Screen Skills Ireland: COVID-19 Compliance Officer Training for the Audio-Visual Sector
Film Craftsmanship Excellence & Learning
Pleased to announce the following guest lecture with Aidan Cunningham. Please note that this will take place on Microsoft Teams from 10.30 – 13.00, Friday 4th December. There will be a follow up with the link mid next week. This is open to all LSAD students and staff, present and past.
As we move closer to the end of this very weird 2020, there are slivers of hope forming on the horizon for the local film industry.
Returning for its second year is the Catalyst Film Festival with its focus again on ‘diversity and diverse storytelling.’
(as per the Catalyst Website HERE)
“Catalyst International Film Festival will present a film programme that prioritises stories and storytellers currently under-represented on screen and behind the camera.
We want to create a more inclusive industry and films screened here will promote gender equality, diversity and inclusion whether in content, key creative roles or crew.
There will also be panel discussions, workshops and Q&As where topical issues of the day will be enthusiastically debated with filmmakers, guest speakers, industry personnel and audience members. We believe that equality is key to enriching filmmaking and audiences and it is core to this festival.”
If you are a film maker who is interested in presenting your diverse idea for film making to a wide audience then why not check out their submission page HERE and see if your work qualifies for the 2021 event. Or you can still check out last years programme of events as well on the website.
Well done to festival Directors and Programmers Susan Liddy and Venessa Gildea, and all the team who are persevering through these difficult times to give film makers a change to have their work recognized. Long may it last.
Last Years Winning Films
Blackmagic Design announced a number of updates to their flagship software package DaVinci Resolve, including additional features to the Colour, Fairlight, Edit and Cut sections. But the additional Hardware announcements have really excited editors. Commenting on the introduction of their keyboard from last year, Blackmagic have teased a new interface in the ‘Speed Editor’.
This is Blackmagic’s answer to Contour Design’s Shuttle Pro or the now aging Avid’s Transport controllers, and from the outset this looks to have a similar retro key design as their Keyboard. This controller is different to the keyboard in that it doesn’t have the traditional QWERTY keyboard layout.
The DaVinci Resolve keyboards have been designed in conjunction with the cut page to make editing dramatically faster. You get physical controls that you can feel in your hands, making the experience much better than software only editing. Unlike a mouse, the machined metal search dial with soft rubber coating allows very accurate search and positioning of the timeline. It feels just like holding the timeline in your hand! Trim keys allow the search dial to be used for live trimming, which is faster because the search dial is larger and more accurate. Editing and trimming with the search dial is a whole new way to work! All of this means DaVinci Resolve is the next generation of editing!
The DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor features a machined metal search dial in a design that includes only the specific keys needed for editing. It also has Bluetooth with internal battery for connecting wirelessly, or you can connect via USB-C. That means it’s more portable than a full sized keyboard!
The DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard is a full sized traditional QWERTY edit keyboard in a premium, all metal design. Featuring a machined metal search dial with clutch, it also includes extra edit, trim and timecode entry keys. It’s even designed to install via a desk cut-out for flush mounting!
The DaVinci Resolve keyboards allow a better quality editing experience because they create a physical connection to the edit that’s deeper than a simple computer mouse. The search dial is a machined metal design so it has a weighted feel and it can be spun fast to move up and down the timeline quickly. However the search dial is more than this because it can be used for live trimming! Simply press one of the trim buttons and the search dial will transform into a large adjustment knob for real time, precise trimming! Once you’ve experienced trimming with the search dial, it’s virtually impossible to go back to a mouse!
Hardware control panels are perfect for fast playback control! Instantly start and stop playback using the “space bar” style button that’s positioned so it can be pressed with your thumb! The shuttle, jog and scroll buttons change the functionof the search dial, so you can edit fast and accurately.
