New College Lanarkshire: Film & Television

Digital Imaging, Photography, Film and Television Production Courses

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  • Business 2 Business Inspire Event

    The organisation Bridge 2 Business held an “Inspire” event for young entrepreneurs on on 27th April 2016, at the Citizen M Hotel in Glasgow with over 150 students attending, from various regions such as Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, and HND Film & TV student Tomas Gozalves was there to film the day.

    “I had the chance to work for Bridge 2 Business  and what can I say! Such a great event! Everything was very organized and it was easy to film. The different business stands were really good and very clearly explained. I really liked the atmosphere and the Bridge 2 Business Programme team were really friendly and professional.

    The different areas that we covered were the workshops and the main hall event. About the workshops, such a good idea! I really enjoyed filming them because I also found the speakers really interesting with what they were saying, and the organisation for the workshops was amazing.

    For me, it was a privilege working with Bridge 2 Business and I really looking forward to the next time.”

    -Tomas Gozalves
    HND Film & Television Student

  • Creative Break 2016

    creativebreak_2016

    Students at the Cumbernauld campus have had a taste of working pressures in the TV and sound production industries during a three-day marathon to test their creative skills.

    Nearly 40 students from the HND Television and Sound Production courses were given 52 hours to record a short musical video for an up-and-coming musical artist or band in the College’s highly-reputed facilities in Cumbernauld. A separate team of HNC Television students were tasked to produce a behind-the-scenes short video documentary about the project.

    Now in its third year, the annual Creative Break project is designed to put the students through their paces in the high-pressure world of music and video production.

    Bands and artists taking part this year were Cumbernauld professional pop and rock singer/songwriter Chris Ashton (26) – a graduate of the Cumbernauld HND Sound Production course himself, who recently co-produced work for Scottish 90s pop sensation TEXAS – along with Glasgow psychedelic indie rock band Antique Pony, Kirkintilloch/Lenzie indie funk four-piece band Barbary Coast and Coatbridge indie pop duo Light Arrows – New College Lanarkshire Music students Ursula Fitzpatrick and Courtney O’Neill.

    Course Lecturer Andreas Jonsson said:

    “The main objective is to more closely simulate circumstances within the working practice of the creative industries.  Deadlines are tight, collaboration and communication is vital and there is a “customer” who is expecting good results from it. It’s a fairly demanding situation but the students really enjoy the chance to get involved.”

  • Type 1 in the City

    A group of HND Film & TV students have recently completed a promotional video for Diabetes Scotland, focusing on an event called “Type 1 in the City”, held in Edinburgh.  Robyn Begg, Rebecca Prinn and Duncan Formosa were tasked to produce a short promotional video covering the event. Duncan said:

    “On the 14th of November I went to Edinburgh to film an event called “Type 1 in the City.” The event was set up for young people with type 1 diabetes to talk to about their condition to other teenagers, as that’s one thing that many young people with type 1 wanted as they felt it would help them in terms of confidence.”

    “The event lasted 7 hours and had many different workshops such as samba drumming, hip-hop dancing, etc. It was a really interesting event to film, especially being the only non-diabetic there, as for once I felt out of place while the other diabetics felt (and I quote) “Normal.”

    “The brief was to create an upbeat edit to summarise the whole day and to encourage other young people to attend these types of events (Type 1 in the City was the first event for young diabetics) and to hopefully help get funding for other events like these.”

  • Aesthetica Film Festival Trip: 2015

    aesthetica2015_1A group of HN Film and Sound Production students recently attended the Aesthetica Film Festival in York as part of their studies.

    HNC film student Cheryl Healy wrote up the following for our Creative Industries Blog about the trip…

    As part of the HND at New College Lanarkshire, Cumbernauld Campus, the students had the opportunity to attend two days of the Aesthetica short film festival in York. Luckily for me, a place became available and being on the HNC Television course, I was able to attend. I was extremely excited as I had never attended a film festival before. I thought this would have been a great opportunity for networking and finding out more about the film industry.  The film festival took place from the 3rd to the 6th of November 2015, in York. I had never been to York before, so this for me would have been a new experience.

    Day one of the film festival, all the students had been separated into two groups.

    I was part of group two that attended the Grand Theatre, for a Master Class from representatives from The Association of Camera Operatives (ACO).

    masterclass

    The panel consisted of three members, Peter Wingnall, who has been camera operative on Lock Stock and two smoking Barrels film, Layer cake and The Bourne Ultimatum. Derek Walker I was excited about hearing what he had to say, as he worked as 2nd unit on The Avengers movie, Age of Ultron. The third guest speaker Phillip Sindall, who had been camera operator on the Mr Bean movie, Nanny McPhee and Mamma Mia. There was a forth member of the panel, who I assumed to have been brought in to interview the members of ACO.

