If you’re interested in working in Virtual Reality; Augmented Reality, Virtual Production or the Metaverse – and have experience in filmmaking; gaming; architecture; 3D animation; drama; documentary OR if you’re a total beginner but seriously enthusiastic about any of above – then Immersive Wexford could be for you!

Launching in the first weeks of 2022, Immersive Wexford is a training programme in the field of Immersive Technologies providing practical insights into the new advances in production that are helping revolutionise the entertainment and gaming industries internationally. 

Screen Wexford has developed Immersive Wexford  in response to the range of opportunities opening up across the broader screen industries. The launching of this bespoke programme is an important step towards positioning the region to take advantage of the new advances in technology in the immersive realm. Our intention is to provide a gateway to pursue careers in this exciting and fast-paced industry.

Immersive Wexford is a chance to explore and to upskill in this rapidly evolving field through a series of masterclasses and workshops run by industry leaders and practitioners through a combination of online events and in-person immersive labs between January and May 2022. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be exploring Virtual Reality, Virtual Production, Augmented Reality, the Metaverse and meta humans, Volumentric capture, 360 filmmaking, Game Engines and much more.  

These online events will be available to new entrants, training graduates and current practitioners based in Wexford and the wider film sector in both Ireland and the UK.

Online sessions will be recorded for internal use only and are not available to the public.

CLICK HERE to register your interest and receive updates on the programme.

DATE:                Thursday 18th August 2022

TIME:                 1230pm – 130pm approx

LOCATION:      Online via Zoom. Register in advance for this webinar via the below link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_00BCA30qS9eOtLEz9ruRfw

COST:               It’s on us (courtesy of Screen Wexford & Screen Ireland)

ACCESS:          Open access – anyone can join! Please register at least 24hrs in advance.

Welcome to the final session of this Immersive Wexford series.

In this masterclass we’re going to gain key insights into Virtual Production for Art Department from Production Designers experienced with these new tools: Lucy Van Lonkhuyzen & Fiona Cunningham.

Is this session for you? It’s aimed at people who are …

– Curious about developing skills in this new field including artists, architects, 3D developers, game designers, etc. or anyone keen to learn, or interested in working in the art dept.
– Currently working in the film or TV sector and interested in re-training or up-skilling in the area of Virtual Production

The Masterclass will aim to cover:

– Art Department in the Virtual Production space – making the impossible possible
– Why use volume studio / LED walls / screens?
– What does it take to work in this field?
– Workflow and the creative process: collaborating with Director / DOP/ Producers
– Creating the environment: combining set and screen
– Getting the right image on screen
– Additional skillsets to facilitate a growing industry
– Case Studies: Modern Love & Dancing With The Stars

SPEAKERS:

LUCY VAN LONKHUYZEN – Production Designer | Set Decorator

Lucy is a graduate of The National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Having completed her formative training @ RTE, she began her freelance career and over the course of 20 years has worked on numerous Irish & International productions. Recent credits include Vikings, Into the Badlands, Sally Rooney’s Normal People, The New York Times “Modern Love” & Lorcan Finnegan’s “Nocebo”. Lucy was long listed for a BAFTA & awarded an IFTA for her work on Normal People. She was recently awarded a “Silver” IICAD award for her work on Bank of Ireland’s’ Times Change campaign.

FIONA CUNNINGHAM – Production Designer | Scenographer | Creative Director | Concept Developer | Art Director | Tutor

Fiona originally trained as a Fine Artist and then mastered in Production Design and Collaborative Arts. She has worked predominantly in TV but also in Theatre and Film. Her recent credits include Modern Love for Amazon Prime, Dancing With The Stars, Last Singer Standing and The Six O’Clock Show. Other credits include Ireland AM, News Studio, The Voice, MasterChef, The Cutting Edge, Pat Kenny in the Round, The Consumer Show and Celebrity Apprentice. Fiona regards collaboration as an important aspect of the design process. Firstly between herself and the client and also between herself as production designer, the creative art team and the of other creative disciplines that are vital in the making of a high quality production. 

Please note that this Masterclass will be recorded for internal use only. This recording will not be available for public dissemination after the session.

DATE:                Thursday 28th April 2022

TIME:                 1230pm – 2pm

LOCATION:      Online via Zoom. Register in advance for this webinar via the below link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PXw5qFRUQFeR3pb5woH4TQ

COST:               It’s on us (courtesy of Screen Wexford & Screen Ireland)

ACCESS:          Open access – anyone can join!

In this masterclass we look at Virtual Production and Unreal Engine with Virtual Production Supervisor Mark Pilborough-Skinner. Virtual Production (VP) is a rapidly growing area of content production. By combining CGI and game-engines such as Unreal Engine, VP enables completely new ways of making film and TV, from virtual scouting, to set design, to real-time, on-set visual effects. VP techniques impact many core disciplines within filmmaking, from cinematography, to production design, VFX, animation, directing and beyond.

