The UK’s largest independent virtual production facility MARS Volume is launching a new training academy to bring the next generation of content creators into the TV and film industry.
MARS Academy, which is based in Ruislip, has secured the backing of ScreenSkills and Hillingdon Council.
From September 2022 it will offer a range of vocational virtual production training programmes, including VP 101, which focuses on providing a broad and general understanding of the virtual production pipeline from render node to screen; as well as a course covering LED systems for film crews.
Rowan Pitts, co-founder of MARS and its parent company Bild Studios, said: “With our first four MARS Academy courses starting this coming September, learners will gain extensive knowledge into the creative world of virtual production. MARS Academy is a vital learning initiative, equipping students, film and TV professionals and studios alike with the necessary technical and creative skills, hands-on experience and know-how. It is inspired by the belief that virtual production will become an essential part of any successful filmmaker’s toolkit in the near future.”
Bild Studios’ CCO and director of academic strategy, Joanna Alpe, added: “The courses on offer at MARS Academy are unique, in that we can offer students and industry professionals a direct transfer of education, skills and know-how: both from our highly experienced in-house team at MARS Volume, and from our respected industry partners and VP pioneers including Lux Machina, Epic Games, Escape Studios, Stype and Brompton. This gives learners the opportunity to gain hands on volume-based learning, from those at the forefront of the industry.