Traditional edit software uses thousands of clips to organize your media, so you need to constantly click and drag clips to edit. That’s too slow for work such as TVCs, news, promos and training videos. However old tape based linear editing had the advantage of all media being played from a videotape, so you could simply fast forward and rewind to see all your shots! Now the cut page has a modern version of the videotape and it’s called the “source tape”. Simply push the source button and use the search dial to scroll through all your media! Plus, the current clip is highlighted live in the bin! After the edit the viewer will stay in the source tape so you can move to the next shot faster.
Entering in and out points is the most used function in editing, so the speed editor keyboard includes large in and out point buttons that you can easily locate by feel. That’s perfect for two handed editing where you’re using your right hand for transport control and your left hand is placing in and out points and performing edits. You can simply scroll along with the search dial and place in and out points anywhere you want! Once the in and out points are set, just reach your fingers up to the edit function buttons to perform the edit. The in and out points can also be used to focus the source tape. Then you can change the source tape back to the whole bin by pressing the escape key.
Editing with a keyboard is different to editing with a mouse, so the cut page editing functions have been upgraded to take advantage of the speed of a keyboard. The edit functions are intelligent and use the “smart indicator” in the timeline to work out where to insert, so most of the time you don’t need to place in or out points in the timeline to do an edit! They are located just above the in and out keys, so are easy to locate by feel. Plus each time you edit, the cut page won’t waste time switching over to the timeline, allowing you to stay in the source tape and visually browse, placing clips continuously. That’s much faster as you can just keep throwing clips into the timeline!
Smart insert is similar to the traditional insert edit function, however it’s smarter as it eliminates the need to switch to the timeline and place an in point. All you need to do is select smart insert and it will locate the nearest edit in the timeline and insert the clip in that location!
Append to end is fantastic for building edits fast. Simply select an in and out point on the clip and then append to end will add the clip to the end of the timeline. Append to end is fantastic when adding shots to an edit from content that’s been shot in time order.
Ripple overwrite is a popular edit function and it lets you replace shots extremely quickly. When applied, it will replace the clip in the timeline with the selected clip and if the clip is a different length, it will adjust the space to accommodate the new clip and ripple the timeline duration.
Close up is best for creating two camera angles from the one camera. Simply shoot your subject with a wide or mid shot, and then when close up is applied, it will create a slightly zoomed in version of the same camera shot and place it on top of the timeline.
Place on top is similar to traditional edit functions and this edit mode will place the clip on top of the background layer that’s already in the timeline. If the timeline doesn’t have a layer above the background layer, it will add a new timeline track and then place the clip on top.
When shooting with multiple cameras and sync timecode, source overwrite lets you browse shots and add cutaways to your timeline. It automatically matches the clip timecode to the timecode of the timeline and places the clip in sync on the layer above. It’s a simpler alternative to multi‑cam!
With a large high quality search dial built into the panel, you get an extremely accurate way to trim shots. With the search dial being such a physically large control, it completely transforms how it feels to trim shots. Plus it’s much faster too! The trim buttons will change the search dial into a trim control and you simply hold the trim buttons and rotate the search dial. This means you can select various trim modes with your left hand while adjusting the trim with your right. It’s extremely fast and the smart indicator in the timeline will let you know which edit you’re trimming. Just move along the timeline and live trim edits. It’s a whole new way to work!
Trim in will adjust the in point of the clip to the right of the transition highlighted in the timeline via the smart indicator. However adjusting trim in on a single clip will reposition the in point on the clip. All adjustments will ripple the timeline duration.
Trim out will adjust the out point of the clip to the left of the transition highlighted in the timeline via the smart indicator. However adjusting trim out on a single clip will reposition the out point on the clip. All adjustments will ripple the timeline duration.
Roll is the same function as clicking the transition point to adjust it with the mouse, however it’s frame accurate because it uses the search dial. It works by rolling the transition point up and down. Double pressing will change its function to slide. Plus it doesn’t affect the timeline duration.
Slip source affects the clip to the left of the edit and it will slide the shot up and down within the current clip’s in and out point positions in the timeline. Because slip source moves the clip within the same duration, it won’t affect the overall timeline duration.
