TECHNICAL SKILLS

MUSIC

This section has the Technical Skills content for Music. Content has been created based on what you told us you would like to know more about. Please watch the video allocated for your course and year group. You may also explore other videos if you wish.

The Art of Songwriting: Emma McGann
MUSIC PERFORMANCE LEVEL 2

Emma talks through the processes of songwriting with lots of tips and tricks to unlock your creativity. Emma has earned BBC Radio 1 airplay, over 11 million views on her livestreams to date and critical acclaim for her alternative approach as an independent artist.

Developing Song Ideas: Alan Southgate

MUSIC PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3 Year 1

Developing Song Ideas - Alan Southgate.mov

Writing original music is a key part of sustaining a living in the music industry. In this session Alan explores how to develop song ideas. Alan has been a songwriter with his own projects since the late 90s, firstly with his band Bulk Powder Division and then signing to the Hungry Audio label as Alan Southgate. Alan has also written and performed with many others including Mac Tontoh (Osibisa) and Globo (Hydrogen Jukebox). Alan has also been teaching songwriting and production for the last 20 years.

Performing to an Audience: Karen Reilly

MUSIC PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3 Year 2

Karen Reiley- Performing to an Audience.mp4

Performing to an audience is a key part of the musician's craft. In this session Karen looks at the art of performance. Karen is the vocalist with the art rock band, The Neutrinos, who have toured Germany, France, Holland, Canada and the States. She is a collaborator of Vocal Invention, an annual festival of experimental voice noise.


Production Start-up: DJ Frenic
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY LEVEL 2

Education and Bass- intro to production.mp4

Writing original music is a key part of sustaining a living in the music industry. In this session DJ Frenic explores how to develop song ideas. Sam Fergusson aka DJ Frenic has been a professional scratch DJ for 16 years, supporting household names such as Jurassic 5, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Afrika Bambaataa, Beatnuts and the Pharcyde. His music production, influenced by the likes of DJ Shadow, has brought international success, most notably in Greece where he leads the thriving beat scene. Producing tracks for locals and legends alike, recent projects have included beats for ASM and Marc7 of Jurassic 5 fame.


Composing for TV: Dobs Vye
MUSIC PRODUCTION LEVEL 3 Year 1

Muisc for TV- Dobs Vye.mp4

Writing music TV and film can be a great way to earn an income. In this session TV songwriter Dobs Vye explores how to develop ideas to meet set briefs. Dobs Vye - is a media composer who has created music for over 100 TV series, award-winning shows and channels, including several BAFTA-winning formats. Here he demonstrates how he created theme music for three programmes, while covering tips on how to get into the industry.


The Recording Process: Lavar Bullard
MUSIC PRODUCTION LEVEL 3 Year 2

The Recording Process - Lavar Bullard.mov

Getting to know the secrets of the recording process will help you to create quality music. In this session Lavar Bullard talks about the tips and tricks he has developed when creating tracks. Lavar Bullard is a mix and live sound engineer for a large number of acts including Akala, Miss Dynamite, King Prawn, Asher Gold, Zac Knight, Lowkey and many others. Lavar is currently mixing and mastering projects for Dolby Atmos, including Lil Huddy (including Travis Barker) and Aldn for Universal US.

Vocal Skills & Techniques: Greg Blackman
VOCAL ARTIST LEVEL 2

Greg Blackman- Vocals .mp4

Vocal health and technique is a key part of being a singer. Here Greg Blackman explains how to develop and look after your voice. Greg Blackman is known for his unforgettable voice, his powerful songwriting and his passionate approach to the subjects of music, mental health. His music has been played extensively on BBC Radio, featured on the NME website, played on MTV and reviewed favourably in Blues & Soul Magazine. His singing can be heard on songs with hip hop luminaries such as Lowkey (Soundtrack To The Struggle 2) Wordsworth, Talib Kweli and Masta Ace (Champion Sounds) and recently on J Dilla: The Timeless Tribute for Vice Beats.

