DIGITAL DELTA 2011
TRAINING TOMORROW’S INDUSTRY INNOVATORS TODAY
DIGITAL DELTA
March – October 2011
Digital Delta is an innovative training scheme which joins two strands in one, Multiplatform Writer and Digital Professional.
14 of the most talented writers and creatives from across the UK have dedicated a large part of their lives over the past six months to exploring the multiplatform world, taking them into realms of possibilities, and learning about techniques and skills which are at the international cutting edge.
Digital Delta 2011 from Cyfle on Vimeo.
Today’s TV industry increasingly has to compete for an audience through producing content for mobile, online, print, live events, gaming, social media and so on. This scheme is designed to teach the skills to create and produce interesting and exciting content for all these platforms and more.
All those completing the course received the Post Graduate Certificate (PGCert) Professional Practice in the Creative Industries, awarded by the University of Glamorgan.
The scheme was funded by The Skillset TV Freelance Fund, S4C, TAC, and is supported by Skillset and the ATRiuM.
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Digital Professional
This strand was designed to develop the understanding, knowledge and skills of a traditional TV junior professional, and assist them in adapting to the demands of converging technologies and production workflows within the television industry. 7 individuals have been trained in the latest cutting edge ideas and concepts from the 360° Multiplatform World.
The 7 chosen for this strand are Robbie Brewster, Tom Beardshaw, Paula Catherine Major, Gareth Griffiths, Jon Michael Maguire, Natalie Clements and Tara Lea Davies.
Multiplatform Writer
The aim of this strand is to teach the skills behind writing for multiple platforms, and to implement these in response to actual industry briefs. 7 participants have developed the skills to deliver a variety of new and exciting 360° writing formats, across a variety of platforms – online / mobile / hand held devices / motion comics and so on.
The 7 chosen for this strand are Medina Bailey, Leusa Fflur Llywelyn, Simon Stratton, Tina Miranda Jenkins, Dylan Wyn Owen, Mali Tudno Jones and Hannah Elizabeth Wood.
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Structure of the Schemes
The main elements of the delivery structure for training has been –
- Two-day workshops – featuring practical technical and creative training in skills such as Social Media, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop and Wordpress.
- Masterclasses, webinars and Skype interviews from internationally recognised experts and some of the UK industry’s most respected companies (e.g.Tracy Jean (Interactive Producer – Freemantle Media); Chris Lane – Holler (Voted one of Broadcast’s one to watch out for in 2010); Gary Hayes (one of the world’s leading experts in Augmented Reality); Rhianna Pratchett (Mirror’s Edge / Heavenly Sword / Overlord)
- Ongoing tutor support online
- Content-rich blog produced by participants in response to learning - www.digitaldelta.co.uk
- Industry Briefs –
- Cadw – digital re-branding
- S4C – digital strategy for Digwyddiadau
- Panic Button – marketing for movie
- Shared Storyworlds – creating a shared storyworld
- Storyworlds – San Francisco – Ideas for a Transmedia Fringe Event
- Savvy Productions – Shoebox of Snow – marketing, audiostories
- BBC Vision – Storybox – a new form of digital storytelling
- BeEntertainment – webseries – develop and write a new webseries
- Orangutang Comics – Graphic Novel – creating and writing for a new graphic novel
- Freemantle – creating and making content for a new online magazine show
- CC4 & PGA – create a new golf App
- A week-long collaborative Transmedia project between both strands, also featuring speakers and invited guests from industry (e.g. Jeff Gomez (Starlight Runner (Avatar / Transformers / Halo); Alison Norrington (StoryCentral); Rebecca Denton (Cartoon Network).
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“This training scheme is challenging and intensive but as the blog shows, it’s a lot of hard work” said Rhys Miles Thomas, Multiplatform Project Manager at Cyfle
“we have challenged the participants like they’ve never been challenged before, but it has resulted in a group of highly trained individuals who are ready and able to take projects and ideas to the next level, confidently competing on the international stage.”
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What the speakers/industry have said about Digital Delta -
"There are people who would pay a lot of money for something not nearly as good as you've created" Rebecca Denton, Cartoon Network International – commenting on the www.rorrim.co.uk project created during Transmedia Week.
"I was amazed at the quality of the ideas and of the work that everyone produced in such a short period. There was clearly a lot of talent as well as knowledge on display." David Varella (Secret World of Lewis / Perplex City / Xi Sony PlayStation Home)
“It was great to see what the students had done with the Storybox project and to see how they were developing their own transmedia ideas. They were an impressive and confident group of storytellers.” Andrew Barron (ex. award-winning Digital Producer and Product Manager at the BBC)
"I was hugely impressed with the high standard of work produced by the students in such a short space of time. They clearly had a firm grasp on the fundementals of Transmedia, and their presentations gave us 'professionals' a run for our money!" Michael Atherton – (BBV UX Consultant / Information Architect)
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What the Participants have said about Digital Delta -
“It has been an intensive, challenging experience with a steep learning curve, which is exactly what is required to work in the multiplatform industry. It has also been both enjoyable and fascinating to discover the endless creative possibilities that multiplatforming provides.” – Medina Bailey
“I now think in multiplatform when approaching a brief, creative project. I don’t just think like a filmmaker. I now have knowledge in social media, project management and skills in FCP and Photoshop. Particularly more skills in the online world such as wordpress and blogging. I know a whole lot more basically and there’s more to come.” – Robbie Brewster
“It's been encouraging to have industry professionals come in from outside. Both to share their knowledge and give the impression that a career as a creative writer is a tangible goal and not just an anachronistic pipe-dream” - Dylan Wyn Owen
“Thank you Cyfle for all your tremendous hard work and commitment to delivering a quality course.” – Paula Major
“The content, support, creativity and industry contacts being investigated and constructed on this course far exceed the expectations I had before embarking. Thank you.” - Mali Tudno Jones
“I have developed a lot of my existing skills to a more efficient and professional standard through the training already undertaken. I have also had the opportunity to work with writers which has In itself has allowed me to learn creative processes from a different perspective.” – Natalie Clements
“The way in which I use the web is vastly different to the way I used it before the course. Learning how to use the web in this way has been thoroughly enjoyable. Some of our training sessions have been great and most guest speakers have been top quality. “ – Gareth Griffiths
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