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The Lacuna Works exists to support creative projects, whether they are collaborations, commercial ventures, experimental pieces, or just something that seemed like a good idea on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. Some of the projects we support will continue to be our own, and that is certainly where we have gained most of our experience. But an increasing number of the projects we support are external, projects that people have come to us and said "this could work so well if only we had access to ______". And that is where we come in.

We do not provide money for projects, but we do offer expertise, equipment, training, and help. Practical things that can mean the difference between a project floundering under the load or being able to blossom. Our primary aim is to support independent unfunded (or micro-budget) projects that cannot afford to get what they need simply by heading to the market and buying it. But, in order to support these projects, we do need to work with some commercial projects as well.

So talk to us. If you have a project that needs something we offer, or want to attend one of our training sessions, then get in touch. Our rates for commercial projects are more than reasonable, and you know that you will be working with people who are passionate about the project, and that by supporting us you will also be supporting other projects who deserve a chance to flourish.

 

Our Charges

What we charge is based on the nature of your project. This may sound strange, but we exist to provide help to creative projects that are unfunded, and we finance that from our commercial ventures.

If you are running a commercial project for a client, or developing something that you intend or hope will make money, then we will charge very reasonable commercial rates for our services.

If, however, you are a charity, a first-time filmmaker, a designer who needs a photographer, an event, or anything similar that we feel qualifies, we will provide our services at cost or possibly even for free.

The best way to find out is to ask, so whatever your project, get in touch.

Typical Services

Equipment

We can hire or provide equipment that your project may need, including:

  • Video and sound recording equipment
  • Lighting
  • Public Address / Live event (we do not provide DJ equipment)
  • Cameras / tripods / stands etc.

All equipment can be hired dry (without operator) or wet (with operator), but must be fully insured by the hirer. Collaborative or charitable ventures would usually get an operator included.

Direct Services

We can provide direct creative support. This will vary enormously based on the requirements of the event but as a sample of our offering the following list can be seen as a selection.

Still Photography

Event photography, for press releases, the web, or just for your attendees to have something to look back on. We can bring cameras and people to take still photographs of your event or project. We can edit and finish them, present them in appropriate forms for archive, for websites and for print, we can document the process and provide archive notes of the dates, times and people involved for future reference. We can attend one-off events or periodically attend an ongoing project to document its progress.

Event Copy-Writing

Press-releases or content for your journal or blog. We can interview the key people in your organisation, write up copy for use in any format and supply words for your publicity or to use in your next funding appeal.

Sound Recording

Need a quality sound recording for local radio, or an interview for your community archive? Want to record local folk-music or background sounds for a more complex project? We can bring high-quality digital sound recording equipment, microphones and experienced engineers. We will record the sound as needed and then edit and prepare it as needed for your requirements. We can deliver an unedited version for your archive and edits to any length needed for your public presentation, adding in and recording appropriate narration, information and context for presentation in any medium. We can conduct interviews and compose accompanying copy.

Video Recording

Need video coverage of a talk, a presentation or an event? How about video showing a local area or the development of a project over the long-term? We can bring professional-quality video and sound gear to record the event. We can shoot the day for posterity, for YouTube, for your own website. We can interview the people, shoot nodding-shots and video the surrounding area to provide editing cutaways. We can edit the video, match the sound, capture the feeling and character of the moment. We can write our own copy and incorporate our questions and information directly into the edited video.

Event Presentation

Holding a public meeting or a community event? We can provide live lighting and sound and we can even get up on stage to introduce your speakers, ask them questions and thank the people who need thanking. Obviously we can also video, record sound, or take stills at the event and provide a written description for your records or your publicity efforts.

Website Design

Lacking the time or skills to present your efforts on the internet? We can design and build an elegant website that's easy to maintain, easy to update and we can get it started for you by filling it with content from any of the categories above. We can build a website, a blog, or a Facebook page for you and we can show you how to update it and add to it.

Training Services

Please note that we are still heavily developing this section and so things may change without notice. Please contact us before deciding on anything as we would hate you to make plans only to find that we no longer offer the course that you wanted.

We can provide training for your own people in a range of creative areas. After we've finished you'll be able to use your own staff or members to provide an ongoing flow of support and content to your work. All these training courses are free to charities and community groups (though costs may apply) and all come with:

  • Expert presenters
  • Notes and materials
  • Hands-on experience

Internet Training

Introduction to the Web

We will show people how to use the web to research and inform their projects. Search-engines and social-media will be covered along with the way information is made public on YouTube, blogs, podcasts and on private websites. We'll show how the internet can be used to create your own presence without needing to be an expert in the web.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 20 delegates. Course length: 2 hours.

Building a blog with Wordpress

We will show people how to create a new blog for their needs. We'll demonstrate the process for creating and editing a blog and we'll show how to make its look match the project. You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest. Up to 5 delegates.

Course length: 2 hours.

Building a Website

We will show you how to get started with developing a website that meets your own needs perfectly. We'll introduce you to the tools and the technology, explain the difference between online editing and local editing and help you choose the right options for you. We'll show you how to make search-engines find the site, how to navigate inside it and how to make it accessible and current.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 5 delegates. Course length: 4 hours.

Advanced Website Development

We will show how Stylesheets, Javascript and Server-side scripting can be used to add dynamic content to the website. We'll introduce you to the skills you need to make use of them and we'll provide you with lists of selected online training resources so you can take the understanding you now have and expand it without limit.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 5 delegates who should already be familiar with basic website design or have attended our course: 'Building a Website'. Course length: 4 hours.

Photography Training

Introduction to Digital Photography

We'll show you how to use digital cameras, how the typical modes are used and how the images are stored. We'll let a professional photographer demonstrate how the aperture, ISO and shutter affect the final image. We'll then show you how the images are mported into editing software, how to apply simple filters and effects and how to output appropriate images for media like print and websites.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest. Up to 10 delegates. Course length: 2 hours.

Sound Recording Training

Introduction to Digital Sound Recording

We'll show you how to use a digital sound recorder or a computer with microphones to capture sound in a variety of environments. We'll show you how to import the audio into editing tools and how to edit, transform, filter and modify sound to produce a finished product.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 10 delegates. Course length: 4 hours.

Video Recording Training

Introduction to Digital Video Recording

We'll introduce you to the types of video cameras in use and show you the differences. We'll show you how they record video and sound together. We'll introduce the control of light for video, the grammar of good video production and the way to ensure your video has the elements to make editing simple. We'll then demonstrate how the video is loaded into editing software, how the software is used to edit the footage, how to choose transitions and how to export suitable finished video for websites, DVD and even HD presentation.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 10 delegates. Course length: 4 hours.

Digital Video Editing

We'll show you how to apply filters and effects to video, how to grade video, how to use chroma-key and compositing. We'll introduce special effects, titling, animation and sound-effects.

You will need to supply an appropriate venue with internet access and power, we'll do the rest.

Up to 5 delegates.

 

 

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