TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, today announced National Film and Television School as their newest member.
As the only UK media education institution housed in its own dedicated working film studios, the school provides specialist advanced training in the core disciplines and departments which make up modern film and television production and development. Students following the two year MA programme choose to specialise in one of these disciplines and work together with other students on final major projects in fiction, documentary, animation and television entertainment. Every year, many of these projects achieve numerous industry awards and accolades include a fair share of Oscars and Baftas.
Over the past five years, under the stewardship of leading UK film producer Nik Powell, a number of new courses have been introduced including Digital Postproduction and a SFX/VFX specialism. The school’s latest adventure is the launch of a groundbreaking new MA Games Design and Development programme accepting its first student intake in January 2012. Designed and developed in response to current and future games industry needs, the new games course runs in in parallel with the other 2 year MA film and television programmes, ensureing that games specialists learn and practice their craft alongside future luminaries from all areas of the moving image media industries, with embedded opportunities for practical transmedia and cross-platform project development. The NFTS is already accredited as a skillset Film and Media Academy, and future plans include the development of the ‘digital village’ – an international centre for advanced media research, development and practice. The games course is pivotal to this and other exciting NFTS initiatives. .
The NFTS 2 year MA programme in Games Design and Development is accepting applications now for its first student intake in January 2012. The course will have a cohort of 8 students who can specialise in games design, games art, games animation and/or games production. Where appropriate, students will collaborate with programming specialists from external studios and from partner institutions. Relationships are already in place with Imperial College London.
Jon Weinbren, Head of Games Design and Development at NFTS explains the company’s reasons for joining TIGA:
“The UK has certainly earned its global reputation as a high quality game development hub over the past 20 years. With the current explosion of platforms for games development on every scale – from the conventional ‘triple AAA’ console titles to the more innovative off the wall ‘indie’ projects, the breadth of opportunities for games as an entertainment medium and as an exciting new art form are only just beginning to emerge. We are at crucial phase in the history of game development, and the games we develop over the next 10 years will define the medium’s position in the overall cultural landscape of the future. The key to all this is tomorrow’s creative and technical talent, and the National Film and Television School aims to provide a key role in nurturing and supporting the games designers and developers of the future. We must do this in partnership with industry, and the school’s membership of TIGA is a key part of this strategy.””
Dr. Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO welcomed the organisation to TIGA:
“The UK games industry competes to a crucial degree on the quality of its workforce. TIGA is therefore committed to working with its education and training members to help build connections with games developers to benefit students, education providers and the wider games industry. We welcome the National Film and Television School to TIGA and look forward to working closely with them in the future.””
Ends
Notes to editors:
bout TIGA:
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The majority of our members are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership. TIGA was awarded ‘Trade Association of the Year’ and the ‘Member Recruitment Award’ at the Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2010. In 2011, TIGA won a further four awards at the Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards, including ‘Trade Association of the Year’ for the second consecutive year. TIGA has been voted a finalist in the CMI Management and Leadership Awards 2011 in the ‘Outstanding Organisation (SME)’ category. Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, has been voted a finalist in the ‘Outstanding Leader’ category. TIGA was also named as a finalist in the 2010 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) National Management and Leadership Awards in the category of ‘The Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award (SME)’. TIGA is an ‘Investors in People’ accredited organisation.
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. Our vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. Our mission is to fight for the interests of game developers. To achieve our vision and mission we focus on the delivery of three strategic objectives: effective political representation, profile raising and helping our members commercially. This means that TIGA members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.
For further information, please contact Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or email richard.wilson@tiga.org.