ScreenSkills is joining forces with Escape Studios to create an online suite of free workshops for freelancers and furloughed media professionals, taking place between 15 and 26 March 2021.
The 14-day bootcamp is supported by ScreenSkills’ Film and High-end TV Skills Funds with contributions from productions and has the aim of helping screen professionals with an interest in virtual production to integrate the software Unreal Engine into their future projects.
Workshops will be offered at beginner and intermediate level. Participants will learn about the fundamentals of Unreal Engine, a real-time 3D creation platform for photoreal visuals and immersive experiences that was originally developed for games.
Following this participants can choose to attend relevant themed sessions, on topics including real-time fundamentals and scene building, environments, lighting, FX and integration with Unreal and Houdini. In the final week a focus will be placed on adding detail and drama.
Emma Turner, ScreenSkills’ CPD lead, said: “In these extraordinary times it’s more clear than ever that is important that we innovate and prepare industry to work with emerging and new tech. We believe that our investment in the Unreal Fortnight will help future-proof the industry, embrace virtual production and enable professionals whatever their background to get in and get on.”
Jacqui Taunton Fenton, ScreenSkills’ senior HETV training liaison manager, said: “Inclusion sits at the heart of our work. This includes making sure that people can access opportunities to help them upskill and stay up-to-date regardless of where they are based. We hope that the online nature of the bootcamp will help enable the growth of skills in Unreal Engine and real-time production in all nations and regions of the UK.”
Saint Walker, Deputy Dean at Escape Studios, said: “As a result of the ongoing pandemic, hundreds of talented production professionals are unable to work, so our objective is to prepare the industry for eventual growth when restrictions are lifted and promote new ways of working safely.
“We’re extremely grateful to ScreenSkills for supporting this programme, which will benefit industry professionals around the UK, particularly in regions where there are less opportunities for this kind of training.”
The real-time engine training is one example of emerging and new tech courses ScreenSkills is investing in this year. Other sessions that received funding aim at demystifying virtual production and pre-visualisation in film including budgeting and scheduling for virtual production.