Producers Forum

Screen WM today announced some important organisational changes to the Production & Development Department, which looks after the regional screen agency’s activity in feature film development and production, broadcast industry support, and talent development amongst others.

As of this month, Head of Production & Development Lee Thomas will adopt the new title of ‘Executive Producer’ to more accurately reflect his role within the agency going forward. Due to the increasing volume of feature film productions generated by Screen WM’s Advantage Media Production Fund, which has seen an unprecedented four feature films in productions this summer alone, Lee will be focusing his efforts almost exclusively on films and major drama projects, as well as assisting projects in the final stages of the development process prior to raising finance.

As a consequence, Production & Innovation Executive Dan Lawson will be promoted to stand alongside Lee as Senior Manager for the Production & Development Department, and will assume responsibility for all other non-feature or long-form drama projects and activities.

Lee and Dan have worked closely together over the past four years to expand the activities and scope of the production and development schemes and opportunities offered by Screen WM. They are both committed to building a sustainable and vibrant production sector in the West Midlands. The agency believes this development is a natural corollary of the Production & Development Department’s success, and an adjustment that will strengthen Screen WM’s offer to the West Midlands production community across all screen media sectors.

The report reveals that the UK has consolidated its performance since the last Rights of Passage report in 2003, sustaining its global position as second only to the far larger US industry as an exporter of programming hours. The key growth areas for UK exporters are sales of formats (i.e. remakes) and co-productions with international partners. The UK is now the global leader in exploiting format rights internationally, even over the US, accounting for 53% of all exported format hours in the worldwide market.

Trade & Investment Minister, Lord Digby Jones, welcomed today's results and said:

"Television trade is big business for the UK's dynamic creative sector and I'm pleased we've consolidated our global position, second only to the US in overall television export sales. Our home-grown companies continue to create that winning television formula which not only captures the imagination and attention of British audiences but can then be adapted and remade for viewers around the world."

To download the full report, please click on the link below:

Click here to download a document with more information.

Once you place your video online it could be easily copied from your site - possibly even uploaded to some of the many Video sites out there - like YouTube - without your permission. Or worse, it could be linked to from other web pages over which you have no control - but you still get landed with the bandwidth charges!

Welcome to FLVLOCK the easy to use and effective SPRAY-ON Copy Protection for Flash FLV Video. FLVLOCK allows you to encrypt your video without changing its content. Your video will play as normal from any player and/or domain you have approved.

But if it's removed from your site or linked to in an unauthorised manner it refuses to play your content and instead displays a copy protection screen. The pirates get the cold shoulder and your video stays safe - under your control.

Visit the product site and watch a demo video and also obtain a low-cost trial licence to test the product on your own server.

http://www.flvlock.com

Local award winning film maker, Steve Rainbow adds yet another accolade to his growing collection as his film ‘A Small Silent Film About Death’ is chosen to appear with the world’s best at this year’s Palm Springs International ShortFest in the US.

The film, which is a comment on society’s reliance on technology and the death of conversation, is the seventh piece by Rainbow to be shown as part of an international film festival. He said: “It is a real honour to have been chosen to appear alongside some internationally renowned directors at the festival. The Palm Springs International ShortFest is known worldwide for the quality and scope of its programming so to be included in the official line-up is wonderful.”

The Palm Springs International ShortFest is one of the most respected and business-friendly short film festivals in the world and will present more than 300 short films from over 40 countries during its six day run. In addition, the ShortFest Film Market gives up and coming directors, like Rainbow, access to top film buyers, industry representatives and the press from Hollywood.

In addition to writing, producing and directing films, Steve recently started his own production company, Ruba Productions which is currently in the development stages of a comedy feature film called ‘Jack in the Box.’ The plot is a follow on piece from an earlier short film called Pig in a Poke, which won the Runner-Up Prize in the BBC Drama Award at the 1998 Birmingham International Film Festival and will be entirely produced and shot in Birmingham.

The director Khaled El Hagar, who splits his time between Cairo and Birmingham, recently finished his new feature film Kobolat Masroka / Stolen Kisses. The film opened the 24th Alexandria International Film Festival at the Opera house in Alexandria and has already scooped 8 awards at the festival.

The film is about youth problems; unemployment, sexual frustration and violence in Cairo. The film is being produced by the Egyptian Media Production City Cinema sector, producer Mamdouh El leithy and the DOP is Ramses Marzouk, who is one of the best DoPs in the Middle East. Most of the shoot took place in Cairo.