Performing as a Solo Artist: Kevin Mark Trail
VOCAL ARTIST LEVEL 3 Year 1

Kevin Mark; Vocal Performance .mp4

Performing on stage is an important skill for a singer. In this video Kevin Mark Trail covers the art of performance. Kevin Mark Trail is a UK singer, songwriter, producer with world critical acclaim. He is a long standing member of Mike Skinner’s band The Streets. He has had solo releases with EMI records, Warner Records, and also a numerous independent releases. His collaborations include Nitin Sawhney, Estelle, Black Twang, Rodney P, MJ Cole, Sandy Rivera, Hot Chip, Danny Byrd, and The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. As a vocalist he has contributed to recordings with Jamie Cullum, Emeli Sande, Gregory Porter, Kano, and Alexis Ffrench.


Recording as a Artist: Kevin Mark Trail
VOCAL ARTIST LEVEL 3 Year 2

Kevin Mark- Vocal Recording .mp4

Recording your voice is a vital skill for a singer. In this video Kevin Mark Trail covers the art of recorded performance. Kevin Mark Trail is a UK singer, songwriter, producer with world critical acclaim. He is a long standing member of Mike Skinner’s band The Streets. He has had solo releases with EMI records, Warner Records, and also a numerous independent releases. His collaborations include Nitin Sawhney, Estelle, Black Twang, Rodney P, MJ Cole, Sandy Rivera, Hot Chip, Danny Byrd, and The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. As a vocalist he has contributed to recordings with Jamie Cullum, Emeli Sande, Gregory Porter, Kano, and Alexis Ffrench.

GAMES

This section has the Technical Skills content for Games. Content has been created based on what you told us you would like to know more about. Please watch the video allocated for your course and year group. You may also explore other videos if you wish.

Creating Game Ideas: Luna Javier
GAME DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 2

Luna Javier- Creating Game ideas .mp4

Creating ideas for games is a key part of the game development process. Here Luna Javier from Altitude Games, based in the Philippines, comes up with some tips. Luna, who is the Creative Director & Co-Founder of Altitude Games, is one of the 100 women featured in the book Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play by Meagan Marie. Altitude Games is a mobile game studio composed of veterans of the Southeast Asian game industry. They are focused on original mobile free-to-play games.

Creating Character Art: Riot Games
GAME ART LEVEL 3 Year 1

Game characters have a major part to play in any video game. In these two videos Riot Games explore the development of character art and its animation. In the first video, you’ll get an overview of the character modelling workflow and learn about some of the character artists’ key considerations throughout the modelling process. It also introduces the art of texturing which is often part of a character artist’s role. In the 2nd video, animators discuss the goals of character animation in a game. They explain how you should think about animation as a series of poses over time. That means an animation is really only as good as its poses.


Storyboarding & Characterisation
GAME ART LEVEL 3 Year 2

Games need to have a story to provide a narrative for how the player experiences the game. These videos explore storytelling and characterisation in games. The first video explores how to effectively tell a story in a video game. It includes examples of games that do this really well. The 2nd video examines the elements that make up game writing. Plot, characters, and lore all have to be balanced depending on the type of game you're making. Knowing what to cut from your story bible is just as important as knowing what to keep. The 3rd video has a chat with writer and creative director Neil Druckmann to learn about some of the techniques game designers use to tell their stories.


Game Design & Development
GAME TECHNOLOGY 3 Year 1

Games design is working out how your player will interact with the game and building the mechanics. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video explores game design basics. In the 2nd video, game designers talk about some fundamental game design concepts— from understanding 'fun' to setting clear goals, and creating opposition. They also explain how design decisions can impact the theme and tone of a game. In the 3rd video Gabriel Moncau shares his passion for game design and insights into the what goes into the design of games he likes to play.

Game Design Programming
GAME TECHNOLOGY 3 Year 2

Games programming is an essential part of the game development process. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video looks at the best programming languages for games. The 2nd video looks at basic programming for games in C#. The 3rd video covers variables when programming in C#.


MEDIA

This section has the Technical Skills content for Media. Content has been created based on what you told us you would like to know more about. Please watch the video allocated for your course and year group. You may also explore other videos if you wish.

