Public Sector Skills Scotland 2008

CCI staff Don Mitchell, Kevin Clark and support supremo John Gilmour, along with colleagues from the Institute of business, management and computing including manager Shaun Marley and Perri Hopkinson delivered a presentation to an audience of peers on the subject of "E-Learning On Demand". This was extremely well received and led to many new contacts being established for the college. The picture shows Don and Shaun working in perfect harmony on the college stand at the event. This picture was not staged and rumours that Dons hands are tied to his chair in the picture are simply not true.

Organ ised

HN Sound Production at St.Serfs Burntisland.

Sound Production students were given an opportunity to exercise their knowledge and skills at this peaceful location yesterday. Outside, in the not-so-fresh air of the popular seaside town, the temperature and humidity soared whilst inside the church, based on the grand design of Truro Cathedral, the atmosphere was cool and calm.

Josephine Quinney, organist for St. Serf's, played the lovingly restored and modernised instrument originally installed in Lochgelly in 1901/2, so that the students could decide which microphone technique would be the most suitable for capturing all of its sonorous resonances and subtle timbres. Despite the roaring traffic and the excited children leaving the nearby school, the students worked efficiently, calmly and above all politely.


Reflecting on the event, Neil McDonald said he'd "forgotten just how calming it was to be inside church and that to be able to have the opportunity [to record] was brilliant experience for the students."

The Audio has to be edited and a sample will be available to hear on the blog soon.
For the future, Sound Production students have been invited back to record the Advent service where the organ will be augmented by a strong voiced choir.
James

Busy times for Sound production students

HND Sound Production students have worked with HND Holistic Therapy students to create a relaxation CD as part of the Holistic Therapy coursework. Each track has a spoken voice instructing the listener how to relax, talking them into a relaxed state. This is supported by soundscape. Sound fx and music.

HNC and D Sound Production students have been involved in the recording and editing of audio for an animated film, funded by the National Lottery, and run through Burntisland Primary School. Launch of the film will be June 08.

NC Media Production students have been working with external client – TIG Productions, assisting in filming for Kodaly Music Instruction DVD for Fife Education Music Services Department.

And finally, HND Sound Production students are involved in the production of a "Rock the Rovers" CD for Raith Rovers and Maggies Centre charity.

Release date for summer 08 - Watch this space .........

Commissioning for Television in Scotland

10 second year HD Television students were given the opportunity to participate in a one day seminar with television commissioning agents and independent producers in Glasgow. The theme of the day centred around the ‘what, when, and how’ of getting your films seen in Scotland.

Ewan Angus from the BBC provided some previously commissioned material and proceeded to discuss the detail and success or failure of the programmes.
Students were given the opportunity to pitch their own ideas in the afternoon portion of the session.

As well as being encouraged to write and to be passionate about their work the group was also given some fairly harsh advice about the potential for failure, especially for the uninitiated.

The students gained valuable insight into what commissioning was all about with some genuine tips on what to do with your script and more importantly what not to do. The students were also encouraged to discuss their ideas with the panel as well as with other students from around Scotland.

Listen up !!

Television students from first and second year HDCIT were once again instrumental to the success of ‘Listen Up’, a lively musical event performed by a 54 piece orchestra at the Rothes Halls.

This was the third year of the collaboration in which television students rigged for the multi-camera broadcast and recording of 7 individual concerts over the week.

In total there were 15 students who gained valuable experience recording a ‘live’ programme where all 4 camera operators had to react to precise cues and move quickly in between shots.

For many of the students who have just completed units in Multi-camera production this was a week which really brought their new skills into force and everyone involved felt the benefit of being involved in this project.

CCI @ Celtic Media Festival 2008 Pt 2

Seven students from ASC were among the twenty-two staff and students who travelled to Galway for the 29th Celtic Media Festival. The feedback from all delegates was that the festival was a resounding success and inspirational to those looking to work in the film and televsion industry.

Ashley Whitelaw from HDCreative Industries: Television said

"I felt that the interaction with the professionls and the time that they took to asnwer questions that we had to ask them was extremely beneficial"

Students attended a range of programmed events and were rewarded with some extremely entertaining and engaging speakers from around the globe.

AW continued "One of the better points of the festival for myself was the way that some of the speakers actually got the audience involved and captivatied in their talks. I particualry enjoyed that talk given to us on Script writing and the development of characters as this was relevant to me at this particular time."

