Photoshop for Photographers

Create is launching this year's programme of digital photography courses with another run of it's Photoshop Techniques for Photographers course.

Wednesdays 3, 10, 17, 24 Sept, 1, 8, 15, 22, Oct

6.30pm-9pm

£145, Swindon Card £130

Are you struggling with Photoshop, maybe you have taught yourself a few things but aren’t sure if they’re right?

Come and learn the fundamental principles of digital image post-production as well as some professional techniques to make the best of your photographs.

You will start with the basic operation of Photoshop and finish with electronic publishing and printing. On the way, you will learn some of the fundamental principles behind digital image post-production as well as a portfolio of professional techniques to make the best of your photographs.

Even though this course is in photographic post-production, please feel free to bring in your own camera.

The course takes place at Create Studies in the Wyvern Theatre, Theatre Square, Swindon SN1 1QN. To book a space on this course call our box office on 01793 614837.

Other courses planned at Create Studios are:

People in Picture

Digital Landscape

This will be a new course for Create, partly studio based and partly on location. It will involve training in the studio, followed by a session on location taking images, followed by a session back in the studio using Photoshop to enhance the images.

Further Photoshop Techniques

This course will be for people who have completed the introductory course Photoshop Techniques for Photographers or have a similar level of expertise. It will cover a quick recap of this course and then lead into more advanced ways of using these techniques plus new techniques.

If you are interested in any of these courses or have an interest in any other area of digital photography and digital image post-production, please email Keith on kphillips@swindon.gov.uk

March 2008

Pupils from Isambard community school brought home a First Light film award for best Documentary at a star-studded oscars-syle ceremony in Leicester Square today.

The film entitled ‘The Child and Me’ was made by children from 5 Swindon schools with Create Studios’ outreach wing, Mobile Media last year, and beat over a hundred other films to clinch the award for Best Documentary at the presitigious national First Light Movie Awards. The young filmmakers were joined by the Mobile Media team to meet a range of celebrities and receive their award, and had to address a hall of 200 hopefuls to make their acceptance speech!

Mobile Media brought together children from five Swindon Primary schools to work with industry professionals, learning scripting, creative writing, filming and acting skills. They were teamed with local Film Director, Gurchetan Singh, and Musician and Screencomposer, Barry Andrews.

The children made a sensitive documentary, following the story of their transition between primary school to the new Isambard Community School where they now attend : from girls and boys to young women and men, from different backgrounds and homes, to fellow pupils forging the identity of a new community.

Create Studios’ Mobile Media ran the project with financial support from Artpoint, the Public Art Agency for the South East and funding from First Light Movies, who seek to develop the best British filmmakers of the future.

Shahina Johnson, Director of Mobile Media says “We are so thrilled to have received this prestigious award – and it is a real testament to the dedication of our filmmaking team at Create who want young people to produce work that is truly professional and tackles moving and gripping topics”.

Rachael Mattey, Headteacher of Isambard School said, “I am very proud of the children and the film! It has been a wonderful experience for them both making the film and now going to the awards ceremony in  London to find that they are winners! We look forward to watching their filmmaking go from strength to strength.”

The First Light Movie Awards is a prestigious event held each year in London featuring various celebrities. This year First Light had an amazing profile of judges, none other than Orlando Bloom, Kevin Spacey, Nira Park, Stephen Fry and Sam Mendes.

Ryan Jones, from Isambard Community School who gave the acceptance speech at the ceremony said, “It was incredible to be up there and receive our award It was great making the film, and I can’t wait to plan our next project now that we have had this incredible award!”

First Swindon group to pass Silver Arts Award

Five young people from a media group called YourFilm, mentored by Create Studios’ Mobile Media, passed their Silver Arts Award at the Egg Theatre in Bath.

Arts Awards is a pioneer relationship between the Arts Council and international awarding body Trinity Guildhall, and is a scheme whereby young people are mentored by arts professionals.

The young people’s Arts Award is the first accredited scheme to underpin the development of young artists and young arts leaders from 11 to 25, helping them to grow as artists, to lead arts projects and develop rich and fruitful relationships with familiar or new art forms.

To pass the award the young people have to write a review of an arts event, pass their own arts challenge and demonstrate their achievements. Although they agree their challenge at the beginning of the scheme, it can organically change along the way.

Chloe Willis, a member of the group, said, “I have enjoyed working towards the Arts Award. We ran an event called ‘Make YourFilm’ recently which was hard work but great fun and we met lots of new young people and get them involved in filmmaking too”. Neelma Iqbal said, “It has been great that the Arts Award has recognised our development”.

Kirsty Carter, Director of Artsmad and Swindon’s Arts Award Trainer, said “I am delighted that this group have passed their award. I have seen their work and feel the awards are very well-deserved.”

To join YourFilm please email yourfilmcontact@googlemail.com

Further information from Marilyn Fitzgerald at Mobile Media, Create Studios on 01793 465333 or 07734 975282