ROUND TABLE
work to strengths (academic rigour and learning pathways versus industry- relevant workflows and skills). Being open as much as possible is key. We host regular open days for educators; last year saw us welcome 16- to 17-year- olds from InvestIN at the volume for a MARS Academy bootcamp day. They impressed us with swiftly picking up the VP toolkit and producing engaging content – all in one day. Seeing behind the curtain and demystifying what is involved in virtual production is the aim of the game. We have also worked at a high level with PhD students from UAL for their research projects. A top-down, bottom- up approach ensures that we can inject industry relevance at all levels. MP: A lot of technology suppliers offer – like we do with the ROE Academy – training sessions to get people into it, and then universities step in too. I think it should be an official curriculum so people can get the right skills. We work with the Academy of Live Technology, Netherlands Film Academy and Breda University, which focuses on gaming. We see huge interest in the ROE Academy, and people also ask, ‘Apart from the basic skills being trained, can you also go into virtual production?’. At the Netherlands Film Academy, one of the
students said they wanted a degree in virtual production technology – he was the first student within the academy to do this, and had to do it all on his own. The support wasn’t there, so he came to us. We agreed because, for us, it’s important that the skill set is present. We supplied them with a screen so the whole team of students could engage with the technology and learn from it. This will deliver people to the market that already have the experience and have learnt from the process. I think that is where suppliers and educational institutions should meet. Def: Is there a need for standardised certifications in virtual production – and how can the industry establish common standards for evaluating proficiency? How might these impact hiring practices? AG: Yes, absolutely. This sets a uniform bar for the newcomer to enter the world of virtual production. At Disguise, our Virtual Production Accelerator graduates earn this certification, which indicates they are ready to begin at a competent skill level. The expertise will come with lots of time and projects. However, the consistency of a certification programme is needed in order to gauge professional skill level.
I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE AN official curriculum SO PEOPLE CAN GET the right skills ”
JVA: That might be useful, as there are so many different things – it’s very broad. An indication of which parts of the entire chain you understand and can work with might help employers. MP: I think, for employers, it would be great if they could evaluate the candidates they have based on a commonly accepted certificate. For example, if somebody has this certificate, you can trust they have this understanding. The knowledge needs also to be brand agnostic. So, you can do Disguise training, but if you hire somebody to work with a media server, it’s best that they also have knowledge of PIXERA, Vizrt, Zero Density or something of a similar function. They need to be broad in their experience. JB: The main need is experience, but some kind of certification or proof of experience would be fantastic. Not dissimilar to flying hours for pilots. We are also very keen to make sure that as many people as possible can get into the industry – so making courses accessible is essential. LR/JA: Standardisation is something we are excited to see developing as the emerging VP industry matures. The world of VP professionals is actually very small. We tend to keep in touch with each other, sharing learnings and swapping experiences. In this way, we’re all working towards aligning standards. I find that people involved in the leading edge of
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