Mark Pilborough-Skinner is currently the Virtual Production Supervisor at Garden Studios where he leads all virtual production and heads up a team of talented VFX artists and technicians. Mark joined Garden Studios at its inception to help build and run the UK’s first permanent virtual production stage – bringing the expertise and experience gained in his previous role at Satore Studio, where he worked on innovative VR, XR and VP projects in the live events, arts and music spaces. Mark is passionate about experimentation with new production technologies and is an enthusiastic evangelist for the possibilities of virtual production in the film and TV space. He holds a BSc in Games Programming from London’s SAE Institute.

In this masterclass, Mark will cover:

– Virtual Production
– Introduction to Game Engines
– Overview of UE4 Interface
– Setting up & Lighting a Scene
– Configuration for VP
– Launching and Optimising a VP scene

This masterclass is geared towards:

– Freelancers from the film, tv and animation industry who want to learn Virtual Production tools and techniques
– Film professionals who have industry experience and wish to upskill in the new roles that Virtual Production offers
– Anyone curious about developing skills in this new field

Please note that this Masterclass will be recorded for internal use only. This recording will not be available for public dissemination after the session.

DATE:                      8th – 10th April 2022

TIME:                       Friday 8th: 10am – 530pm // Saturday 9th: 1030am – 5pm  //  Sunday 10th: 1030am – 5pm

LOCATION:            Gorey School of Art

COST:                      It’s on us (courtesy of Screen Skills Ireland)
ACCESS:                 Wexford based participants only

OUTLINE: 

Screen Wexford’s Immersive Weekender is an intensive introduction to working in the immersive space, led by UK-based creative studio Anagram, this lab will give those who are new to the sector a coherent overview to working in the space – as well as some hands on demonstrations and activities.

Virtual Reality Producer Camille Donegan will deliver creative concepts relating to VR Storytelling.

12 participants will be selected to take part in the weekender which will involve:

– understanding the immersive landscape;
– an overview of leading companies and projects in the field;
– comprehensive introduction to writing and recruiting for immersive;
– hands on experience of trying AR and VR work;
– an introduction to creating in Unity.

ABOUT ANAGRAM:

Anagram is an award-winning creative studio specialising in thought-provoking interactive  storytelling and immersive experience design.

With a background in documentary film, animation and interactive game design, the studio specialises in exploiting the most recent advances in immersive technologies – including VR, AR and other XR tools. From meticulously designed theatrical sets to ancient buildings to just anywhere outside in the wild – each piece gets you entangled with a place.

Recent works include Goliath: Playing with Reality (2021) narrated by Tilda Swinton, Messages to a Post Human Earth (2021), A Face to Open Doors (2020) and The Collider (2019).

Winners of the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work at the 2021 Venice International FIlm Festival (for Goliath), Anagram have also been awarded the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes Award, the 2019 Sandbox Immersive Art Award, part of the Best VR in 2019 at the Venice International Film Festival.

Anagram was named in the Createch 100 ones to watch for 2020 by the Creative Industries Council and selected twice for Columbia University’s Digital Dozen Breakthroughs in Digital Storytelling (in 2015 and 2019).

TO APPLY:

– Prepare a short piece (up to 100 words) as to why you feel this training may be beneficial to you
– Submit a short CV
– Upload both to https://99yd018aio7.typeform.com/to/v2xylej8

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:

Wednesday 3oth March @ 12pm

DATE: Tuesday 8th March 2022

TIME: 2pm – 3.30pm

LOCATION: Online via Zoom // Register in advance for this webinar via the below link:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-IVWbH_LQY6Gxr9t5fTiqQ

COST: It’s on us (courtesy of Screen Skills Ireland)

ACCESS: Open access – anyone can join!

Immersive Wexford continues its series of ground-breaking XR masterclasses by shifting its focus to: VIRTUAL PRODUCTION

A studio-based production technique, Virtual Production (VP) delivers real-time visual effects that were previously only achievable in post-production. In doing so, VR has become one of the fastest growing areas of job creation in the film and television industry – and also one of the most innovative and exciting. By combining game-engines, CGI, virtual reality technologies and LED walls; VP brings visual effects onto the film-set allowing them be filmed simultaneously with actors, props, sets etc. As a work tool, VP is also re-shaping areas of the filmmaking process that include virtual location scouting and set design.

In our latest 90 minute online panel discussion, IMMERSIVE WEXFORD hosts top industry professionals sharing insights, experiences and practical advice; covering areas such as work processes, equipment, training, post-production workflow, entry to the industry, etc. We will speak to people who are curious about expanding their learning in this space – from total beginner to industry professional looking to enter into this exciting area.

If this interests you, come and meet our panel:

John Conroy, Cinematographer – ISC / ASC:

John Conroy is a veteran Cinematographer with over thirty years of experience in the industry. He has amassed a credit list of over 75 productions, and worked with such esteemed directors as Tim Burton, Ron Howard, Paul Greengrass, Jim Sheridan and John Boorman. His feature credits include The Sea and the award-winning Parked. He lensed Rupert Everett’s directorial debut, The Happy Prince, and Idris Elba’s Yardie. Recently, John shot the second season of anthology series The Terror: Infamy for AMC, which garnered him a win at the ASC awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography. He has also amassed credits working as a cinematographer in VP environments.