Slip destination affects the clip to the right of the edit and it will slide the shot up and down within the current clip’s in and out point positions in the timeline. Because slip destination moves the clip within the same duration, it won’t affect the overall timeline duration.
One of the most popular trim controls, transition duration will adjust the duration of an effect on the edit point. When selected, adjusting the search dial will live adjust the duration of the transition. Double pressing the transition duration button will set default transition duration.
Editing software can be slow at adding transitions to edits because you have to click and drag effects down into the timeline. However, with the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor, you can just press a button to switch them on and off! It’s really fast as you can scroll down the timeline adding or removing effects! The smart indicator in the timeline will let you know which edit point will be affected, and you can move the timeline to move the edit point in focus. The cut key will remove any effect on an edit point in the timeline. Pressing dissolve adds a dissolve to the edit point using the default duration. Pressing the smooth cut button adds a smooth cut so you can eliminate jump cuts!
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The DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor eliminates the large QWERTY keyboard for a smaller more portable design, so the function button area includes only the controls you need for editing. Some of the enhanced function keys on the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor are not even available on the full sized editor keyboard! Plus, some keys have an alternative function where you can press and hold or double press to get a second function using the same key. That means you need less keys for a more portable design, but it still retains a lot of editing power. The keys are in a separate group so you can find the key you need by feel and operate faster than a regular keyboard.
The escape key is positioned to the top left so it’s easy to locate, as it’s the most common key for reversing some functions. A good example is the sync bin and if you select a camera, you can go back to the multiview by selecting this escape key. Plus, if you double press it, it works as undo!
The sync bin is a new style of multi-cam and it allows you to find shots that are sync’d to the current shot in the timeline. That lets you find cutaways using a familiar multiview interface! Then use the camera keys to select an alternative shot, and source overwrite to edit it into the timeline!
The audio level key lets you quickly set audio levels of clips by holding the key and adjusting the level using the search dial. That’s a fast way to set audio levels while editing! Double pressing the key lets you add a marker, and double pressing and holding allows you to set the marker color!
The full screen button is highlighted red so you can find it quickly and switch to a full screen view of your viewer. That’s great for presenting your edit to clients! Plus if you double press the full view button, it will go into full screen view and play from just before your most recent edit!
The transition button is similar to the cut and smooth cut buttons, however it will add a custom transition of your choice from a pallet of all the available DaVinci Resolve transitions. If you press and hold the transition button you’ll see the pallet appear allowing selection of the one you want.
The split button will instantly cut the clip in the timeline at the current playback point. If you’re positioned on a split in a clip, then pressing the split button will remove the split. If you press and hold, you can use the search dial to move the current clip up and down the timeline!
Pressing snap will turn on snapping in the timeline. Snapping on the speed editor is different, as it’s not magnetic so it’s more subtle! It works by momentarily pausing jog at the edit points so it’s nicer to use! Or if you press and hold, the search dial will let you adjust the viewer size.
Ripple delete removes the current clip at the playback point then ripples the timeline to fill the space left by the deleted clip. This eliminates any blank spaces in the timeline. You can use it with split to remove parts of shots you don’t want. Plus, it will also reduce your timeline duration
The camera number section lets you select the cameras when using the cut page sync bin. Plus, if you press a camera number while turning the search dial, the selected camera will be applied to the timeline in real time as you jog forward. This feature is called live override and on the speed editor panel you can do it momentarily by holding the camera button, or you can latch it on using the live override button. When live override is latched on, the buttons light up and you can select cameras just like a production switcher! You will see a multiview and you can just cut from camera to camera! Plus, this section even has the video only and audio only buttons for greater editing control!
The DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor model includes built in Bluetooth so you can use the keyboard without messy wires, and you can even use it in conjunction with your regular computer keyboard. That’s perfect for using it with a laptop. You can also use the keyboard via USB if required and the USB connection will also charge the internal battery. With Bluetooth and a built in battery, the keyboard is extremely portable!
