Belfast-based creative technology company, Aura Digital Studios has been introducing young people to one of the world’s fastest growing industries – Virtual Production and 3D Content Creation.
The young team from creative technology studio Aura Digital has built a global client base in less than five years but there is a worldwide skills shortage in the continually evolving immersive arts sector.
Company directors Josh McAvoy, Eva Robinson and Sinéad Burns, all recent Ulster University graduates, are inspiring the next generation of screen technical talent through Into Film’s ScreenWorks programme.
“There’s a global skills deficit within immersive arts and virtual production. It’s our company ethos to develop the next talent pool and prevent the brain drain that has impacted Northern Ireland for so long. There are exciting opportunities, and we can
create great jobs right here at home,” Eva said.
Aura Digital Studios, located in the Gasworks in Belfast, uses games engine technology to work across multiple industries such as games, animation and virtual production. Since its inception less than five years ago, the studio has built a global client base, developed proprietary software and helped create Northern Ireland’s first-ever Virtual Production advertisement.
Their work has been featured at Beyond Conference 2021 and 2022, Belfast Media Festival 2023, South By Southwest 2023, Stereopsia 2023 and at New European Bauhaus Brussels 2024.
The company has delivered two hands-on sessions for ScreenWorks in Virtual Production and 3D content creation.
“Once young people learn the core skills in these areas they can apply them to a whole range of projects. Things are moving incredibly quickly in our industry and there are opportunities for jobs that didn’t even exist a year or two ago,” Eva added.
Their most recent ScreenWorks session worked with young people aged 14-19 giving them hands-on experience with 3D Content Creation. The three-day work placement session covered an introduction to 3D modelling and animation, real-time rendering and optimisation and In Camera Visual Effects for Virtual production. The goal of the workshop was that each young person could have a piece of work to use in their portfolio to show as part of their CV whether they were looking for work or further education in the industry.
Josh said: “3D Skills are becoming more and more prevalent in our lives as time goes on, even if you’re not interested in the media industry. So while we’re preparing these students for 3D in the Games Animation and Film industries, we’re also teaching them skills that are transferable to other areas of work such as manufacturing and the Automotive industry. It’s an area that schools are lagging behind in and I think it’s great that Screenworks is an option for those who are interested.”
Virtual Production and 3D Content Creation are rapidly emerging and being used by an increasing number of film companies but there are so few skilled professionals able to work in this field.
“It is important that everyone has the opportunity to access these skills as they open up a wide range of career opportunities, whether that’s in the screen industries or somewhere else,” Sinéad Burns said.
“It is really exciting to see this industry grow and develop within Northern Ireland. It’s the perfect place for large productions as we have all the skills here to implement every part of the pipeline from early scripts to VFX and final grade,” Sinéad added.
Sean Boyle, ScreenWorks Lead, explained: “Virtual Production and 3D Content Creation are fast-growing, important opportunities for our young people but few know its potential as a career choice. Northern Ireland is way ahead of other areas in the UK so we need to get people ready to enter the world of work.”
Aimed at young people aged 14-19, ScreenWorks offers young people unparalleled access to industry professionals across all five screen sectors – Film, Television, Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects as part of a scheme supported by Northern Ireland Screen.
For more information on any of the ScreenWorks workshops go to