17-19 August 2016, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival has teamed up with Crossover Labs to launch the EDEF 360: VR Filmmaking Lab Supported by Creative Skillset.
This three-day, hands on workshop will offer filmmakers and creative makers the skills necessary to create engaging 360⁰ video content to be viewed in virtual reality.
Making the move from traditional filmmaking to 360⁰ film requires a recalibration of production skills and this event will reveal the technical process of creating 360⁰ video as well as the opportunities and challenges that creating narrative content for VR can offer, all under the guidance of a team of expert industry mentors.
The Mentors
Mark Atkin – As a director of Crossover, Mark has been delivering training and mentoring for many years. He also curates the Alternate Realities strand at Sheffield Doc/Fest, which features the best in interactive and VR factual storytelling. Mark is also an award winning independent producer having won two Lovies and a BAFTA for Digital Creativity.
He has worked as Multiplatform Commissioner for Channel 4 and as a Commissioning Editor at SBS-TV.
He recently produced the BBC’s first VR commission, Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel.
Phil Harper – Phil Harper is a digital producer, writer and director. He started his career at ITN, managing the growth of their YouTube news channel to half a million subscribers in twelve months. He then joined Atlantic Productions where he was instrumental in creating Alchemy VR, a company using Virtual Reality as a medium for storytelling.
He wrote and produced three innovative VR films, two of which feature an original narration by Sir David Attenborough. Both are now on show at the Australian Museum of Natural History in Sydney.
He is now entirely focused on his own production company IMRGE, which specialises in digital and immersive storytelling.
Catherine Allen – Catherine is a digital producer and director, with a multidisciplinary background of documentary, apps, VR and theatre. She recently produced one of the BBC’s first VR documentaries, Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel. Catherine begun her career co-founding the factual production company, Ember Television and built it to be one of Birmingham’s largest online video production companies. She then worked as Head of Marketing and a producer at acclaimed educational app publisher, Touchpress; working on BAFTA-winning Disney Animated and producing the critically-acclaimed Elmer the Patchwork Elephant kids’ app.
James Hedley – James is an experienced VR Director/Producer working at London based VR production company, Surround Vision. Having first worked in 360° filmmaking over 5 years ago, James has developed VR projects with broadcasters and organisations such as Sky, BBC, C4 and the UN.
For James, audience liberation in VR filmmaking is what makes it special. The filmmaker isn’t necessarily the sole storyteller, but instead provides a world and a set of situations that the characters and the audience interact within. Striving to tell stories that connect people and directly-challenge common perceptions, his work aims to bridge the gap between the viewer and the characters’ within his films.
Having recently showcased his live action VR documentary ‘Simon‘ at the London Film Festival and at Cannes international Film Festival, James strongly believes that using Virtual Reality, as a tool for intimate filmmaking, will help it to become the new golden standard of immersive storytelling.
The Course
Day One will provide an overview of VR, 360⁰ video and production techniques. This will be followed by guided hands-on experience with 360⁰ cameras and post-production software, demonstrating what it takes to deliver state-of-the-art VR content.
Attendees will then form small teams and begin planning a short 360⁰ film which they will spend the rest of the lab creating.
Crossover’s team of practicing industry mentors will provide guidance on the technical aspects of 360⁰ video production as well as offering insight into the challenges and opportunities posed by VR.
This is a hands on course during which each participant will plan, shoot and deliver a VR project as part of a small team. Attendees will be collaborating with artists, producers and directors, all interested in developing VR content. By the end of the course participants will not only have a well-rounded overview of the production techniques but their own 360⁰ video content to share and use.
The Cost
The course fee is £150 for the full 3 days
Lunch and all necessary equipment will be provided in the cost.
Accommodation and travel are not included – particpants will need to make their way to Edinburgh for the duration of the course.
This course is subsidised by Creative Skillset
Participant criteria
This course is open to filmmakers, directors, creative producers aged 18+ that are interested in developing an understanding of this emerging medium.
Participants from all creative mediums – e.g. dance, theatre, live performance are encouraged to apply as well as those with filmmaking experience. We will ask you to detail your creative experience at the point of application.
EDEF and Crossover encourage applications from under represented minorities including women, people of minority ethnic origin or diverse sexual orientation.
Application
To apply for a place on the course, complete the application form.
The deadline for applications is Monday 1 August 2016
Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 5 August of their success; the full course fee will be payable on acceptance and in advance of the course commencing.
If you have any questions, please contact
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