; digital rights and licensing expert, Wendy Bernfeld (NETH) (Former CEO at Canal + International Acquisitions) who will discuss new digital licensing opportunities.

17 October – The Pixel Pitch competition

Part of PttP’s Pixel Market – the only event in the world dedicated to financing cross-media projects – The Pixel Pitch is an incredible opportunity to find out what kinds of projects commissioners and top-level executives are looking to fund, and how best to approach them.

Eight trailblazing teams will pitch their ideas to an auspicious jury, competing for the prestigious £6,000 ARTE Pixel Pitch Prize.

This year’s jury panel includes head of Channel 4’s multi-platform commissioning team Louise Brown (UK); Nick Cohen (UK), managing partner & head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising; McCann Erickson’s chief insights and innovation officer Wayne Fletcher (USA/UK); senior production and development executive for the BFI Film Fund, Lizzie Francke (UK); director of digital initiatives at the Tribeca Film Institute, Ingrid Kopp (USA); head of web, new writing & transmedia at France Télévisions, Boris Razon (FR); director of Wallimage CrossMedia & chairman of Cine-Regio, Philippe Reynaert (BEL).

The jury will give direct feedback to contestants, offering the audience an opportunity to find out what ideas turn them on and the kinds of partnerships they’re looking to form in the future.

View the full list of speakers:
http://www.powertothepixel.com/events-and-training/pttp-events/london-forum-2012/speakers-jury

Tickets and Registration:
http://powertothepixel.com/events-and-training/pttp-events/london-forum-2012/register

For more info contact:
info@powertothepixel.com
+44 (0)20 7535 6720