Photographing Landscape
MEDIA LEVEL 2

Capturing landscape is an important area of photography with may competitions. It is also key component of film-making. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video attempts to cover the majority of what you need to know to do landscape photography. It includes everything from gear, settings, filters, tripods, the purpose, composition, and editing. The 2nd video covers composition. Composition is one of the trickiest aspects of photography to master. This video covers 6 things to keep in mind when composing landscape images.



Photographing People
FILM, VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY LEVEL 3 Year 1

Photographing people is a key skill for both photographers and film-makers. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video explores the crucial relationship between sitter and photographer. The 2nd video covers how you can create great portraits even if you are introverted or shy. The final video has tips for photographing strangers when doing street photography.



Film Editing
FILM, VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY LEVEL 3 Year 2

Film editing is a major part of the film-making process. It is the process of translating raw footage into a finished piece. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video covers an 8-step editing workflow for a commercial video using Adobe Premiere Pro. The 2nd video looks at how to create a dramatic cinematic look to footage again using Premiere Pro.




Image Editing
MEDIA LEVEL 2

Image editing is important for graphic designers, to make sure the visual aspects of a design support the overall aim. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video covers basic image editing from the point of view of a designer. The 2nd video shows you how to create a creative double exposure image in Photoshop.





Illustration
GRAPHIC DESIGN LEVEL 3 Year 1

Being able to draw is a very useful skill for graphic designers. These videos explore aspects of this. The first video covers the differences between a graphic designer and an illustrator. The 2nd video takes a closer look at the drawing skills you need as a graphic designer. The 3rd video focuses in on finding your illustration style.


Poster Design
GRAPHIC DESIGN LEVEL 3 Year 2

Posters are high profile examples of the graphic design art. These videos explore aspects of creating these. The first video takes a deep dive into the world of movie posters, covering their aims and successes. The 2nd video covers 5 tips for creating a great poster design. The 3rd video is a short tutorial on creating a vector poster design in Adobe Illustrator.



EVENTS & ESPORTS

This section has the Technical Skills content for Events and Esports. Content has been created based on what you told us you would like to know more about. Please watch the video allocated for your course and year group. You may also explore other videos if you wish.

Small Event Management:
Production Bureau
EVENTS LEVEL 3 Year 1

Production Bureau- Managing Small Events.mp4

Events come in all shapes and sizes. Music events tend to be high profile, but the majority of events are corporate events or exhibitions. This video explores event management for any event. For 30 years Production Bureau has been at the leading edge of live event management, event production, and bespoke exhibition stand design. They work on all types of event from corporate conferences to major sporting events.


Festival Management: Ipswich Sound City
EVENTS LEVEL 3 Year 2

Sound City Ipswitch- Festival Managment .mp4

Festivals remain iconic events which, despite Covid, are still an important part of many people's lives. This video explores how to set about organising one. Sound City Liverpool is the UK's leading independent festival for new music and a central hub for discovering the best creative experiences. Joe Bailey and Marcus Neal organise Sound City Ipswich and run The Smokehouse venue.


Esports Performance Coaching:
Women in Games
ESPORTS LEVEL 3 Year 1

Coaching is an essential element of any competitive sport. This video features female esports coaches in conversation. Featured is Performance Coach, Urszula 'Xirreth' Klimczak, who has worked with Roccat, Fnatic, Gamers Origin, Team SoloMid and Origen. She is interviewed by fellow WIGJ Ambassador, Emma Brown, Coach and Team Leader of Masters Overwatch team, The Jetpack Cats. The session covers building and leading a team that is capable of delivering expected results over a long period of time. This is how to be not only a good leader but also how to be an amazing team mate.

COMPUTING

This section has the Technical Skills content for Computing. Content has been created based on what you told us you would like to know more about. Please watch the video allocated for your course and year group. You may also explore other videos if you wish.

Software Development
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LEVEL 3 Year 1


Software development is a creative and a technical task. This video covers a software development life cycle. Starting from nothing, this video moves on to coding a terminal app, to writing tests, to creating a GitHub repo, to hooking it up, to building a continuous integration workflow, and more. While the analysis and design of a SDLC is important, it isn't covered here as this is a simple app.