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The Pixel Mill is running a series of workshops on Technical Art in Video Games for artists, modellers and animators working within the Northern Ireland interactive sector (video games and immersive). The course will be delivered online across 8 evenings over 4 weeks between Tuesday 16^th November to Friday 10^th December.

The workshops will cover 4 areas:

• Game Engine Fundamentals
• Animation
• Rigging
• Python

The goal of the workshops is to give video game artists an opportunity to learn how to use a game engine as well as upskill in technical art disciplines with a focus on the animation and rigging pipeline. The workshops will be delivered using Unreal and Maya.

The dates and topics of the workshops are as follows:

Game Engine Fundamentals	An introduction to a game engine (Unreal) and the features for game artists. Some of the topics include: ·       Navigation and basic usage of the editors ·       FBX interoperability ·       Mesh triangle counts ·       Clean mesh construction ·       Collisions ·       LODs – Level of Detail ·       LightMap UVs ·       Static vs skeletal meshes ·       Naming conventions ·       Unreal Engine PBR workflow ·       Textures guidelines	Tuesday 16th and Thursday 18th Novemer	6:00pm to 9:00pm
Animation	Sequencer and Cameras – Day 1 ·       What is Sequencer? ·       Sequencer Interface ·       Cinematic Views ·       Organising Sequences ·       How do Cameras Work? ·       Using different tracks types   Animation and Cinematics – Day 2 ·       Animation Import/Export ·       Skeletal Animation vs Geometry Cache ·       Rendering Out Cinematics ·       Post Processing for ‘Film Look’ Colour Grade in Engine ·       Using Spawnable Objects	Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th November	6:30pm to 9:30pm
Rigging	Creating a Biped rig ready for realtime – Day 1 ·       What are the limitations of a real-time rig? ·       Skeleton Setup ·       Skin-weights and Deformers ·       Creating Controls Adding advanced features and controls – Day 2 ·       Node Editor ·       IK/FK Switches ·       Custom Attributes ·       Tweak Controls ·       Squash and Stretch	Tuesday 30th November and Thursday 2nd Dec	6:30pm to 9:30pm
Python	Intro to Python in Maya – Day 1 ·       Why use Python? ·       Variable Types ·       Loops ·       Condition Statements ·       Maya API/Commands ·       Functions ·       Definitions and Attributes ·       Creating tools   Python for rigging – Day Two ·       Modular rig setups ·       Rigging a leg with Python ·       Adding custom attributes ·       Starting a Custom Library	Tuesday 7th and Friday 10th December	6:30pm to 9:30pm

No prior knowledge of Unreal, animation, rigging or python is required to take part in the workshops. However, workshops are for freelancers/employees actively working within the Northern Ireland interactive sector (video games and immersive) that are seeking to upskill and develop their knowledge. The programme is not open to individuals in full-time education. The workshops will be delivered as a series so it will not be possible to sign-up for individual workshops.

Those applying to the must:

• Be a resident in Northern Ireland.
• Have at least 1 credit on a completed video game or immersive project in an artist/animator/modeler role.

Or

• Have at least 6 months experience working within video games or immersive across multiple project.

To apply for the programme please email your CV with recent credits of interactive projects (video games or immersive) you have worked on to kerry@northernirelandscreen.co.uk. Spaces on the course are limited and will be assigned, if application meet the above criteria, on a first come first serve basis.

Deadline for applying is Friday 12^th November.

Northern Ireland’s young gamers are being given the chance to play a leading role in the future of one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

Film and education charity Into Film has launched a new initiative to find out what young people aged 5-19 think about the games they are playing so they can develop training programmes to support the industry.

This project kicks off with The Big Games Review 2021, a Northern Ireland wide competition in which young people submit reviews of the games they are playing with a chance of winning prizes including a new PlayStation 5.

Into Film Programme Manager Sean Kelly said: “The games industry is big business in Northern Ireland and the kids are the future game creators. They’re the experts and we want to hear from them.”

From Fortnite to Fall Guys, Minecraft to Mario, Into Film wants to hear about games played on everything from consoles, PC’s or even games pupils might play on a tablet or smartphone.

Mr Kelly added: “Writing reviews is brilliant for developing literacy skills and critical thinking. We want to hear from as wide a range of young people as possible. With the games industry going from strength to strength locally, it feels like the best time to invite young people to have conversations with us at Into Film on what they are enjoying playing.”

The games industry in Northern Ireland is growing at a rapid speed and Into Film hopes to work to support young people to find out more about the opportunities available.

Kevin Beimers, Creative Director at Italic Pig Gaming has said: “Games are a fast-growing industry with a strong presence in Northern Ireland – its important young people are aware of the career opportunities that are available and feel encouraged to analyse and review the games they are enjoying.”

The Big Games Review is running from Friday 24^th September – Friday 10^th December. Into Film encourages and supports young people to discuss and review games in many formats, they welcome review submissions in English, Gaelic, picture exchange symbols, spoken audio files and drawings.

