A New Director is Born No1 - Betsan Harries

 
Welcome to a new series "A New Director is Born" which will introduce you to our first year students who today started shooting their Single Camera Productions.  This work involves the students creating their own original script, which they then develop in pre-production - planning, organising and preparing their shoot.  Today saw the kick off of three weeks of intensive work as each student shoots their own production, as well as working as crew on other student projects.  Pictured above is Betsan Harries, shooting the first day of her drama "Just Friends", a powerful story of a relationship that goes wrong.  After all the stresses and strains of any first day of shooting, here's the happy cast and crew at the wrap on Day 1.  Well done everyone!

Jamie - Sam - Jon - Betsan - Justin - Shoot Day 1

Freshold - "Virus" Video - Day 1

Betsan Evans shooting "Virus"

Day 1 of the Freshold music video shoot saw vocalist Betsan Evans turn the studio red with her red dress, red shoes and red lights!  Year 2 Dan Morgan's music video project provided an excellent day's fun and shooting  as the department put its new Canon 7D cameras through their paces.  Massive thanks to Rachel Nook and Pete Davies from the Production Arts course for their super-efforts with lighting the video, and to the rest of the crew - Cath Morris, Rhian Morgan and Cameron Morgan (overmanning with the Morgans!).  Day 1 "in the can" (its not a can anymore it's a compact flash...but you know what I mean...was it a red can?.  Can you can the can?)

BBC WALES ROADSHOW - PARC Y SCARLETS - 3RD JULY 2011

Creative Media production students Curtis Davies, Dan Evans,
Dan Morgan, Steve Sellers, Nathan Williams and Cai Thompson
were at Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli today to shoot the promo
video for BBC Wales's annual roadshow.
The day proved to be a huge success, with over 3,000 visitors
attending.  On show were a whole host of BBC Wales TV and radio
personalities, as well as many opportunities for the public to get
involved in a range of programme making activities - from having a go
at radio drama, announcing TV shows, presenting the weather, and even
appearing in a special effects shot from Doctor Who.
The final video will be available shortly - a link will be posted
when available.

Curtis Davies filming at the Community Stage



Nathan Williams and Dan Morgan shooting at the Community Stage












 

Music Tech students Rosie Bell and Jack Rees

 

Steve Sellers and Dan Evans

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AWARDS CEREMONY 2011

On Friday 24th June, the Coleg Sir Gar Creative Industries
Awards were held at the Graig Campus.  A packed main hall
saw awards given out to Music Technology, Performing Arts and
Creative Media Production Students.
The award winners on the Creative Media Production course
were:-
Best Screenwriter - Greg Jones
Best Single Camera - Ed Price
Best Editing - Amelia Springett
Best Sound Design - Dan Morgan
Best 2D Animation - Aled Charles
Best Stop-motion - Dan Evans
Best Motion Graphics - Michael Jones
Best Producer - Steve Sellers
Outstanding Achievement - Tamsin Rogers
Student of the Year - Cai Thompson
Media production students Ed Price and Dan John were also
responsible for creating all of the visual content and award winner
graphics.  Special guest for the evening, Head of Commissioning for
BBC Wales Mr Ellis Owen, complimented the Media students on the
quality of their work and the excellence of the facilities in the
media department.  Mr. Owen has also joined the Corporate Board at
Coleg Sir Gar.
Following the award ceremony, the Media students screened a small
selection of the award winning work to a packed out lecture theatre.
You can view highlights of the award ceremony here.

Queensbury Music Video

In December 2010, students on the Creative Media Production course worked with Cardiff-based rock band Queensbury on their music video for the track "Blind".  Directed by Justin Golding from Goldrush Productions (who students also worked with on "Chaos at the Glee", a pilot live comedy show shot in Cardiff's Glee Club in October), the video was shot by Cai Thompson, and crewed by Tamsin Rogers, Stephen Sellers, Ashleigh Wheeler with technical assistance by Chris Hoyle, Performing Arts Technician.

Click here to watch.

Creative Media students' documentary work for "It's My Shout" 2010

Steve Sellers, Domnic Williams, Nathan Williams and ex-student Louise Thomas shot

extensive footage for this year's "It's My Shout" documentary programme broadcast on

BBC Wales.  As well as the pre-production work for the documentary shoots, they

also worked behind the scenes and at the Award Ceremony at Porthcawl's Grand Theatre, where they were assisted by students Ed Price, Christian 'Eddie' James and Chloe Morris.

It’s My Shout produces a minimum of six short films a year which in the past have been broadcast on ITV Wales, S4C and BBC Cymru | Wales. For 2010 the films will be broadcast and supported by BBC Cymru | Wales.

This slate of films (as opposed to our ‘Digital Shorts Wales’ film scheme, run with the UKFC and Film Agency for Wales) is aimed specifically at producing films to be broadcast on television.

This element of the scheme is aimed at engaging with talent that will have a relevance to the exciting new developments that are taking place at BBC Cymru Wales over the next few years.

It’s My Shout nurtures new and established talent across all departments ; pre- production, production, and post-production, both in front of and behind the camera. It acts as a gateway to the industry and provides the opportunity for participants to learn new skills and demonstrate their talent and aptitude to potential employers such as BBC Cymru | Wales.



Cai Thompson enjoying himself



Martyn Kinnear with his Best Composer Award

The might documentary crew
Steve Sellers, Louise Thomas, Nathan Williams and Ed Price

Upstairs Downstairs with Cai Thompson

Congratulations to Cai Thompson, year 2 student on the Creative Media Production

Course, for his recent work on BBC Wales's Upstairs Downstairs.
Cai worked as a trainee camera assistant on the series, working throughout the summer

at the new Dragon studios in Brigend with a world class camera department.

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama BBC Cymru Wales, says: "I am immensely proud of how the team has responded to the challenge of reviving Upstairs Downstairs. Heidi's sparkling scripts and the magnificent cast have brought a fresh new dynamic to the world of Eaton Place. The result is an explosive, hilarious and compelling saga. No-one should miss a moment of it."

The original series of Upstairs Downstairs was a worldwide sensation, and the show is still known and loved in 70 different countries. Its countless awards include seven Emmys, two Baftas and a Golden Globe.

In 2010, a stellar line-up of acting talent joins original series creators Dame Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh, in the highly anticipated revival of this legendary series. The three hour-long episodes have been written by award-winning Heidi Thomas (Cranford, I Capture The Castle, Ballet Shoes).

Keeley Hawes (Ashes To Ashes, Spooks) Ed Stoppard (Brideshead Revisited), Anne Reid (Bleak House, Dinnerladies), Claire Foy (Little Dorrit), Adrian Scarborough (Gavin & Stacey, Cranford), Art Malik (Jewel In The Crown, Holby City), Ellie Kendrick (Diary Of Anne Frank), Nico Mirallegro (Hollyoaks, Moving On) and Neil Jackson (Flash Forward) all star.

Made by BBC Cymru Wales Drama, Upstairs Downstairs was filmed primarily in south Wales. The exterior location for 165 Eaton Place was filmed in Leamington Spa.

Executive Producers are Piers Wenger (Head of Drama, BBC Cymru Wales) Heidi Thomas, Kate Harwood (Controller of BBC Drama Series and Serials) and Rebecca Eaton of US broadcaster WGBH. 

The BBC has showcased its revival of Upstairs Downstairs and despite the 'down' tone of the press it was a ratings hit. It pulled in over 7 million viewers and won its slot on each night it was on - surely that makes it a success? Now we must wait to see if the BBC feel the same way about it and commission a full series.

A chritsmas trailer is available here.