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BRIGHTON SCHOOL LEADS THE FUTURE OF MOTION CAPTURE

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Technology suite enables next generation of visual effects artists


A Brighton school is leading the UK with the most sophisticated Motion Capture suite of educational facilities in the country. The Institute for Contemporary Theatre (ICTheatre) is one of the UK’s most advanced educational institutions for theatre, film and the arts. The newly installed motion capture suite allows students to create realistic holograms of performers.

 

Motion Capture has received global acclaim with the launch of ABBA Voyage. Abba performed in motion capture suits for five weeks and used more than 160 cameras that scanned their movements and their facial expressions. The motion capture technology works by creating reference points on the body which can then be used by visual effects artists to create avatars.

 

ICTheatre runs regular Motion Capture workshops for students at its campus in Portslade.

 

ICTheatre Patron Julian Stoneman managed/produced Billy Elliot, Rock of Ages and has won Laurence Olivier, Tony and WhatsOnStage Awards. He was also instrumental in bringing ABBA’s Mamma Mia the musical to the stage. He said; “It is more important than ever to be future forward and equip young people to work in the broad business of theatre and film. With an emphasis on the film industry, ICTheatre’s Motion Capture Suite is a powerful resource in creating the next generation of visual effects artists who are going to pioneer Motion Capture in the future. We are at the start of an incredibly exciting time with this technology which is going to revolutionise some elements of live performance and expand the possibilities of what we have imagined before.”

Mia Bird, Founder and Creative Director of ICTheatre said; “Our students start to work in front of the camera from week one, they spend time learning in our Motion Capture Suite, they engage with a range of vocal and physical styles, they have voice-over classes, work on their own podcasts, do applied and immersive theatre. All this is not offered at the expense of rigorous training, they still have a thorough training in the core elements, however we need to make sure that our students graduate with skills that will find them employment. We run regular workshops and taster sessions so that young people can come in and experiment with motion capture and get a unique insight into how it works.”

 

ICTheatre empowers people who want to work in the vast world of theatre & film. Throughout her years of being a performing arts training specialist, Mia Bird observed that gifted graduates were ill equipped with life and mental resilience skills needed to find their own way to build a fulfilling career in the industry and that sufficient industry connections had not been made throughout their training.

 

Through regular industry advisory panels with leading experts, ICTheatre (previously known as BRICTT) is built on excellent traditions of training but its courses are developed to stimulate fresh skills that speak to the industry as it is today. Created by the industry for the industry, ICTheatre equips students with entrepreneurial skills, mental resilience strategies, and the confidence to value what they have to offer and to promote themselves. Industry professionals regularly lead classes. Recent examples include Franny Rafferty and Ed Burnside, Associate Directors of SIX and MATILDA, who directed the BA3 musicals for our recent graduates.

 

For more information, please contact Helen Trevorrow or Vicky Hague on 0794 000 9138 or email helen@greenrow.co.uk

 

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‘Ed tech’ specialists, Osborne Technologies launch their new and improved WizeFloor interactive surface to schools in the UK, Europe and USA.

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Osborne Technologies launch their new and improved, out-of-the-box interactive projection system, the WizeFloor One, designed primarily for educational establishments.

 

WizeFloor is a fun, engaging, cross-curricular interactive learning resource for educators, promoting play, movement and collaboration. Pupils can interact with the surface using their hands, feet, bean bags, play cones and any other soft play items.

 

The new and improved interactive floor system is designed to be more compact, robust and easier to install, whilst making WizeFloor more accessible and affordable. Available in two models, the WizeFloor One is an all-in-one overhead mounted solution designed for fixed installation within designated spaces, such as classrooms and sensory rooms and the WizeFloor GO is a fully mobile and height adjustable solution, for use in any suitable location. Along with numerous improvements to the hardware, WizeFloor is now more affordable than ever and includes a comprehensive 12 month warranty and optional installation. Osborne Technologies have recently installed their first WizeFloor One solution in the SNAP Charity in Essex, UK.

