Scan Pro Video
SCAN Computers and Intel are proud to have worked with the inspirational artist Trish Meyer in selecting the talented winners of Velocity 2014 Motion Graphics & HDR category.
MoGraph & HDR Grand Prize Winner – William Allum
When I spoke to Bill he had this to say on hearing he was the Velocity 2014 MoGraph Grand Prize Winner.
“I couldn’t believe it! I was very happy. I was on holiday at the time with my family and I think your email said ‘Are you sitting down’, so I thought I’d better sit down… and then jumping up, I told my wife but thought this can’t possibly be true. It was a very nice surprise. Really happy, thank you.”
So how are you going to use the opportunities that Velocity is offering?
“To produce more videos, keep working on my skills. I’m working with a friend to make a feature documentary at the moment, so the exposure will be really helpful for that. Eventually I’d like to make something more filmic so the software, training and opportunities I’ve won will help a great deal with that as well.”
William has won a consultation session with Simon Blackledge, VFX supervisor at MediaCity post facility Space Digital plus a share of over £20,000 of pro kit, training & mentoring opportunities and software. You can follow Bill on Twitter @williamallum86 or www.facebook.com/williamallum. Take a look at William’s winning entry on Scan Pro Video’s YouTube Channel.
Head Judge, Trish Meyer
“I was excited to jury the Motion Graphics & HDR Category for Velocity 2014 and to see how the creative community in the UK is using cutting-edge digital tools. Never forget that luck is when preparation meets opportunity!”.
Trish continues,
“It was refreshing to see so many different styles and techniques used in projects ranging from personal to commercial. I was particularly impressed with the professionalism of William Allum’s “Showreel” – the Grand Prize winner – as it covered a wide range of 2D and 3D motion graphics and VFX, and included some fascinating breakdowns of how many of the effects were constructed.”
Velocity 2014 was Scan & Intel’s way of engaging with the creative community to offer Speed and Direction for UK Digital Creatives.
I asked Bill how he was going to use the opportunities presented by Velocity.
“To produce more videos, keep working on my skills. I’m working with a friend to make a feature documentary at the moment, so the exposure will be really helpful for that. Eventually I’d like to make something more filmic so the software, training and opportunities I’ve won will help a great deal with that as well.”
Shortly after graduating with a BA (Hons) in Media Production and Film Studies from Winchester University,Bill moved to Japan to teach English and study Japanese, all the time shooting and working on small projects in his free time (check out his Snow Monkeys video here) and constantly building on his skills by following online tutorials. Working in Film & VFX had been the plan all along and the pull was too strong. After being out there for two and a half years (he only meant to go for one) he was desperate to make a dent in the industry and so moved back to the UK and applied for as many relevant jobs as possible. He volunteered for Zipangu Fest in his free time (the first UK-wide festival devoted to Japanese film), where he was responsible for print shipping, filming the main event and press interviews. As clichéd as it sounds, the hard work paid off and following an internship and round of full time roles (including Video Technician, Ingest Technician and Media Operator), Bill finally landed his current role as an Edit Assistant for Red Bee Media at Channel Four in London.
Bill still finds time to work on VFX shots for low-budget feature films and maintains his self-training and personal projects whenever he can.
How do you manage to keep your skills up to date?
“Pretty much most of my free time I spend practising or editing or trying some new technique or effect in Adobe After Effects. I spend my time trying to learn something new so I think that’s the best of going about staying up to date. It’s always good to have a project on as well because that pushes you to learn things that you wouldn’t necessarily choose to learn, but could end up being useful in the future.”
What would he say to someone considering entering the competition next year?
“Definitely go for it. It’s been a good experience for me so far. Its good to have something to work towards that encourages you to keep going, so definitely do it.”
I have some more good news for you Bill. As if the prize pot wasn’t big enough already, Velocity sponsor Soho Editors have added an extra prize with a voucher worth £645 towards any training package of your choice at their bespoke facilities in Manchester or London.
“Wow that’s great! Thanks. There’s always something new to learn.”
As you’d expect Bill and all the other entrants share common traits; they all have talent and skills, have invested time and money developing the tool-set needed to work in the creative industries, are driven and focused individuals, and all risked their egos by raising their heads above the parapet and entering the competition.
Proactivity wins every time. On behalf of Scan, Intel and the competition sponsors, congratulations one and all.
Our last piece of advice, paraphrasing every pro we spoke to – Philip Bloom, Den Lenny, Trish Meyer, Maxim Jago, Russell Dodgson, Edmond Terakopian and Simon Blackledge – is simple: “Stop talking about it and JUST DO IT!”
See you next year? We hope so. <3 Scan Pro Video
“To all those whose work made the shortlist, well done! And I would encourage all creatives to enter competitions like these; you’ll never get in if you don’t enter! If you feel your skills aren’t there yet, then take some classes and then practice some more. If you don’t have a client yet, then be your own client; give yourself a scope of work that is challenging but do-able then complete it to the highest standard you can muster at this point in time. When you find yourself saying “I can’t do that thing…” simply add the word “yet”, as in “I can’t do that yet…”. Then keep at it. And never forget that luck is when preparation meets opportunity!”
Trish Meyer
Proudly sponsored by
Adobe – Angelbird – Canon – Digieffects – Editors Keys – Focal Press – Framestore – F-Stop Academy – Lynda.com – Manfrotto – Maxon C4D – Noise Industries – PNY – Red Giant – Redshark News – SoHo Editors – Toolfarm – Video Copilot.
Sat tuned to the socials @ScanProVideo facebook.com/ScanProVideo for info about special offers, masterclasses, giveaways and industry news.
Interview by Matt Aindow © Scan Pro Video 2014
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