FULL SPEC ON THE SPEED EDITOR HERE
This release is more exciting for editors than their previous QWERTY keyboard they announced last year and it will be interesting to see the completed breakdown of the hardware once Blackmagic update their website. The ability to be wireless and battery operated is a major attraction for the editors on the go as well as in the editors in the suite.
PRICE
$295 (€250 approx)
FREE with a Purchase of DaVinci Resolve Studio. (RESELLERS ONLY NOT ONLINE)
Available in the next few months or Early 2021.
This is a welcome return of this competition for film makers. Check out below…
New, emerging and established film-makers, listen up! Want to get your story heard? Virgin Media is committed to discovering different voices in film, and we are calling for ideas that bring diverse tales, voices and stories to life. This year our theme focuses on Diversity & Inclusion and we’re looking for your unique perspective.
What’s different this year?
Virgin Media Discovers was launched in 2019 in association with the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival to discover and support fresh and fearless filmmakers.
This year we’re making the competition even bigger by also partnering with Fís Eireann / Screen Ireland, offering you support to develop your script and bring it to screen, which is at the heart of the prize fund this year.
If shortlisted, you’ll receive funding to evolve your idea with a script editor. Two projects will be selected from the shortlist of 10 scripts for final production. The winning films will be broadcast on Virgin Media Television, Virgin Media On Demand and as part of the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2021 programme of events.
The Prize
From a total prize fund of €150,000, 10 shortlisted projects from new and established filmmakers will be given €9,000 each to invest in the development of their script. €90,000 in total will be invested in script development.
Two winners will be selected from these final scripts by our judging panel and will win €30,000 worth of investment each to fund the production of a 10-minute short film.
The Judges
A panel of industry judges will whittle entrants down to a shortlist of projects with two final winners selected as part of an online pitch process.
Submission
The competition is open to all filmmakers – new and established, on submission of a pitch document. This document should outline the idea, the plot, characters, tone and how it meets the theme of diversity & inclusion.
Deadline for Submissions is Midnight 30th of November 2020
Submissions Protocol
– All submissions MUST have a 2/3-page pitch attached.
– The overall story/idea for the short film & the characters within. Why should this short film be made? Is there a hook for the audience?
– Diversity and inclusion are the key themes of this competition. Entrants and/or storylines must reflect this within their idea and potential production/development plan (if successful).
– Give us a frame of reference for your idea reflecting the tone and scale of ambition.
– Submissions must have a logline – what is this short film in two or three sentences? You need an attention-grabbing summary.
– Briefly outline previous production experience.
– Include names of any talent (in front of, and behind the camera) attached to the project and be clear about whether these names are suggestions or people who are already involved or committed.
At today’s award ceremony, held on line, LIT was well represented by 23 of our students out of 58 overall finalists from all around the country, and we had 2 out of the 8 Lecturer nominations too.
Out of the 4 categories LIT competed in, our students won in 3 of them. Congratulations to all the students below who won in the following categories.
And a bualadh bos goes out to Nora Ní Fhlatharta for winning the best lecturer award.
Finalist winners : Multimedia – Audio
Finalist winner : Multimedia – Graphic & Illustration
Finalist winners : Multimedia – Video
Finalist winner : Lecturers Award
LIT is very grateful for the engagement of the NTA and Smarter Travel with us, and all their help in promoting sustainable travel.
(Ultan Gogarty
Capital Planning & Development Manager, Limerick Institute of Technology)
From Eibh Collins, the programmer of the Kerry International Film Festival.
This year KIFF is online from Oct 15 – 18, while it is sad not to be in the cinema with our filmmakers and friends. It does give the festival an option to travel across the Island and provide exciting content for more people.
So with that and remote learning being a staple for your students at the moment, I wanted to get in touch to highlight some of the upcoming films screenings, panels and talks (live and recorded) that KIFF is hosting this year.