    The presenter had asked some really good questions, but for me personally, I would have liked the audience to have had more time to ask the questions that they wanted. I felt this was the only thing that lacked with this master class, was the lack of interaction with the audience.  Despite this, I felt this was a great in-sight in the Association and the role of camera operators. It was great being able to hear from them about their roles in production, their views of film making and their experience within the industry.

    The remainder of the weekend was spent visiting various locations around York. With it being a Film Festival, we watched a good few short films. Some were interesting, some were funny and there was educational films. I particularly enjoyed the short film by BBC on the story of the Dome during WW1. There was one particular film, it was an animation based on a story from the Bible, and this one particularly will be my one to remember from the film festival. Not because it was amazing, but because it shocked me. Contained nudity, homophobia and incest. After the film, I could not believe what I had just witnessed. Then I got thinking, this will be the one that everyone will be talking about… which can’t be a bad thing for a film maker.

    Our last morning in York and we attended a short master class from Robbie Gibbon, a very talented editor. This for me was a favourite of all the classes that we attended. Robbie spoke with all the persons present, interacted with them. I was able to ask him a question which I felt he gave a really good answer.

    Overall, the experience of being in York, the films and the company… It was amazing. I would like to thank New College Lanarkshire for providing me with the opportunity to do so. I would also like to thank David and Andreas, the lecturers for getting us there and back. I hope that this opportunity will be available next year, I am sure any of the HNC students who are looking to progress into the HND will enjoy it, should the opportunity become available.

    I will however, remember to wear suitable shoes and take loads more photos.

  • Film & TV Department Alumni Joins BBC

    stewart_campbell_2016A student from our HNC Film & Television course has beaten over 1300 applicants to gain a BBC Scotland apprenticeship. Stewart Campbell  is one of only ten people selected for the year-long apprenticeship, based at Glasgow’s Pacific Quay. Stewart attended an assessment day and interview in May before being told he had been selected, and his success is made all the more impressive by the fact that he is severely-to-profoundly deaf. Stewart said:


    “I always enjoyed visual media, I did a pathways course at the College in 2013 and visited the BBC as part of work experience with the Deaf Children’s Society NDCS. That’s what made me realise that it’s something I really wanted to do as a career.”

    Stewart progressed from the Pathways course through an NC and onto our HNC Film and Television course. From September, Stewart will have the chance to work with BBC professionals on Radio, TV and Online content across a range of departments, such as Sport, Children’s, Learning and News and said

    “I’m really looking forward to the whole experience and not just one particular area, for me, I see it as an exciting challenge that I know I can do well in.”

    Film & Television Lecturer, Alan Moffat, said:

    “As well as being one of the hardest working students to come through the HNC Television course, Stewart possesses qualities which will help him to do well in the workplace. His attitude towards his coursework, as well as his ability to meet every deadline you set, makes him a great student to teach. He is passionate about Television and thankfully the BBC have seen this. He’s stated that he wishes to come back at some point and finish his HND but I’ve told him the only time we ever want to see him back at college is when he comes in talk to our future students about the TV programmes he is working on.”

  • Creative Break 2015 is over!

    Creative Break Student Screening
    Creative Break Student Screening

    Creative Industries students have worked together to produce four music videos … within just five days. Almost 40 students from the Creative Industries faculty at our Cumbernauld Campus undertook the Creative Break intensive skills challenge.

    Sound Production and Television students had classes suspended for one week in order to work with local bands and singer-songwriters.

    The featured artists were Glasgow-based singer-songwriter, Kevin Donnelly, four-piece hard rock outfit Magic Trik and indie band Dune Witch Trails. The artists were invited into our state-of-the-art recording studios to lay down their tracks before going on location to film accompanying videos.

    The strict deadline and creative autonomy are designed to motivate students, and to reproduce the demands that will be placed on them when working in industry after leaving study. The four music promotion videos have now been uploaded to YouTube.

    Creative Industries lecturer Andreas Jonsson said:

    “We try to push students to create a final product that is as professional as possible – something that the artists would feel happy to pay for.

    “All the bands and artists came away with a product that they are proud of, and that to me is the most important thing… Some of the skills used during Creative Break are essential life skills and mirror the expectations put on students once they leave college to go into employment.”