The film stars; Ahmed Azmy , Bassam Samra , Yosra el Lozy , Randa el beheri , mohamed kareem , farah youssef , doaa teama , ahmed kamal , maher slem , mahoud el lozy , sayed ragab , hanan youssef , salwa mohamed ali , kamal soleiman , nader nor el deen.

The 2008 Creative City Awards will be held on Saturday 29th November 2008 at the International Convention Centre, Broad Street, Birmingham.

Creative businesses are being encouraged to come forward and nominate themselves for an award. The award categories, judging criteria and nomination forms are all available on the Birmingham City Council website www.birmingham.gov.uk/creativecityawards and the deadline for submission of nominations is 17th October 2008, the award categories are also available to download below.

Those businesses selected by the judging panel for shortlisting will be invited along on the 29th to a gala event, where the winning companies will be announced.

Click here to download a document with more information.

Unit 410f The Big Peg, 120 Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6NF

INFINITE WISDOM PRODUCTIONS in THE BIG PEG has a vacancy for a desk in an open-plan office in the BIRMINGHAM JEWELLERY QUARTER.

The shared 350sq/ft space is the home to the Midlands based Film & Video Production Company. Currently, the office houses INFINITE WISDOM’s two full-time staff, an officer of THE PRODUCERS’ FORUM and boasts a hot-desk used by freelance personnel employed by us. From the beginning of SEPTEMBER 2008 a vacancy has arisen due to the exit of THE PRODUCERS’ FORUM, which is now moving to it’s new home in the SCREEN WEST MIDLANDS’ offices in nearby Regent Place.

Situated within easy reach of Junction 6 of the M6 motorway, THE BIG PEG office is conveniently sited within a short walk of the adjacent Jewellery Quarter Rail and Metro Station and right next door to the NCP multi-story car park with affordable city parking, Banking, Shops, Bars, Restaurants and Post Office right on the doorstep.

INFINITE WISDOM is now seeking an honest, friendly and reliable individual interested in securing new premises or first-time operating space for their business. The company welcomes enquiries from freelancers or small businesses working in any field and would openly welcome interest from individuals working in complimentary media from Animation, Editing, Graphic Design and the Web.

The LEASE would give the hirer 24 hour access to the building whilst RENT includes the use of a single desk, set of drawers, operator chair, broadband internet access via Ethernet cable and wi-fi, additional shelving space, business rates, water, heating, electric and free access to the company’s commercial boardroom space STUDIO 409 next door (see Services & Facilities at www.iwisdom.co.uk). An existing BT phone line is installed and could be leased to the tenant whilst photocopying facilities are available on-site at cost price.

NB: STUDIO 409 is a commercial hire venue used both internally and for external clients. Subject to availability the tenant would be entitled to free use of this space for day-to-day operations either as a meeting space or quiet room to make calls (see images below and online).

Anyone interested in the space should contact the company on 0121 233 9888 or email info@iwisdom.co.uk.

Lastindependent.com are just putting finishing touches to a BBC iPlayer style site that they have developed for a local TV company. The site has several channels that the company is currently uploading initial content for.

One of the channels is for "Sport" one for "Business" and one for "Life Style". The site has a full screen option to show the videos off and maximise viewing pleasure.

If you have made and own a video that has a topic suitable for the heading Sport, Business or Life - and you would like to have this uploaded to the station and be available for viewing free of charge, then Kevin Powis at Lastindependent.com would love to receive it.

If you are able to encode in Flash yourself you can upload from the site - if not you can send a DVD to the station and they will pass it to Kevin.

Please follow the encode settings information on the site upload screen. All the details are on the site under "Upload Video" - or feel free to email Kevin at: kevin@Lastindependent.comif anything needs clarification.

The site isn't live yet but you can get direct access to it at: www.chambermediaplayer.com

Take a trip to Light House, Wolverhampton’s 2 screen independent cinema with daily screenings of contemporary and retrospective releases, archive films and new independent shorts/features accompanied by director Q & As and discussions. Light House is just under half an hour from Birmingham by car and free parking is available adjacent to the building at weekends and after 5pm on weekdays. We are around 20 minutes by train from Birmingham with 5-10 services per hour and just a 2 minute walk from the station. A cheap day return ticket costs just £3.90 or if you travel after 6.30pm a return is just £1.50 or £4 for a party of 4. Cinema tickets range from £3 - £5.20. Light House also boasts Lock Works café bar, which opens out into the glazed atrium of the historic Chubb Buildings; a great place to relax before or after a screening. And if you arrive just as the film is about to begin you can take your drinks into the auditorium with you.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER... Travel to Light House from Birmingham on the bus/train/metro, show your travel ticket/pass at the Box Office and get a ticket for just £3.70. Offer valid until Fri 31 Oct 2008.

