Agtel

Italian Science Film Festival Showcases Agtel Productions

Encouraging people of all ages to take an interest in science is a challenge being faced in many countries, and television and on-line videos are playing a key role in engaging with these audiences. The Italian science film festival “Vedere la Scienza Festival” aims to present the best worldwide production of science films and documentaries. Films by independent producers and big production companies, short videos and TV movies, unreleased works and classic movies: different genres, technologies and disciplines all meet at Vedere la Scienza Festival with the same goal of seeing, and showing, Science.

This year’s festival in Milan featured two of Agtel’s productions. As part of Ireland’s national Science Week, Agtel produced a range of web videos aimed at young people for the Irish government initiative Discover Science & Engineering. Discover Science & Engineering (DSE) is Ireland’s national science promotion programme and it aims to increase interest in science, technology, innovation and engineering among students, teachers and members of the public.

“Kitchen Chemistry” (presented by Sue McGrath) was aimed at primary school children and demonstrated some very visual (and messy!) science experiments. It was described in the festival programme as “an invitation to have fun with science and experience firsthand what may seem distant and elusive when seen from a classroom desk.”

Another series of videos called “Star Gadgets” engaged with an older target audience of secondary school students. In these fast-paced YouTube-style video messages Irish celebrities spoke enthusiastically about their favourite technological gadgets and encouraged the audience to think about how central science and technology was to their lives.

These high-production value web videos were received positively at the festival – particularly as they were encouraging young people to take an interest in science. They demonstrate how a creative approach to science engagement from a team experienced in science communication can have a big impact.

Agtel films Science Week Lecture Series in HD

Science Week Ireland is always a busy time for the Agtel team and this year was no different. Filming on behalf of the Irish Government initiative Discover Science & Engineering, Agtel filmed this year’s Science Week Lectures Series in High Definition.

Building on the success of last year’s Series which Agtel also filmed, the 2008 Lecture Series took place between Monday 10th November and Friday 14th November in the Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. This year there was a fantastic mix of Irish and international speakers to talk about a variety of topics such as the ‘Science Behind Hollywood Special Effects’, ‘Will Robots Ever Have Emotions’ and ‘The Future of Space Tourism.’

Using a two camera High Definition setup to capture all the action along with broadcast quality audio recording, Agtel worked with the event organisers to optimise the lighting and audio at the Science Gallery venue. Advanced post-production techniques are used to full effect to create the finished products which include video inserts from the speakers as well as smooth rostrum moves on their PowerPoint slides to illustrate key points. Motion graphics and dramatic music are also used to full effect to create an impactful opening sequence for each of the lectures.

The lectures are available for viewing on-line on the Science Week website http://www.scienceweek.ie/sw2008/lecture_2008.asp – and if you want to see any of last year’s lectures you can still watch them in the Science Week 2007 lecture series video archive!