    Cumbernauld Campus’ purpose-built recording studios have been professionally designed and house more than £300,000 worth of the latest, industry-standard music technology equipment.  The studio complex consists of three control rooms servicing two studios. The main studio can accommodate a small orchestra, while the smaller room can comfortably hold a six-piece rock band.

    Creative Industries courses on offer include Access to Creative Industries; NC in Music & Sound Production; HNC or HND Sound Production; BA Commercial Sound Production; and HNC or HND Television.

     

  • Film & TV Alumni starts work placement at STV Creative

    Congratulations to our former HND Film & Television student Lorna McAdams, who in addition to recently completing her Honours degree at the University of The West of Scotland, has now landed a work placement at STV.

    Lorna will be working with STV Creative – “a hybrid creative agency, combining award-winning creativity and rock solid production“, starting next week at Pacific Quay, Glasgow.

  • Film shot in just 48 hours wins award

    throw_of_the_dice_still_640A group of New College Lanarkshire HND Film and Sound students are celebrating after winning an international Film award.

    Stuart McConville, Neil McNicol and Will Conway formed Team Effin A! Films to take part in the 48 Hour Film Project.  The competition is the world’s largest timed film-making competition which attracted more than 60,000 teams.

    Provided with a compulsory character, prop, line of dialogue and genre the teams complete all the writing, shooting, editing and casting, scoring and casting for  a four to seven minute feature film in two days.

    Competing against 27 other teams in the Glasgow leg of the competition Team Effin A!’s film ” Throw of the Dice” bagged them the award for best sound design at the recent awards ceremony in Glasgow.  Their film was also shown at the Glasgow Film Theatre.  Stuart said:

    “We had a blast taking part. We’re thrilled with our film and happy to get the Best Sound award as we worked really hard to produce a top quality piece of film.  It was a huge challenge but it was worth it. We can’t wait to get involved again next year.”

    Alan Moffat, senior lecturer in Film & Television said:

    “What a busy 48 hours it was. It’s a fantastic idea to get involved in and gives students a chance to see how frantic the industry can be. We are really proud of Stuart, Neil and Will – they worked incredibly well together and produced a first class short film. Being awarded Best Sound Design is a huge achievement and recognition of all their hard work.”

  • Cornerstone Rocks!

    IMG_2718
    Quiet on set please!!!

    Cumbernauld and Motherwell students came together to entertain fellow students with an afternoon of music at Cornerstone House in Cumbernauld.

    The students put on an acoustic/rock event which took its inspiration from Jools Holland’s eponymous BBC show. The joint partnership event featured around 40 students from both campuses.

    Alan Moffat, Film & Television lecturer said:

    “The joint event was a fantastic example of the collaborative approach to learning which is being undertaken. Both offer different types of music courses and it’s great to see our students assisting those from Motherwell and vice-versa.”

    Scott Cowie, music lecturer from Motherwell, added:

    “As the merger continues it is great to work so closely together a.This project has involved students from several courses as well as those who work on the radio station, bringing all parts of the event together successfully.”

    Motherwell and Cumbernauld students have been working closely with each other over the past year with Cumbernauld sound and TV production students delivering technological assistance to Motherwell’s music students at an event at Wallace Monument in November 2012.

    Student William Clapperton (19) from Cumbernauld’s HND TV Production course said:

    “It’s great to build bridges with the students at Motherwell College. We’re able to help them with technical support while recording them performing helps improve on our skills.”

    Student Vicky Paxton (20) from Motherwell’s HND Music Performance course said:

    “The event went really well and there was a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed working with the students from Cumbernauld and hope to do so again in the future.”

  • Direct Print Workshop

    IMG_7305
    Small is beautiful

    A two day Direct Print workshop led by the Glasgow artist and renowned VJ
    Simon Richardson was delivered to NC Art students and HNC Television students recently.

    Simon has over 15 years experience making and exhibiting 16mm scratch film animations, mostly working as a VJ in nightclubs creating real time light based responses to the music, otherwise known as VJing for want of a better term.

    Over the years his work has been shown at numerous film festivals and has been screened several times on terrestrial TV. He has has invented many processes to work directly onto the film stock and has also taught these processes at The Glasgow School of Art, The Glasgow Media Access Centre and City of Glasgow College.

    For the workshop Simon provided all the equipment and materials. The students got to make celluloid films by hand, a technique known as direct film-making, pioneered by the likes of Norman McClaren and Stan Brachkage. Seeing their marks converted into animation was an experience the students enjoyed and they were able to transfer a lot of skills they have been learning throughout the NC Art and HNCTV courses into the 2 day workshop.