Eliza McLoughlin, VP Creative Producer @ High Res:

Eliza McLaughlin is Head of Virtual Production at High Res, which is currently one of Europe’s leading VP solutions providers, specialising in LED system integration and consultancy services. High Res is always at the forefront of pushing new and emerging technology to enhance storytelling. As a Creative Producer Eliza has a lot of experience working closely with production creatives, in specifying and implementing VP solutions and workflows on set for episodic and feature projects. Eliza has worked on Amazon Prime’s Modern Love, Studio Canal’s Retribution and Apple TV’s Foundation amongst others.

Paul Conlon, Technical Manager @ 24-7 Drama:

Paul Conlon is Technical and Rental Manager at 24-7 Drama Ireland. 24-7 Drama supply camera equipment on everything from  feature films, TV Dramas, commercials, documentaries, music videos, short films. They have recently supplied the camera packages on Modern Love, Kin, Foundation, Normal People, The Green Knigh and many more in the VP environment. 24-7 Drama operates in UK and Ireland with offices in London & Manchester.

Eugene McCrystal, Managing Director & Editor @ Outer Limits Post Production:

Eugene McCrystal is the Managing Director of Outer Limits Post Production based in Dun Laoghaire. Outer Limits work on a great mix of quality local and international projects across the Broadcast, Drama, Film, Commercials & VFX industry. Eugene has been involved with several VP pipelines mainly stitching and colourspace management.

Topics will also include:

– Workflow and pipeline changes;

– Advancements in the industry;

– The transition into virtual production;

– Working with equipment in the VP space;

– Lighting;

– Editing & stitching;

– How to get into it and more!

More speakers will be added soon. Watch this space!

If you would like to learn more about Virtual Production in advance of the panel discussion, see Screen Skill’s UK’s Making Virtual Production Real with Matt Rank from Netflix.

DATE: 10 February 2o22

TIME: 1230pm-2pm

LOCATION: Online via Zoom // Register in advance for this webinar via the below link:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FAc8Vc_MSEuAIBO1VCfS8w

ANAGRAM is a creative design studio based in the UK that make interactive and immersive experiences. Each experience gets the audience to move, think, talk – and participate. From meticulously designed theatrical sets to ancient buildings and wild forests – each piece gets the viewer entangled with a place.

With a background in documentary film, animation and interactive game design, the studio specialises in exploiting the most recent advances in immersive technologies. Their ground-breaking animation, award-winning GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY explores the limits of reality in this true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’ and the power of gaming communities. Narrated by Tilda Swinton, we are guided through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games.

Winners of the Grand Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival 2021 in the VR section, the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes award, the 2019 Sandbox Immersive Art award, part of the Best VR in 2019 at the Venice International Film Festival, ANAGRAM have been named in the Createch 100 ones to watch for 2020 by the Creative Industries Council and selected twice for Columbia University’s Digital Dozen Breakthroughs in Digital Storytelling (in 2015 and 2019).

Amy Rose, Creative Director and Co-Founder of ANAGRAM will deliver the masterclass.

Masterclass content will include:

A brisk run through of  award winning immersive work taking in the how’s and why’s of building stories using new technologies, including:

– How do you get people to care?
– Why make VR if you could just make a film?
– How can physical experience contradict and confound virtual experience – in a good way?
– Why are the audience’s ears more important than their eyes?

Covering projects that use VR, AR and other recently possible technologies, Amy will illustrate how making the leap from film/TV into immersive is full of thorny challenges and brilliant opportunities.

Making Seamless Stories with Immersive Technologies will be hosted by Linda Curtin, Screen Wexford’s Film & Television Coordinator.

Immersive Wexford is made possible with support from Screen Ireland, Screen Wexford & Wexford County Council.

DATE: 20 January 2o22

TIME: 1230pm-2pm

LOCATION: Online via Zoom // Register in advance for this webinar via the below link:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jwwdSD4SRoies-pTkzoOIg

This introduction to Virtual Reality Storytelling is Screen Wexford’s first masterclass in the IMMERSIVE WEXFORD programme.

Delivered by VR Producer CAMILLE DONEGAN, this information packed 90 minute online masterclass will introduce participants to the unique characteristics of immersive storytelling in the VR space.

Camille Donegan is a highly experienced VR Producer with a background in theatre and filmmaking. With a range and depth of project insight and technical experience, Camille is one of the most sought-after VR trainers in Ireland.

Masterclass content will include:

– 360 video Vs game engine stories/worlds

– Linear Vs Non linear storytelling

– Character driven Vs world driven storytelling

– How film and theatre embrace immersive storytelling

– VR design principles to ensure user comfort

– Guiding viewer attention in a 360 experience

Storytelling in the VR Space will be hosted by Linda Curtin, Screen Wexford’s Film & Television Coordinator.

Immersive Wexford is made possible with support from Screen Ireland, Screen Wexford & Wexford County Council.