The streaming platform is live now and with it all being available to watch and rent at a set time from next Thursday. All the info is HERE.
Most films will stay available to rent and watch until Monday 19th. With a 38hrs playback window to finish the film once started.
I would like to highlight some films that are particularly excited for anyone in or getting into the industry.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound which reveals the hidden power of sound in cinema. This screening will be followed by a live zoom discussion with Sound artist hosted by the director (and sound legend) Midge Costin. The film is €6 to rent and the talk is free.
As well as a selection of short Animation we have two exciting animated features.
Quirky Estonia comedy, The Old Man Movie and a stunning documentary called My Favourite War, which recently won at the Annecy Film Festival.
Our (all in) Animation season ticket is only €15!
We also have a few talks and live zoom panels. Including a ‘In Conversation’ with actor Jessie Buckley, which is free to watch from 9am tomorrow. You can see the full list HERE.
We would love it if you could share this information with your students and If anything takes your fancy as a group viewing, I can sort you out with a group discount promo code(s) or help in any way.
Eibh Collins
Festival Programmer
21st Kerry International Film Festival | Oct 15th – 18th, 2020
A message by Nora NíFhlatharta, Programme Leader of Creative Broadcast & Film Production, LSAD, LIT.
Delighted to announce the shortlisting of multiple LIT students for the Smarter Travel Campus awards across a range of programmes from Film, Animation, Music, and Graphics.Congratulations!Check out the finalists here:https://www.nationaltransport.ie/smarter-travel-workplaces/smarter-travel-campus/smarter-travel-campus-awards-2020/33813-2/
This year the awards will be screened virtually where we will celebrate and showcase the fantastic entries submitted. The event will be hosted by RTE 2FM’s Tara Stewart. Please use the link below to confirm your attendance at the ceremony
Date: Thursday the 15th of October 2020
Time: 12pm, midday
RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STCAwardsCeremony20Best of Luck everyone! See you all at the awards.
An exciting new opportunity has just been launched for upcoming film scriptwriters via Film In Limerick and The Writer’s Factory.
(As per LLLF Website HERE)
The Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival is now in its tenth year, and for its first time will be a virtual one this year! It will also celebrate 10 years of the festival and Limerick as a UNESCO Learning City-Region. The festival will be held from Monday 28th September to Sunday 4th October 2020 and the theme is ‘Celebrating and Building Learning Communities‘.
The festival marks a celebration of lifelong learning and promotes learning in Limerick through a wide variety of creative, enjoyable and informative events. The festival provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the many contexts in which we are learning – in the home, with friends and neighbours, in formal educational settings, in the workplace etc – as well as exploring new ways and opportunities for learning.
For event organisers, this represents an opportunity to engage directly with the public and potential attendees on courses or new members and to be part of an event which shows Limerick in a positive light!
Here are some examples of how we think our first Virtual Festival might look, and ideas for interactive events and activities that may be provided virtually. The types of presentations/activities may include, but is not limited to, online interactive information sessions; live presentations /broadcasts via zoom/YouTube channel/Facebook streaming, short films, pre-recorded events/activities, debates/discussions, information sessions and live chats.
Just some activities that can be presented interactively online may include the following:
The Learning Limerick Steering Group provided online training sessions on the top tips and tricks for running online events for our event organisers on 8th and 9th July in collaboration with the Carmichael Centre and Alice PR and Events, Dublin. The slides and recordings from this training are now available for all event organisers to view.
As part of the festival, there will be a seminar held by Learning Limerick on Tuesday 29th September 10am– 11am ‘Lifelong Learning during COVID – the Business Community Response’. In this seminar, we bring together speakers from a number of different local business sectors in the Limerick Region to present and discuss how they have responded to the challenges presented by Covid-19. The Seminar provides an exciting opportunity to hear experiences from diverse sectors and to explore the commonalities in learning for all. Skills and talent development and empowering staff during the crisis and thoughts for the future will also be explored.