To enter or find out more visit www.intofilm.org/games.

The Pixel Mill will be hosting an online workshop for interactive companies with the Labour Relations Agency on the Essentials of Employment Law & the role of the Labour Relations Agency. The workshop will take place online on Thursday 28th October from 10.30am – 12.00pm.

The workshop will cover subjects such as the sources of employment law, the employment contract and main terms & conditions, pay, working time, notice & dismissal, discipline & grievance, family-friendly employment rights, equality legislation and redundancy. The workshop is appropriate for employers and employees.

The Labour Relations Agency provides a free, impartial and confidential employment relations service to those engaged in industry, commerce and the public services. It provides advice on good employment practices and assistance with the development and implementation of employment policies and procedures. It is also active in resolving disputes through our conciliation, mediation and arbitration services.

Spaces are limited and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to attend, please email kerry@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

The Pixel Mill is hosting a series of workshops for new entrants in the video and interactive industry from Tuesday 19th – Thursday 28th October.

The workshops aim to prepare individuals seeking to enter the industry as a freelancer or employee with advice and guidance, covering topics from writing a CV and preparing for interviews to legal and finance for freelancers. Workshops will be delivered online, and the full list can be found below.

Date	Workshop	Time
Tuesday 19th October	CV Writing Workshop This workshop will cover the fundamentals of writing a CV and how to best present your experience/knowledge when applying for roles within the industry. The workshop will be delivered by Helen Thompson, producer and former Lead Talent Manager at the BBC.	2:00pm
Thursday 21st October	Interview/Portfolio This workshop will be delivered by OPM Recruitment who specialise in the video game industry. The workshop will cover interview prep and what to expect in an interview, as well as some do’s and don’ts. Portfolio’s (both art and programming) will be covered and how best to present your work.	1:30pm
Friday 22nd October	Legal for Freelancers This workshop will be delivered by solicitor Simon Sellars with a focus on the legal basics for freelancers, covering; ownership IP, re-use of existing material with different clients, exclusivity/non-compete restrictions, payment for work and ending contracts.	1:30pm
Monday 25th October	Finance for Freelancers This workshop will be delivered by accountant Sean Murphy who has worked in the screen industries for over 15 years. The workshop will focus on how to set up as a freelancer and best accounting practice for a freelancer, including invoicing, tax and HMRC.	10:30am
Wednesday 27th October	Working in the Video Games Industry This workshop will be a panel discussion about starting out into the industry. Panellists will include:Christina Logan – Freelance Artist Martin Alltimes – CEO, The Imaginati Studio Tina Lauro – Director/Games Producer, Brain and NerdThere will be opportunities to ask questions and advice on starting out in the industry.	10:30am
Thursday 28th October	Employment Law (Employees and Employers) This workshop will be delivered by the Labour Relations Agency who provide a free, impartial and confidential employment relations service to those engaged in industry, commerce and the public services. The presentation briefly covers subjects such as the sources of employment law, the employment contract and main terms & conditions, pay, working time, notice & dismissal, discipline & grievance, family-friendly employment rights, equality legislation and redundancy. They will also give an overview of Labour Relations Agency and its role.	10:30am

People are welcome to sign up for the whole series or just individual workshops. Numbers will be limited for each session and will be reserved on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to book a place on all, or one, of the workshops please email kerry@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

The Pixel Mill is hosting a Q&A with a Publisher workshop with Secret Mode Director of Publishing James Schall on Thursday 30^th September at 9:30am – 11am.

The workshop will be an opportunity for developers, new and experienced, to ask questions about video games publishing. James will cover topics ranging from how to pitch games, what publishers look at when considering a game as well as general game industry trends. There will be an option for companies to have one-on-one meetings with James to discuss projects after the Q&A.

James Schall is Head of Secret Mode at Sumo Group’s Publishing Division. He is a veteran of the UK games industry, spanning 30 years of experience at retail and publishing. James spent 8 years at Amazon.com working on their videogames offering and over 13 years at SEGA where he was VP of Global Digital business. James has extensive knowledge of Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and other online platforms and services and the magic and secrets of unlocking success in an ever-changing games market. He currently leads Secret Mode, the publishing division of Sumo Group.

The workshop will be held in-person at the Ormeau Baths (with a limited number of people and social distancing measures in place), however there will also be an option to join remotely. If you would like to attend the workshop please email Rory Clifford, Interactive Manager, rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk. Please include whether you would like to attend in person. Numbers will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

Companies interested in taking part in the one-on-one meetings should let Rory know ahead of time. There is a limited number of sessions and will allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

We have launched an animation/VR pitching competition for entry level filmmakers currently working in the animation and interactive sector.

The competition will run in association with Retinize, the Belfast based immersive tech studio. The studio has developed and created Animotive, an innovative VR SaaS product set to disrupt the 3D animation production pipeline, making it completely intuitive.

Animotive is a professional 3D animation production tool that harnesses the power of off-the-shelf VR headsets, allowing users to create 3D animated content for any medium at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional workflows.

