dock10 has appointed two junior virtual studio developers as part of a move to tackle an industry-wide skills shortage in virtual studios production.
Aya Al-bayati and Katie Bayman have both joined dock10, representing an extension of the facility’s in-house training scheme for TV studio craft talent which was established in 2020, said the company.
Al-bayati graduated this year from the University of Teesside with a degree in computer games art. Bayman graduated this year from Salford University with a degree in animation, specialising in 3D modelling and environments. Both are proficient with 3D computer graphics applications used to create virtual studio environments such as Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine 4.
Both new hires will be learning on the job as part of dock10’s virtual studio team, building up the skills and relationships to succeed in virtual production.
Richard Wormwell, head of production innovation, said: “At dock10, we’ve seen an explosion in demand from programme makers who want to incorporate virtual elements in entertainment, sports, children’s and factual TV programmes. But there is a real skills shortage in virtual studios in the UK.
“We recognise it’s our responsibility to help grow the virtual studios’ talent pool and to invest in hands-on, practical training. We are delighted to expand dock10’s virtual studios team with the appointments of Aya and Katie as junior virtual studio developers.”
dock10’s in-house training scheme for TV studio craft talent aims to train up the next generation of experienced production crews and to address a widely acknowledged skills gap in TV production. As part of the initiative, the facility is currently training two camera assistants and two sound assistants.