There is life after mac… Visit www.light-house.co.uk or call 01902 716055 for more info.

If you're looking for accommodation for your cast and crew, then Premier Apartments are ideal for people who like that special feeling of being at home, when they are away from home.

Dean House is a brand new development of 67 attractive bright and stylish contemporary apartments consisting of 1 or 2 bedrooms. They are ideal for short and long term stays. Bookings can be taken for one night, one week, one month, or longer.

Their summer rates are from £73.00 per one bedroom apartment and they are able to offer group discounts on 5 or more apartments booked. The apartments can also be used as filming locations - recently they have been used for the Gadget Show and Screen WM's Digital Shorts.

For more details contact Leanne Harkin, Sales Manager on 07970 702 716.

DVDNETVIEW allows any DVD to be taken and ported into Full Screen Video on the Internet, while maintaining the full DVD structure and capability.

This includes First Play Movies, Static Menus and Motion Menus and Hidden Easter Eggs along with any VM Code that may be present in the original DVD.

In addition there is an ecommerce and Pay-Per-View option that can be added to the DVD, which can then play partially until unlocked on successful payment using secure "Instant Payment Notification from PayPal".

For a trail period the porting of DVDs is FREE for titles considered to have a Pay-Per-View market demand, in return for a revenue share arrangement. For Producers wishing to retain all market revenue the service is available for a charge of £450 per DVD in which case the PayPal IPN will be directed to their own account.

To demonstrate the service Lastindependent.com have released one title on the system and this can be viewed at:

www.workingtheroom.co.uk/DVD

Any queries regarding the service can be directed to the company at DVDNETVIEW@Lastindependent.com

Have you had trouble finding a fully-equipped studio in Birmingham? If so, then look no further. Studio B15 is situated in the heart of the University of Birmingham and offers a one-stop shop for all of your shooting needs. The facilities on offer include a 756 sq.ft main studio, sound gallery, vision gallery, workshop, production office, multi-format transfer area, edit suite, viewing room and green room which can be hired at exceptionally competitive rates. The studio has recently been refurbished and kitted out with new equipment.

Please download the studio profile by clicking on the link below to find out about these fantastic facilities located right on your doorstep. Members of the Producers' Forum are entitled to a 10% discount on all services and facilities. To discuss hire, please call Mark Ray on 0121 414 2536 or email m.ray@bham.ac.uk.

Click here to download a document with more information.

Are you a freelancer looking to upgrade your production skills? Maybe you need to learn how to self shoot? Or what to do in an edit? Focus on Freelancers can help you with information on where to go to upgrade your skills as well as offering up to 70% off course costs. Make sure your skills are up to date to help you secure the all important ‘next job’.

Made possible with funding from Skillset’s Television Freelance Fund, more information and application forms can be downloaded by visiting this section of the Screen WM website.

SKILLSET, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media, is currently conducting a survey of the creative media workforce. The information collected will give everyone an invaluable insight into how the industry is shaping up in terms of training, qualifications and skills. It will tell us about who is working in the industry, what you do and what you need to do your job effectively. This is your chance to have your say on the future needs of the industry and ensure that your needs are met.

Those interested in participating in this important piece of research can access the survey online via the following link:

If you would like an electronic copy (PDF), please visit Skillset’s website at www.skillset.org/research. If you require a paper version or any other format, please contact Karen Muir on 0113 244 6795 or email .

The closing date for completed questionnaires is 30th May 2008. Every response will be invaluable in ensuring that future resources can meet the needs of all. Thank you for your support.

Birmingham based AEFilms is pleased to announce the availability of one of the UK’s first RED ONE Digital Cinema Cameras. This revolutionary camera and workflow enables cretives to produce content that eclipses traditional Hi-Def formats whilst keeping costs down.

Our experience of both 35mm film and alternative digital cinema cameras makes AEFilms an ideal partner to help you get the most out of this exciting new technology. To find out more, please visit the AEFilms website.

Members of the Producers' Forum will be offered a discounted rate of £500 p/d or £2000 p/w which includes an on-site Red technician.