Users can use their own 3D assets, and scenes can be exported in real-time for film, TV, video, games, and VR/AR. Animotive can deliver huge real-world savings when compared with traditional 3D animation production workflows.

More information can be found on Animotive here.

We will be hosting a series of sessions as part of the pitching process. The sessions will take place over a block of four sessions in October 2021. Dates for the sessions will be confirmed with the participants on successful selection. A maximum of five applicants will be selected to participate in the seminar series.

Week 1

Applicants will have a demo of Animotive by Retinize.

Week 2

An animation producer will deliver a session on the pitching process for animation projects.

Week 3

Applicants will pitch their idea to a panel including a representative from Retinize, a locally based animation studio producer and our Interactive Manager, Rory Clifford.

Week 4

Applicants will receive feedback on their pitches and the winning pitch will be announced.

The winning pitch will receive a funding award of £7,500 to create a 3–5-minute short film using the Animotive tool. Retinize will be the facilitating production company for the selected short film.

This is an entry-level scheme. Eligible applicants will currently be working in a junior capacity on a freelance basis with either a local animation or interactive studio.

Applicants are asked to consider the feasibility of their project at application stage in relation to production logistics. Applicants should be mindful of the number of characters being featured and bespoke locations being used in their proposal.

The successful applicants will also be mentored by John Stevenson, director of KUNG FU PANDA during the programme.

To register your interest in taking part in the competition process, please email a summary of your pitch proposal (maximum 1 page) and your CV to christine@northernirelandscreen.co.uk by Friday 17th September at 5pm.

XRX is a new programme aimed at supporting companies working on innovative ideas within the XR industry. The programme, which is being delivered in partnership by Northern Ireland Screen, Future Screens NI and Digital Catapult NI, is seeking 3 start-ups or established companies who have an ambition to make new innovative immersive content, products or services.

The programme will provide in-depth support and mentorship for companies that wish to secure seed investment or realise their ambitions to deploy new and emerging tech actively inside their business within the next 12-18 months.

The application is open to companies and organisations of all sizes.

Deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 16^th September.

Click here for more information and to apply.

The Pixel Mill is hosting a workshop on Boosting Game Development Through Production with Davy Johnstone, Senior Producer, CCP. The workshop will take place on Friday 3rd September from 1pm – 3pm and will be delivered online.

The workshop will focus on how studios can boost game development by improving their internal workflows and processes. Topics will cover designing new solutions for projects by evaluating existing systems/workflows and assessing defects & tech debt to create new features/systems. Participants will learn how to manage the scope of changes while balancing project’s needs, using a team centred approach to gather feedback to iterate and improve development.

Davy Johnston works for CCP, originally joining in 2009, and is currently the Senior Producer for Developer Tools and Game Services on EVE Online leading teams across a wide range of projects.

The workshop is open to anyone working within the Northern Ireland interactive sector, however spaces will be limited and administered on a first come/first serve basis. To book a space in the workshop email rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

The Pixel Mill is hosting a workshop on Game Design for Live Ops with Linzi Campbell, Senior Game Designer, CCP. The workshop will take place on Friday 3rd September from 10am-12 noon and will be delivered online.

The workshop will focus on Live Ops for video game development, taking lessons from a 15+ year old game (Eve Online). Topics will cover designing live events and content that continues to engage the community around a game, integrating user testing into live ops and reacting to feature feedback to focus development. There will be insight on how to develop a cohesive game design workflow within a team, as well as between teams, to guide the development of content as well as provide feedback for tools development.

Linzi Campbell works at CCP on Live Ops game design for Eve Online and has over a decade of experience working on the franchise from QA Tester to Game Designer through to current role as Senior Game Designer.

The workshop is open to anyone working within the Northern Ireland interactive sector, however spaces will be limited and administered on a first come/first serve basis. To book a space in the workshop email rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

MiniGame is open to video game studios based in Northern Ireland that are working towards developing their first game. Northern Ireland Screen is seeking new teams to video game development that are motivated to develop and release their first title.

MiniGame will encourage studios to create mini/short games that they can publish within 5 months. These can be narrative games that can be completed in a couple of hours, an endless runner with unique mechanics, a turn based strategy with interesting rules. Concise games that people can pick-up and enjoy in a day.

MiniGame will be hosted in The Pixel Mill based at Ormeau Baths in Belfast, or remotely if teams are not based in Belfast, where companies will have access to facilities and mentors.

Northern Ireland Screen will support up to 3 companies to develop their business and build their teams. As part of MiniGame companies will receive:

• Up to £24,000 in development funding per company across 2 stages
• Access to facilities and mentors at The Pixel Mill

Interested companies will initially be invited to complete an online expression of interest. From there, shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an interview and pitch presentation.

Please read the application pack for more information.

Click HERE to apply.

Deadline for applications is Friday 13th August.

For further information please email Rory Clifford, Interactive Manager, rory@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.