In retrospect, it was amazing to think that you were involved in an animated discussion with Paul Watson, one of the UK's prestigious documentary film makers and two days later turning on the telly to see him winning a special BAFTA award.
The Gala Evening also presented students and staff with the unique opportunity to mingle with everyone present and talk a little shop.

Finally, if the buzz on the return journey was any indication of how successful this event was I predict that CCI students will be queuing up early to get the opportunity to attend the 30th CMF in Wales in 2009.

CCI @ Celtic Media Festival 2008

The Celtic Media Festival is an annual three day celebration of broadcasting, film, talent and media excellence from across Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. The aim of the festival is to promote the languages and cultures of the Celtic countries on screen and in broadcasting. This year's event running on 16th-18th April in Galway includes ‘Exposure', a new dimension of the CMF sponsored by Creative Loop, aims to provide students with exposure to those who have made a career in the media. Doogi Mcmillan, Ray Graham, Aileen Lamden and up to 80 students including those from CCI and other Skillset Media and Screen Academies will be attending the event, which will present a diverse and interesting programme under the strand title "Exposure" alongside the Celtic Media Festival programme over the 3 days. The ‘Exposure' event will also offer students a significant platform to showcase their talent. Among the presenters at the event are, Stuart Cosgrove, Arthur Lappin & Fraser MacLean to name a few.

Digidesign ProTools Instructors Summit

Pinewood studios last week played host to the 2008 Avid / Digidesign ProTools Instructors Summit.

36 Pro Tools instructors from across Europe gathered to learn about new products, exchange stories and ideas, discuss production techniques, develop their skills as Digidesign Certified Instructors (DCI’s) and, er, go to the pub. In addition to the drinking games, the summit also included train-the-trainer courses led by 3 Expert Instructors, and masterclass demonstrations by industry gurus. Don Mitchell and Graham Deas from the CCI represented Adam Smith College’s own ProTools Pro School.

Recently, 3 HND Sound Production students Elaine Paton, Travis Whalley and Chloe Milne passed their ProTools 201 exam, the highest level yet achieved by students while still attending the college.

BBC and HDTV

BBC Pacific Quay Seminar on High Definition Television Tuesday Jan 29’08

The day was all about High Definition Television: technical specifications, new equipment, and the production process, elements of post-production and final delivery of HD. The buzz was definitely the new facilities at Pacific Quay and the dedication and commitment of BBC Scotland to go HiDef.
The head of High Definition Television, Seetha Kumar was on hand to explain the process of mounting a production in HD. This was followed by three very different and varied film director’s experiences of using HD equipment. The BBC broadcast “Vienna” an HD documentary on BBC 4 prior to the seminar and suggested that delegates should view this before attending. The director of ‘Vienna’ extolled the virtues of the new format and offered the audience another chance to view some of the superb images from the documentary.
During the afternoon delegates were split into 3 groups and given the opportunity to browse the studio where a range of HD cameras were set up under a variety of lighting situations. BBC staff and retailers were on hand to assist with any questions.
Secondly there was an opportunity to witness post-production first hand as industry specialists demonstrated some of the drawbacks and changes to production techniques discovered in post while editing HD. Basically, it’s almost too good. HD is now impacting on set designers and make-up artists as every crack, misplaced nail or poorly applied facial will be magnified with HD.
The final discussion and demonstration was on 5.1 surround sound in one of the smaller sound stages. Delegates were able to witness first hand the differences in mono, stereo and 5.1 sound transmission.
There was also a sense that the BBC were sending a bit of a message, we either get into HD even with the added costs incurred, or we will be dependant on a TV schedule of mainly US programmes. I felt it was clear from the number of industry insiders that this was an important and worthwhile event and also a good opportunity to meet some of those responsible for production throughout the UK.

Ray Graham
04/02/08

CCI exchange programme planned

Following a visit to Delhi by CCI Dept manager Kevin Clark, a partnership has been proposed in Visual communication and animation with the Pearl Institute. This would allow exchange visits of staff and students between the institutions and the joint development of an international PDA and cultural based project briefs.

Watch this space....

Fratellis new Fratello

CCI Sound production lecturer Alan Moffat has just returned from 4 weeks engineering duties on the new Fratellis CD – Alan will be describing the whole process in a series of masterclasses so students can hear, first hand, what it takes to make an album with one of the UK’s top acts. Rumours that Alan had allegedly witnessed some of the wilder side of a rock and roll act in a recording studio are reckoned to be wildly exaggerated, although the News of the World has been on the phone to his workroom at Stenton several times in the last week.