Regional post-production house Oakslade Studios recently invested in new technology to increase speed, cater for a wider range of HD formats and add colour grading to its service offering.

But it’s not just the hardware that’s meant clients can now enjoy top-level facilities without leaving the Region. Phil Brice, founder of TV Commercial production company Koala, explains: "We had to edit a television commercial in two days. It was a relatively simple cut - but we were able to encode and transmit the result directly to IMD for broadcast transmission, all at Oakslade Studios. This was a real bonus as it cut out an entire stage from my post-production workflow."

Thanks to recent investment, Oakslade Studios was able to online the advert, encode a copy for client and BACC approval and output in 50Mbps MPEG2 to send directly to the media distributors for transmission.

Head of Post Production Ed Moore said “it’s incredible what the latest software solutions will allow you to do – providing you’ve got a powerful enough hardware infrastructure”.

“Of course it’s also about reliability and security – you need to know the system you’re working on is going to work every time, not just ‘in theory’, and this is something we’ve worked hard to perfect.”

Oakslade Studios prides itself on offering soho-quality post-production in the heart of the Midlands countryside, a stone’s-throw from Birmingham. For more details of the facility and what’s on offer, call 01926 844030.

Blue Hippo Media now has a stand alone edit room at the BOND in central Birmingham with full HD broadcast kit. There is 24 hour access and security with on site free parking. The location is 10 minutes walk from New Street and Moor Street Stations. Cafe on site. Free wireless internet.

QUAD INTEL MAC DUAL SCREEN/ KONA 3 CARD / FCP STUDIO 2 / SHAKE / CREATIVE SUITE 2 / RAID STORAGE SYSTEM and SD / HD 1080P BROADCAST MONITOR. FREE GLOBAL FILE SHARE SYSTEM

Available for dry and wet hire with broadcast credited editor.

£250 a day dry / £1000 WEEK (5 days)

£500 a day wet / £2000 WEEK (5 days)

Be spoke longer terms available

We also have a dual 2 gig MAC WITH 23INCH SCREEN / FCP 2 available for £150 a day for dry hire / £600 PER WEEK (5 DAYS). Please call 0121 687 1404 for more information.

Blue Hippo Media, Unit B, First Floor, The Ice House, The Bond, 180-182 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5SE

Tel: + 44 (0)121 687 1404
Mob: + 44 (0)7780 952579
Email: pip@bluehippomedia.com

Skillset's Screen Bursaries are money for you to spend on training. You could get up to a maximum of £800 to spend on training if you are a freelancer and up to a maximum of £500 if you are in permanent employment.

You can apply for these training grants, if you:

- Can demonstrate professional experience in the film, TV, animation, computer games or interactive media industries; are either a UK national or living and regularly working in the UK as a freelancer or in permanent employment

- Have selected a training course and have been accepted by the training programme
- Can demonstrate how the training you are applying for will benefit your career
- Have submitted the bursary application form at least 5 days before the training course is due to start
- Have checked with the training provider that the course is not receiving another form of public subsidy

What else do you need to know?

Priority will be given to your application if the course or qualification for which you want the bursary is in one of the following areas:

Business skills
Technical and craft skills
Health & Safety
Grip NVQ, either at level 2 or 3
Crane Technician NVQ at level 2
Stagehand NVQ, either at level 2 or 3
Animal Handler NVQ, either at level 2

We recommend that you read the guidelines before submitting the application form. Find out how to apply step by step, by visiting http://www.skillset.org/training/article_3612_1.asp.

The Music for Media Project provides assistance to SMEs from the screen media and new media industries by helping to improve the quality of music delivered.

Content
Based at UCE Birmingham Conservatoire, Music for Media can help you create unique music content for your production using some of Europe’s finest musical talent. If you need original music for film, websites, games or corporate video, we can help. We can put you in touch with composers, performing musicians and sound engineers working at every professional level.

Facilities
We have state of the art facilities for the development of audio and music content, some available at subsidised rates. From sound dubbing and mixing to recording, we have the expertise and personnel required to produce quality products. With recording studios, G5 (quad) edit stations, surround-capable edit suites and portable location facilities we can also provide post production services and personnel.

Training
As a centre of excellence, we aim to increase the level and quality of audio and musical skills for freelancers and companies. As well as facilitating access to advice and equipment we have a range of one-to-one and group training courses available.

For further information contact Simon Hall, Project Manager, on 0121 331 5929 or email him directly. Alternatively, you can contact Sarah Bell, Project Broker on 0121 331 5929 or email her directly.