Future stars of the film business
The National Film & Television School staged a hybrid end-of-year pitch presentation for executives and producers completing its film business training and leadership skills development programme
The National Film & Television School ( NFTS ) runs the international film industry development programme ‘ Inside Pictures ’ for executives and producers .
In 2021 , it had 20 participants from across the UK , Europe , Australia , and the US . Comprised of three intensive one-week modules and a tailored project beginning in June 2021 through to January 2022 , the final presentations would usually see participants and judges get together at the Vue cinema in Piccadilly to assess the work and conclude the course .
Due to the pandemic , in 2020 the course finale was run entirely online , making it important to the NFTS that this year ’ s delivery accommodated both in-person and remote guests .
Project pitch presentations needed to be delivered to revered industry executives including investors , legal and business representatives , sales , marketing and distribution professionals .
Turning the event on its head , 10 presentations , each given by pairs of presenters were delivered in three different ways to the panel , who were mostly seated in the Vue Piccadilly cinema , with some also appearing remotely .
Eight destinations including
New York , Paris , Berlin , Denmark , Sweden , Ireland , Finland and London were brought together with presenters and judges on screen , in-person , a mixture of the two and remotely . The pitches took place over Zoom with each location seeing the requisite screen at the appropriate time .
It was streamed over production company AP Events ’ 4G-bonded link following a day of rehearsals with presenters , PowerPoint presentations , keynotes , VTs and cameras , plus a chairperson for Q & As . AP brought in Black Magic Design ’ s
Atem mini pro ’ s , cinema pocket cameras , a Yamaha QL1 mixing desk and six laptops for the job .
With many aspects to co-ordinate , it was imperative everyone knew their cue and understood the etiquette of being on-screen in order to ensure that everyone - present and remote - felt included and connected to the event , thus implementing an understanding of broadcasting was paramount .
Darren , MD of AP Events says : “ With these kinds of events and many different aspects to coordinate it is imperative that there is plenty of time for rehearsals . It may increase the venue and AV costs , but it is essential . Planning is vital , questioning and more planning on top , plus keeping an open mind to the possibilities . A stable 4G connection or venue wifi is of course an absolute must and the first question that should be asked .”
From an organiser ’ s perspective , Corinne Ranaraja from Inside Pictures says “ The more one understands about the technical aspect the better to be able to manage guests ’ expectations on how the event will be delivered . Zoom etiquette and how to behave is also necessary as people can forget they ’ re being looked at , making for some interesting viewing ! It ’ s also a good idea to have a chairperson to host questions and bring the remote guests into the room so that everyone feels connected and part of the event . Marrying the online and in-person experience is new territory and needs consideration , planning and scripting .”
Corinne finished by saying : “ The event went amazingly well and without a hitch . We received many compliments from panellists and participants alike . We always use Vue for this event , but this was a step-up from what we usually deliver . We were really impressed with Darren ’ s team and Vue ’ s ability to accommodate and flex to our needs . We are very grateful to AP and Vue for making this a real day to remember for all the right reasons .”