Whitepot Studios Research & Develop solutions to issues with real-time terrain creation in games run on Unity.

Game developers Whitepot Studios have recently run initial R&D to examine the limitations of real-time terrain creation in Unity, a software commonly used in game development, with results that could change the face of modern real-time environment building in games. Through a report drawn from their research on Unity, the team was able to identify elements not updated in the original software and not fixable with existing ‘off-the-shelf’ products and solutions. Although solutions do exist to the issues found, they are expensive and require large amounts of hardware prohibitive to small to mid-size developers. Taking the data derived from their report, Whitepot is seeking to create an outcome that addresses issues traditionally found when using such techniques in real-time e.g. compatibility, framerate drops and project slowdown economically to open up access to programming like projects for small to mid-size companies.

Whitepot Studios is an award-winning team of game development, software, and creative media specialists. Founded in 2016, the Belfast-based studio has been creating games and developing bespoke client work offering game development, software development, and creative media services.

More information on Whitepot Studios here: http://whitepotstudios.com

Project Name 

Hyper-efficient real-time terrain manipulation solution for the Unity game engine, using voxels and DOTS (Data-Oriented Technology Stack). 

Project Team:

Adam Whiteside-- Technical Lead

Vicky Potts-- Biz Dev and Production

Matt McDyre—Creative Lead

Amy Seaman-- Junior Artist

Robbie McKinney-- Junior Programmer

Co-investigator:

Alec Parkin, Lecturer in Computer Animation, Ulster University.

This project was funded by a Future Screens NI Research and Development award.

Project Focus: Smidj completes analysis of The Cultural Economy of Zoom.

Responding to the Future Screens NI Rewriting the Narrative call, Smidj completed a research project investigating how creative professionals were engaging with lockdown restrictions through their use of Zoom Video Conferencing services. The resulting report is titled The Cultural Economy of Zoom: An Analysis of Creative Praxis, Data Rights & Service Contracts - Exploring the Phenomenon of Online Collaboration During Lockdown.

Noting the profound effect of lockdown on the creative sector, Smidj consciously sought small to medium enterprises and free-lance professionals who had adopted Zoom during the period. The researchers then set out to evaluate the impact of the sudden shift to Computer Mediated Communication (CMD) as a result of the global pandemic through a short qualitative research project.

Some key factors noted from the preliminary planning of the research project was the lack of preparedness on the part of communities, government bodies and individuals facing down the societal impact of COVID-19. The research team thus sought to address the pressing issues like fatigue, security and copyright. The results of the trial were a document Practical Advice for Meeting Users and avenues for further research.

Smidj, Ltd is a LegalTech solution addressing business model innovation in the creative industries through attribution data models and data services innovation. They aim to create an efficient and accessible ID registration system for the creators of digital content that supports attribution and payment.

Project Team:

CEO - Paul O’Hagan: A highly skilled researcher who has worked with Peter Jenner on the Music 2025 project as part of a multi-disciplinary team of academics. His background as a technology entrepreneur and as a commercial studio owner and record producer before this make him uniquely placed. Currently studying a PHD at Ulster University, within Contextual Studies in Popular Music & Culture with a thesis titled Attribution: Intellectual Properties & Popular Music.

CFO/COO - Miceál O’Kane: Serial Entrepreneur and business growth consultant. With over 20 years’ experience starting, operating, and exiting business Miceál specialises in business model innovation. Currently studying a master’s degree in social innovation at Cambridge University, Judge Business School with a research focus on The Creative Industry Economy in the Digital Age. 

NED - Peter Jenner: A veteran of the music business, manager of Pink Floyd, Marc Bolan, Ian Dury, The Clash, and Eddie Reader, he is also responsible, with Martin Goldschmidt of Cooking Vinyl Records, for instigating the first label services deal for Billy Bragg. 

Co-investigator: Professor Frank Lyons, Associate Dean of Research and Impact in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Ulster University.

This project was funded by a Future Screen NI Rewriting the Narrative award.

Ulster Touring Opera begin Future Screens NI funded new technology recording trials to facilitate immersive performance experience.

The pioneering Ulster Touring Opera (UTO) have begun Volumetric filming tests in Belfast as part of the Depthkit Studio Pilot. Depthkit Studio is a Research and Development software developed by Scatter which allows portable volumetric capture for full-body 3D video. Artistic Director of UTO Dafydd Hall Williams notes that “Ulster Touring Opera is the first organisation on the island of Ireland, and the first opera company in the world, to take part in the pilot.” Following the volumetric filming tests, the UTO intend to record a multi-camera volumetric capture of an opera singer in early September.

