Throughout their careers, researchers are expected to promote and advertise their research using professional media techniques. However, most researchers never receive any form of professional media training throughout their careers.
A media training week, hosted by experts from Carbon Digital, allowed to address this problem head-on. The event took place at Manchester’s MediaCity, where the multi-award winning company worked with the Fellows of the new EuPRAXIA Doctoral Network and members of the University of Liverpool’s QUASAR Group to help them develop the skills required to storyboard, script, film and produce their very own project outreach video by the end of an intense training week.
The training concept was developed by EuPRAXIA-DN Coordinator and QUASAR Group Leader Professor Carsten P Welsch who joined the participants during the entire week. The training started with an overview of the creative process, followed by preproduction. The participants then learned how storyboards and scripts are created before moving on to virtual production.
At RecodeXR studios, everyone got the opportunity to be filmed for the video. Participants recorded sections of the script relating to specific activities of the network, and later decided who will star in the final version of the film. Further work included generating audio and video content using AI technology, learning about special effects and transitions, as well as the fundamentals of green screen filming and film editing.
This unique training introduced all participants to the creative and technical processes behind modern media production. It was pioneered between the QUASAR Group and Carbon Digital in the Marie Curie network AVA and led to the critically acclaimed short film ‘AVA – Nature (anti)matters’ showcasing the AVA research, jointly developed by the Fellows and Carbon Digital. The AVA film was selected by the EU as excellent communication practice and highlighted in EU-wide Coordinators’ training days.
The EuPRAXIA Doctoral Network capitalized on this experience and successfully produced a film showcasing the EuPRAXIA-DN Fellows, their research plans and the comprehensive training offered by the network. The Fellows will now be in an ideal position to produce videos about their own R&D, using the skills obtained during this training.
The EuPRAXIA-DN film will be officially launched in December – watch this space!