 

WizeFloor apps provide the underlying functionality for the many hundreds of available activities, and two purchasing options, ‘Create’ and ‘Play’ are available to suit different requirements and budgets. The ‘Create’ package provides teachers with all the tools they need to quickly and easily create and customise activities with their own lesson content. Whether it be a quiz to assess understanding of a modern foreign language, a game to solve mathematical equations, or a memory game to test geographical knowledge, each app is designed in a way that can be customised and adapted for any lesson or subject. The WizeFloor Play package (coming soon) will come with 50 and 100 pre-made games.

 

Nev Roberts, Director at Osborne Technologies –

“Many schools across the UK and US already use WizeFloor in their school curriculum to provide fun, enjoyable and motivational learning experiences. It is a unique product in that it can be used right across the curriculum, within virtually any subject and by any age group or ability”.

 

 

Is cloud calling the answer to teacher’s stress?

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~ 67 per cent of teachers are under unprecedented pressure — how can tech help? ~

 

The pandemic has made educator’s jobs even more challenging — according to the Times Educational Supplement Staff Wellbeing Survey, 67 per cent of teachers had an unmanageable workload in 2021, compared to just 22 per cent in 2020. To prevent work from spilling over into their home life, educators must ensure their work hours are as productive as possible. Here Douglas Mulvihill, marketing manager, UK and Ireland of cloud communications provider Ringover, explores the role of cloud communications in reducing educator stress.

 

 

Having a good work-life balance is critical, both for employees and the organisations they work for. At an individual level, workers can experience significant improvements in mental health and wellbeing as they feel more in control of their working life. Employers who help staff achieve a better work-life balance can expect to see increased productivity and lower levels of sickness and stress.

 

In the education sector, where staff performance directly affects the quality of the learning of their students, having a motivated, productive workforce is essential. But many of the tools typically employed by businesses to reduce staff stress — flexible working, reduced hours, a shorter working week — are unavailable to the education sector. What can be done to reduce stress among educators?

 

Adapting to remote learning

While most students are now back in the classroom, that doesn’t mean distance learning is a thing of the past. 20 out of the 24 Russell Group universities are still including some online teaching for undergraduates and staff sicknesses have forced some schools to consider temporarily returning to online learning. With less than two in five educators feeling confident in their current role, what can be done to make remote teaching simpler?

 

Good communication is an essential skill for any teacher, whether that’s with students, other teachers, parents or management. Cloud communication solutions ensure educators can achieve the same great communication remotely. With real-time voice, video and messaging capabilities, educators can feel confident that they can always reach colleagues and students.

 

Productive calls

Educators never had a modest workload, and it is only increasing. A report published by the Trades Union Congress revealed that 31 per cent of teachers worked unpaid overtime in 2021, up from 25 per cent in 2020. Ensuring that work stays within working hours is a great way to reduce employee stress, allowing teachers time to rest, relax and return to work rejuvenated.

 

Educators need technology that works for them, to ensure maximum productivity. Relying on a fixed phone line located in the school’s secretary office simply won’t suffice — a single landline won’t serve dozens of stressed teachers. Instead, education facilities must consider a business phone system that uses VoIP technology.

 

There are many benefits to using VoIP, which takes calls over the internet rather than a traditional landline. Speed is key when managing a complex network of several hundred students, so features such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), an automated phone system technology that allows incoming callers to access information via a voice response system of pre-recorded messages without having to speak to an agent, is ideal for managing persistent parent queries.

 

Other functions, like implementing hunt groups so callers can be put through to multiple phone lines, can also streamline the many areas of administration teachers are often expected to handle.

 

Teachers can also use VoIP to manage their data, quickly sorting contact lists by class, assignment and level, so updates can be sent out fast to those who need them. Messages can be scheduled in advance, for example reminders about assignment due dates, so educators can spend less time sending out repetitive, simple messages and more time focussing on planning and delivering excellent teaching.

 

Above all, cloud-based telephony means that no one has to wait for a receptionist to be done with another caller or get put on hold, nor do teachers have to navigate a complex web of communications through a dated phone line — the combination of hunt groups and a well-configured, multi-layer IVR will ensure educators get the information they need, and fast, to help ease some of their growing workload.

 

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