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Innovation Shorts

The ‘Innovation Shorts’ programme is a European multi-agency project led by (VERL) Visual Effects Research Lab (Scotland), Screen South (England) and Film Fyn (Denmark). The programme offers film-makers the opportunity to produce and disseminate quality visual effects-led short films. A panel of experts selected the three films after a European call. 'Proto', 'Unoriginal' and 'Shallow' were commissioned as proof of concept for VERL’s new methodologies; the films were shot at 4K resolution with two being post converted to stereoscopic 3D.

As Principal Investigator, my research centered around enabling VERL and small European-based post-production companies to work collectively using VERL's new camera data gathering and processing methods. At the post-production stage the methods reduced post-processing times whilst optimizing the industry standard 'Nuke' compositing software. Sequences were composited seamlessly into the final films allowing a 40 percent reduction in production costs thereby giving film makers wider access to high end and now cost effective post-production methods.

As Executive Producer I also allocated budgets, commissioned external experts and tasked, oversaw and managed the principal photography; as Post Production Producer I conceived, designed and oversaw the stereoscopic 3D and visual effects sequences for two of the projects.

This research has helped to establish a viable methodology for the creation of cost-effective stereoscopic 3D projects with a high proportion of visual effects. The resultant new methodology, presented in papers to EU Creative Industries policy makers at Cine Regio, Nordic Panorama and the Gothenburg Film Festival, is already instrumental in helping inform the commissioning procedures of various governmental and European regional agencies tasked with the promotion and development of indigenous screen content. The efficacy of the working method has been recognized by the UK Film Council in July 2010. The films have been widely disseminated through screenings, conferences and festivals across Europe and North America.