Freelance animation courses

Skillset is subsidising a programme of courses for animation freelances.

The programme has been designed by PACT's animation members to meet identified skills gaps.

The Skillset Freelance Training Fund is subsidising 60% of the cost of attending these courses. However, although the courses have been designed to develop the skills of the freelance workforce, full-time employees can attend the course but without the subsidy.

To receive the subsidy applicants must be able to demonstrate that they work in the audio visual industries and do not have an employment contract of more than one year.

As soon as dates for these courses are confirmed, details will be posted on this site.

• Script Writing for Animation (see below)
  2 day course, 15 to 16 August 2002
  Freelance Fee: £165
• Production Management for Animation (see below)
  2 day course, 3-4 October 2002
  Freelance Fee: £194
• Digital Compositing in Animation
  3 day course, Between September and November 2002 tbc
  Freelance Fee: £595
• Editing for Animation
  3 day course, Between September and November 2002 tbc
  Freelance Fee: £647
• Storyboarding and Layout for Animation
  2 day course, Between September and November 2002
  Freelance Fee: £155

For further details and application forms email [email protected]

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Details of Script Writing for Animation course

15-16 August 2002 1000 to 1700

PACT, 45 Mortimer Street, London W1W 8HJ

£165 for freelances (without subsidy would cost over £400)

Max. participants: 12

Content

• what goes into preparing a 'good' script - structure, dialogue, actions, etc.
• how to develop a strong series
• how to maintain efficient and effective bibles
• working with creativity
• the dynamics of team writing
• the view from the 'company' side

Who should participate?
Freelance animation scriptwriters who need to develop their skills and knowledge, or scriptwriters from other genres who want to retrain within animation

Format
The course will combine lectures, video clips and practical writing exercises.

Tutors
Colin Davis has been with Cosgrove Hall Films since 1999. As Development Manager for the Manchester Studio, he manages development: policy, new series and all the script-writing. Before that he worked as a writer across different media and as a stage and film director. Cosgrove Hall's recent 'home grown' output is well known, including shows like Fetch the Vet and Albie. Coming up are Jon Doyle's, The Inbreds, which Colin will script edit and Code Warriors, which Colin co-created. Colin's special interests are comedy and sci-fi. In his pre-animation days he wrote for Blakes' 7.

Barbara Slade's first screenwriting credit was 12 years ago in London with Brown Bear's Wedding which aired on ITV, Christmas Day. It was nominated for 5 Emmy awards including OEBest Writer'. Back in America, Barbara went on to write/develop children's shows for Nickelodeon, Disney, Fox and ABC, amongst others. She has written features for both Working Title and Disney and received her first Humanitas award for an episode of Rugrats. Recent credits include Angelina Ballerina and multiple Winnie the Pooh features for Buena Vista. For the past 3 years, Barbara has also taught many screenwriting classes, lecturing throughout Europe and America.

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Details of the production management for animation course

3-4 October 2002 1000 to 1700

PACT, 45 Mortimer Street, London W1W 8HJ

£194 for freelances (without subsidy would cost over £400)

Max. participants: 12

Content

• overview of the types of animation and formats that exist in the TV and film market and the role/responsibilities of line producer/production manager
• schedule/crewing:
  • understanding the production process
  • crewing up/contributors
  • deals and contracts
• budgeting:
  • obtaining estimates from subcontractors,cost savings,holiday cover
  • awareness of insurance/completion guarantor/contingency issues
• production safety and insurance:
  • health and safety requirements,risk assessment
  • production insurance issues
• personnel issues:
  • managing the relationship between Crew and Management; and Director and Producer
  • crew screenings, open door policy /floorwalking
• tracking:
  • how to stay on time and on budget
  • purchase orders, production charts/software (PrePro,Production,Post,Wrap)
  • production accounting, progress reports

Please note: the course will cover traditional animation and will not include CGI.

Who should participate?
Freelance experienced production assistants/co-ordinators,new production managers working in animation, production managers from other sectors who want to develop skills for animation.

Tutors
Catrin Unwin has been involved as line producer on longer format TV shows, managing large crews in the UK, many on the crew starting out in animation with little experience and more recently working with companies abroad.

Sara Mullock - Sara's career started in cel animation in the 70 's.Since then she has also worked with puppet/model animation on commercials,TV idents,music videos and short films with studios such as Aardman, Bare Boards, Spitting Image and Will Vinton.In the last couple of years she has produced idents for Nickelodeon UK,commercials and development work for Mackinnon and Saunders, plus 'Captain Sarcastic', a short Flash pilot for C4.