Ulster Touring Opera is a cross-border, not-for-profit innovative opera company based in Belfast committed to provide live opera across the nine counties of Ulster and beyond. Working with renowned conductors, designers and directors, UTO provides international-quality performances of the world’s greatest operas cast with the best singers of Britain and Ireland.

For further information on Ulster Touring Opera visit: https://ulstertouringopera.com

For more information on Depthkit visit: https://www.depthkit.tv

The project has been funded by the Future Screens NI Future Creatives award.

An evening with Extended Reality innovator Deepa Mann-Kler at Breastival on Thurs 5th of Aug at 7pm.

Future Screens NI is pleased to present an evening with Deepa Mann-Kler on Thursday 5th of August at 7:00 PM hosted by Nuala Toman of Future Screens NI.

Deepa Mann-Kler is a ground breaking innovator working in new and emerging technology and CEO of Neon. She has pioneered significant innovations in health, wellbeing and parenting. Deepa is also a visual artist specialising in neon and visual installations. For the event, she will discuss recent Extended Reality (XR) projects, including:

BreatheVR an immersive experience that helps pain sufferers decrease their pain levels. Using a phone and Virtual Reality headset, users look at a beautiful 360-degree garden with floating leaves and islands. The leaves ascend and descend as you breathe deeply. The repeating sequence encourages the user to get into a pattern of diaphragmatic breathing.

Talking Sense an Augmented Reality conversation training tool that uses artificial intelligence technology to enable dynamic machine learning conversation processes with the aim of supporting parents to better understand the behaviour of their children with autism and better enable coping strategies and appropriate interventions.

Find out more about Deepa, her innovations and her company NEON here: https://www.discoverneon.com/

 The event will be chaired by Nuala Toman, Project Manager of Future Screens NI. Nuala formerly held the position of Acting Head of Research Development at Ulster University and is the former Director of Operational Policy within Sinn Féin. She was Project Leader of the £1.2mn AUL@W Project funded by the Scottish Funded Council. As Principal Investigator on significant HE projects Nuala developed theoretical approaches towards understanding the massification of Higher Education and the implications of increased diversity and stratification within the HE system. Nuala has pioneered innovative technological solutions which have been applied within Higher Education. She is a Disability Tutor, an Associate of the Higher Education Academy, and Chair of the Breastival, Vice Chair of Thrive, a Board Member of the NIMC, a Council Member of CCMS, a Covid-19 volunteer, a qualified breastfeeding peer supporter and former Board Member of the Education Authority.

Future Screens NI are delighted to sponsor Breastival which is a unique multi-award winning festival which celebrates, supports and normalises breastfeeding as part of everyday life.

Check out the full Breastival Programme here: https://breastival.co.uk/2021-programme/

Don’t Miss this opportunity for an Evening with Deepa Mann-Kler hosted by Nuala Toman. Register for tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breastival-2021-tickets-161749014657?keep_tld=1

Announcing the Puttnam Scholars Programme Awardees for 2021.

The Puttnam Scholars Programme for 2021 has begun with eight participants starting their masterclasses. In its second year, the Puttnam Scholars Programme began in 2020 to give emerging creative talent the opportunity to learn from Lord David Puttnam, the Oscar-winning producer of such films as Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire and The Killing Fields. This year, Future Screens NI, Northern Ireland Screen, and Screen Ireland teamed up with Atticus Education to offer four Northern Ireland residents and four Republic of Ireland residents the opportunity to attend 6 two hour online master classes with Lord Puttnam.

Join us in congratulating these recent Puttnam Scholars:

Isabella Djali Devine – Director / Producer selected by Future Screens NI

Aidan Largey – Writer/Director selected by Future Screens NI

Laura Robinson – Writer/Director/Producer selected by Future Screens NI

Helen Rollins –Writer/Director selected by Future Screens NI

Luke Morgan – Writer/Director nominated by GMIT

Ali Doyle – Producer nominated by TU Dublin

Niamh O’Connor –Writer nominated by IADT

James Skerritt – Director/Director of Photography nominated by LIT

The participants receive access to live online masterclasses exploring the following themes: 

The Power of Identity

The Evolution of Creativity

Fact or Fiction

Builders and Brokers

Music and Meaning

Interpreting the Future

The participants receive tuition as wells as a scholarship from Atticus Education, supported by Accenture in Ireland, to the value of €1.5k for use in furthering their career development.