About

The Big Real Virtual Production Film Academy (Shaping Scotland's Cinematic Future)

What

Selected talented individuals from universities (graduates) or film-makers early in their careers (no more than 2 years in the industry) are invited to apply to join a collaborative film production project. After being selected by a panel of industry professionals, 20 individuals with different talent and expertise will be allocated roles to create 1-2 film projects. They will have access to professional studios as well as mentorship from industry practitioners.

Where

Selected teams can work remotely with access to CoSTAR's professional film-making studio located at Water's Edge, Dundee. Other facilities (ViPRE motion capture studio at Abertay, recording studio & edit studio) will also be available.

Masterclasses and talks will also be held in Water's Edge Dundee or online.

When

June to August 2025 (June-July pre-production and August is production)

Who

Supported by Screen Scotland, The Big Real Virtual Production Film Academy is run by Abertay University's CoSTAR Realtime Lab, located at Water's Edge, Dundee.

Target

The Academy is open to current Scotland-residing graduates, current Master students or film makers early in their career. They include the following:

  • Current film-production related Master degree students.
  • Recent graduates from film-production related undergraduate or postgraduate courses (graduate no more than two years)
  • Film-makers with no more than two years of working experience in the film industry.

20 individuals will be selected to enter.

Script

We will provide a selection of synopsis options to challenge your creativity on the production output.

Shooting locations

The Academy encourages predominantly the use of technology and studio spaces, with a mix of some locational shootings advised by the mentors.

Selection Process

1st Stage

Our judges will assess the submitted showreel and judge on the artistic and technical merit of the applicant's works.

Submissions should demonstrate a high level of creativity, innovation, and storytelling. Judges will assess the visual composition, cinematography, and overall artistic impact, alongside the technical execution, including any potential integration of virtual environments, lighting, and special effects. Effective use of virtual production tools to enhance narrative, realism, or artistic expression will be key. The applicants should showcase a strong command of both traditional filmmaking principles and cutting-edge technology, pushing creative and technical boundaries.

The highest scoring individuals will be invited for the second stage of the selection process which will be held in the format of an interview.

2nd stage - interview

The judging panel will judge from your submitted portfolio, personal statement and an interview based on the following criteria.

Selection Criteria

  1. Creative Vision
    • Originality of ideas and creative approaches to storytelling or problem-solving.
    • Examples of innovative thinking in previous projects.
  2. Technical Expertise
    • Demonstrate skills in their area of expertise with evidence (e.g., directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, etc.).
    • Knowledge of relevant tools, software, & equipment.
  3. Collaboration Skills
    • Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
    • Evidence of past experience in collaborative environments.
    • Interpersonal and communication skills.
  4. Passion and Commitment
    • Genuine enthusiasm for film production and the creative process.
    • Evidence of dedication to past projects, even under challenging circumstances.
  5. Role-Specific Criteria
    • Director: Vision, leadership, and storytelling skills.
    • Cinematographer: Visual style, framing, and lighting expertise.
    • Editor: Attention to detail and narrative flow.
    • Sound Designer: Creativity in audio effects and mixing.
    • Producer: project management: use of Gent chart, slack etc.
  6. Cultural and Artistic Sensitivity
    • Awareness of diverse perspectives and the ability to represent them respectfully in their work.
  7. Leadership Potential
    • Ability to inspire and guide others, particularly for key roles like director or producer.

Timeline

  • 1 Apr - 30 Apr: Apply
  • mid-May: Interviews
  • end-May: Participants confirmed
  • Jun-Jul: Pre-production
  • Aug: Production
  • early Sep: Showcase

Before You Apply

Before you apply, please read the Terms & Conditions and what you need to prepare session below.

What you need to prepare

  1. Application Portfolio
    Submission Guidelines:
    • Examples of Film making, Television work, animation and any 3D or VFX work should be collated in a showreel, breakdown reel or a 'making of' video where possible.
    • Videos should be provided and uploaded to YouTube/Vimeo, and then add the link to the application form. Please make sure that it's not password-protected. You can also share a link to a website with examples of your work on it.
    • In your showreel, please also demonstrate your production processes and show any pre-production or concept work.
  2. Personal Statement which outlines why you are suitable to enter the Academy based on our Selection Criteria.
  3. Fill in the Application Form
  4. Submit before 30th April 23:59pm.

After you have applied

We aim to inform successful applicants for an interview before 15th May. You will be notified by email. Please wait for our update. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified by email.

Pre-production (June-July)

Each team must submit the following before 25th July:

  1. Film treatment
    • Title of story.
    • A short summary of the adapted synposis.
    • Key characters.
    • Additional information about the themes and tone of the projects.
    • Story-board
    • And any other relevant information
  2. Logistic plan
    • Including locations, equipment hiring request and studio access planning

Enquiries

Elaine Russell e.russell@abertay.ac.uk.