Also during the week, the Irish Network of UNESCO Learning Cities will be hosting a collaborative Learning Day for Ireland on 30th September 2020. As well as the events hosted by Learning Limerick, Cork, Belfast, Dublin and Derry Strabane Learning Cities will all be holding events on the day and we look forward to attending events hosted by all five of the Learning Cites!
We are really looking forward to this year’s festival. Contact Yvonne at ylane@paulpartnership.ie without delay to register your interest in hosting an event and to be a part of a wonderfully positive week for our region!
(As per Video & Film Maker.com Website )
RØDE Microphones has announced the return of the World’s Largest Short Film Competition, My RØDE Reel. Now in its 7th year, RØDE has once again upped the ante with a monumental $1 million in cash to be won. This the biggest cash prize ever offered in a short film competition, affirming My RØDE Reel as the essential calendar event for filmmakers around the world. Entries are open now and close Wednesday, October 7.
What is My Røde Reel?
My RØDE Reel is the World’s Largest Short Film Competition. Over the last six years, more than 16,000 films have been submitted to the competition from 94 different countries, with RØDE awarding over $3.5 million in prizes to both emerging and established filmmakers. My RØDE Reel has launched hundreds of careers through providing a global platform for filmmakers to gain exposure, offering grants and scholarships, and giving away tonnes of RØDE microphones and filmmaking gear. In 2020, My RØDE Reel is bigger and better than ever.
The Prizes & Categories
The winners of My RØDE Reel 2020 will receive a share of US $1 million, the biggest cash prize ever offered in a short film competition.
This announcement comes off the back of RØDE Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman’s purchase of Kurt Cobain’s iconic ‘MTV Unplugged’ guitar for a world record-breaking US $6.01 million at auction. The guitar was bought to spotlight the struggles of the global arts industry; Mr. Freedman plans to take it on a worldwide tour of exhibitions, with all proceeds (including the guitar) going to the performing arts.
“Giving creatives a leg up has always been fundamental to what we do as a company,” says RØDE CEO Damien Wilson. “Whether it’s been through giving away gear, awarding scholarships or providing a platform to get their work in front of a huge audience, the objective of My RØDE Reel has always been to help filmmakers take the next step in their career.”
“We are incredibly excited to be giving away this massive cash prize,” he continues. “People in the film industry are doing it tough right now. This year, we wanted to not only give entrants the chance to win RØDE mics and awesome gear, but also offer a substantial amount of money to help kickstart the career of the next big thing, fund new projects, or cover living expenses so filmmakers can continue to work through these trying times. This money will make a big difference for a lot of people.”
The top three films for each of the competition categories will win a share in the $1 million cash prize pool, except for the major prize, the Judges’ Choice, which has just one life-changing prize of $200,000.
There are 10 categories in total: five genre categories – Drama, Comedy, Action, Documentary, Animation and Behind-The-Scenes – and five special categories – Judges’ Choice, People’s Choice, Sound Design, Young Filmmaker, and Best Chinese Film. All-in-all, 28 filmmakers will win a share in the prize money.
As well as this incredible cash prize pool, RØDE is giving away a prize pack to the winners of the 10 categories. These are loaded with gear from the world’s leading filmmaking brands, including LUMIX, Nanlite, Zhiyun, Mzed, Musicbed, Rhino, Adobe, Brevite, Pelican, ARRI and, of course, RØDE microphones and accessories. Combined with the cash, this brings the total prize pool to over $1.5 million, by far the biggest offering for any short film competition.
Visit the My RØDE Reel website for more information on the prizes and categories.
How To Enter
For the full details on how to enter, head to myrodereel.com and log in or sign up for an account. This contains the starter pack, information on the competition, freebies, tips, inspiration and more.
Entries are open now and close at 12PM (AEDT/GMT+10) Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
Head to myrodereel.com for more info
RØDE Microphones: www.rode.com
