Making Virtual Production Real: new season of ScreenSkills webinars and open days

A new season of ScreenSkills webinars exploring the rapidly evolving use of virtual production will take place this autumn followed by open days where studios big and small will open their VP stages to industry professionals. 

The Making Virtual Production Real season will open in early November with a beginner’s guide to virtual production and an opportunity to visit the ARRI and Creative Technology virtual production studio in west London.  

This will be followed by four one-hour Zoom webinars with leading VP pioneers. The online seminars will give the audience an overview and insight into the latest developments in the application of virtual production in film and television.  

The sessions will include discussions on the convergence of live events, games and the screen industry. There will also be a webinar to explain the technologies leading the field in VP and what new skills and jobs are emerging when working with a virtual production set-up.  

Following on from the webinars, ScreenSkills is partnering more virtual production studios where filmmakers will be able to see the cutting-edge techniques in person and in action. Studios currently signed up – from the North West to the Home Counties – include Garden Studios, Epic Games, MARS by Bild and Rebellion Film Studios as well as ARRI and Creative Technology. More studios will be announced in due course. 

The online seminars will run in November and December, enabling the participants to gain the theory they need before participants have the chance to see all the latest equipment at one of the open days that will run from January 2022. 

Emma Turner, ScreenSkills’ Head of Film Continuing Professional Development and Future Skills, said: “During the pandemic, the use of virtual production techniques has accelerated in the screen industries and with this has been a surge in new skills that are required.  

“Now is the time to give UK industry professionals the opportunity to understand the advantages of virtual production models, as well as the necessary adaptations to established production workflows. 

“Identifying the skills needs of the future as well as meeting the challenges today is an important part of ScreenSkills’ work and these webinars and open days will give participants the chance to understand what virtual production can do at first hand.”  

Bookings will start during October and will be hosted on the ScreenSkills website as details are confirmed. The webinars will be also recorded and edited and hosted on the ScreenSkills website as a resource. 

This work is supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds to ScreenSkills to deliver the BFI’s Future Film Skills strategy.