Editor: Francesca Evans Assistant Editor: Hayley Fisher Email solent.skillset@solent.ac.uk

Students take to water to film Cowes Week

In brief...Abbey RoadTHREE Solent students were chosen by film music industry composer and producer, Graham Walker, and Mike Moran, to record their own music at Abbey Road Studios, where the legendary Beatles performed.

The three were chosen from eight entrants who each had to compose an original piece for a 65-piece orchestra.

A student crew from Solent Productions followed the lucky three through the competition, as they work on their music and eventually get to record at Abbey Road. The fifteen-minute film will be premiered at a cinema in Southampton later in the year.

New equipmentIT’S been a busy summer in Solent’s media production departments. They have re-placed and upgraded a great deal of equipment in studios and stores.

New equipment includes video and audio flyaway mix-ing and recording units, new Panasonic cameras, an HD wireless camera link system, a cinema kit and a produc-tion support vehicle. All soft-ware and operating systems have also been upgraded to the latest versions.

3D workshopSOLENT students and indus-try professionals enjoyed a 3D video workshop this week.The workshop, which cov-ered the principles of shoot-ing and editing 3D footage, was run by Craig Lees, who is currently studying for a Masters in Broadcast Future at top broadcasting college Ravensbourne.Mr Lees is also researching a 3D project and it is hoped it will be put into practice within the next 12 months.

Students rock out at Glastonbury FestivalAT this summer’s Glastonbury Festival, 31 students had the exciting opportunity to shoot and produce material for Glastonbury Festivals Ltd.

The project was organised by head of production at Solent, Jonathan Plummer.

The BBC used footage the group recorded of contemporary dance acts such as N-Dubz and Fatboy Slim. Students also had the chance to film around 12 hours of live coverage on the ‘Leftfield stage’ including music, debate and stand-up comedy act.

Finally, the students made four documentaries of the weekends events that were later uploaded to the festival’s website.

Filming at Glastonbury

Revolutionary Masters offered at SolentSOUTHAMPTON Solent University is one of just ten academies in the country to work with Skillset in offering the revolutionary Build Your Own MA programme.

The programme will offer media professionals the chance to gain a Master of Arts qualification by combining modules from a choice of 75 subjects. It is the first time an educational model of its type has been offered in the UK.

Skillset’s chairman, Clive Jones, said: “Build Your Own MA represents a true revolution in postgraduate education.”

Solent’s leader for television, Tony Steyger, added: “At Solent, we provide excellent education and training to undergraduates in high definition television and media production. This Masters project allows us to develop our professional development to postgraduates, giving them and the regional creative economy the boost that’s needed.”

More information and a database of all of the eligible courses is now available at skillset.org/build

M

Successful alumni for music promotionSOLENT’S Music Promotion degree is entering its fourth year and its first graduates are already making successful careers for themselves. This exciting and innovative course is designed for those with a love of music who are interested in a career focused on sharing that enthusiasm with others.We spoke to some of the course’s first graduates to find out what they’re up to.Annie Posmourna is currently studying a Masters in Cultural and Arts Management at Winchester University, alongside running her own business, which she set up while at Solent.She says her studies have helped with her business and she is also pursuing her own music career with her band, High On Heels. Since leaving Solent, James Moodie has worked at several music events doing press and stage work and artist liaison. He has now set up his own record label, Flatpack.

October 2010

SOLENTSouthampton Solent Media Skillset Academy

SkillsetBriefingPart of the national network of excellence in television and interactive media

SOLENT Productions provided video news coverage at the renowned

sailing event, Cowes Week, during the summer.

A group of 12 students spent a week filming interviews and events on the shore, whilst student cameramen Russell Feltham and Tim Benson went out on a RIB boat to get up close to the action, which included 40 races a day.

Their work was broadcast on the local ITV news, BBC South, Eurosport and on The Weather Show on BBC News 24. The Cowes Week website also featured video highlights.

Sales and marketing director of Cowes Week Limited, Michelle Warner, said: “Solent Productions provided us with fantastic support and media content for Cowes Week in 2010, with a daily video news release available to broadcasters around the world, as well as a daily highlights

package designed to bring the event to life for the many hundreds of thousands of Cowes Week fans across the globe.”

Head of Production at Solent Productions, Jonathan Plummer, added: “Cowes Week is a great opportunity for

students to experience working for a client on a demanding brief.

“With eight days non stop action, the week is hard work but with instant real outputs so those involved can see what they have been working on by the end of that day.”

Crews get up close to the Cowes Week action in a RIB boat