Creative Digital Media careers in Film and TV

Yen YauTalent Development Manager

Into Filmyen.yau@intofilm.org

@yenyau

The Bigger Picture

• Creative employment outpaces rest of economy

• The creative economy is one of the few industrial areas where the UK has a credible claim to be world–leading

• Equipping young people with transferable skills, 21st century skills.

• Skills shortageshttp://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/uk-creative-overview

New figures reveal that the UK’s Creative Industries are now worth £84.1 billion per year to the UK economy (DCMS, Jan 2016)

•UK’s Creative Industries grew by 8.9 per cent in 2014 - almost double UK economy as a whole

•UK’s Creative Industries generate nearly £9.6million per hour

•2016 set to be another blockbuster year for UK’s music, film, video games, TV and publishing sectorshttp://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/uk-creative-overview/news-and-

views/star-wars-powered-by-uk-creativity

BAFTA Career Pathway Survey (2012)http://www.bafta.org/initiatives/supporting-talent/bafta-career-pathways-survey

Challenges faced byaspirants of careersin film, TV or games:• Careers advice on film,

television or games is hard to find

• Industry contacts more helpful than careers advisors

• Aspirants less satisfied with formal careers advice

Reasons forrejecting a careerin film, TV or games:• Unclear routes and

lack of role models• Careers in film and

television still seen as limited to better- off Londoners with existing links to the industry

• Females are more likely to be discouraged than males

The skills, roles,Work experience,information deficit:• Young people are not

necessarily aware of industry skills requirements

• Many are now planning to go into careers which contain skills that could be used in film, television or games.

Stages of making a film

Connecting to the Curriculum Production accountants to make sure films come

in on budget (maths)

Production designers (art, design, architecture) to define and create every visual aspect of a film

Producers (law, business studies, maths) to develop projects, find the finance and pull the different players together

Script supervisors (English) to ensure that there is continuity in the script

Riggers and carpenters (construction) to build sets

DIT or digital imaging technicians (ICT, computer science, physics/STEM), to back up the camera and sound files, checking for technical errors

Compositors (STEM, art, computer science), to put together all the various layers of computer generated images in visual effects

Skills needed by the film industry (Creative Skillset 2016)

• In-demand roles• Production Manager• 1st, 2nd & 3rd ADs• Costume Supervisors• Steadicam• DITs• Digital asset

management• Studio management• Script supervisors• 3D Rigging

• Priority skills• Make-up in HD• Wig application• Period hair• Prosthetics• Sound recording• Editing 3D• Pre-visualisation

Creative Industries Strategy 2014

Good time to be working in the VFX industry

The Skills Shortage - VFXUK National Shortage Occupation ListRelates to jobs under Tier 2 of the new five-tier system.

If the job is on the shortage occupation list then an employer can offer the job to an overseas person without having first fulfilled the Resident Labour Market Test by advertising the vacancy in the UK. The list is current at 14 November, 2011 but is subject to change at any time..

Producers and directors in the following roles within visual effects and 2D / 3D computer animation for film, television or video games: 2D supervisor, 3D supervisor, computer graphics supervisor, producer, production manager, technical director, visual effects supervisor.

Graphic Designers roles within visual effects and 2D / 3D computer animation for film, television or video games: compositing artist, matte painter, modeller, rigger, stereo artist, texture artist

http://www.iop.org/publications/iop/2015/page_65434.html

Where is the science?

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/04/pixar-director-of-photography-danielle-feinberg

VFX Film Resources

•The Core Skills of VFX http://www.skillset.org/animation/qualifications/article_8377_1.asp

•Breakdown showreelshttp://www.artofvfx.com/?p=6591

http://www.moving-picture.com/showreels/vfx-breakdowns/

•Individual Career Profiles and Case studieshttp://www.dneg.com/career_profiles/

Developing a Portfolio• The FoundryNUKE – The award-winning tool for visual effects and the industry’s standard

software (http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/nuke/non-commercial/)• AutodeskMaya – 3D computer animation, modeling, visual effects and rendering software

tool(http://www.autodesk.com/education/home)• FusionTools for compositing, keying, painting, animation, stereoscopic 3D and more, all in

a single application. Currently only available for windows(https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/fusion)• SculptrisIf you're new to the world of digital sculpting, Sculptris is the ideal ground on which

to get started(http://pixologic.com/sculptris/)

What we associate with feature films

What we probably don’t imagine

Examples of technology impacting on film-making

• Cloud and collaborative workflows

• Drone cameras• Jaunt VR/Go Pros• 3D printing

Source of image: CosProp http://www.cosprop.com/

Craft and Technical departments

Costume & Hair/Make Up DepartmentsLighting/Camera & Grips Departments

Construction Department

What skills do you need?

• Has a film related degree

• First aid certificate• Can speak foreign

languages• Has made a short film• Has a driving license• Has a university degree

Ranked in order according to employers

1. Has a driving license2. Has a university degree3. Has made a short film4. Can speak foreign

languages5. Has a film related degree6. First aid certificate

Useful Websites

• BAFTA Guru• Double Negative• Escape Studios• Shooting People• Screen International• The CG Society• Creative Skillset• College of Production

• BBC Academy• BFI Film Academy Network

(for 16-19 year olds)• Film Distributors

Association• Creative Choices /CCS• UK Film Export• Creative Access