School of Arts and Humanities

Thursday, 07 December 2023

WA Screen Academy PhD candidate Brad Nisbet is using learnings gained from a highly competitive fellowship to upskill professionals in the rapidly expanding area of media creation skills and technologies.

The fellowship from leading entertainment company Epic Games enabled Brad to work with colleagues in Europe on new tools and pipelines for creating 3D real-time content using Unreal Engine 5.

Epic Games are known best for their development of the video game Fortnite, as well as being the developers of Unreal Engine which also powers recent breakout hits like Hogwarts Legacy, Baldurs Gate 3, and The Mandalorian.

Only a small percentage of applicants from around the world were selected for the fellowships. The work Brad created during the fellowship will feature across Epic Games social media and news channels.

He utilised a bespoke Vicon (motion capture system) to Unreal live performance pipeline for the fellowship, created as part of his PhD research at Edith Cowan University (ECU).

Brad’s PhD research at ECU is exploring an innovative and responsive framework for re-training and up-skilling of emerging technical skills in the media and entertainment industry.

“By exploring models that integrate industry and university collaborations with project-based learning, just-in-time teaching, and a flexible and responsive structure the research intends to address industry and graduate needs in skills training in a rapidly evolving technologically enhanced industry,” he said.

Brad said he was honoured to be awarded the fellowship, and excited to see how he could use the insights gained in his PhD study.

“I was among good company. My ‘fellow fellows’ are talented, hardworking people,” he said

“The mentors and experts provided wonderfully entertaining anecdotes and insight, that I look forward to incorporating into my research.”

Applications open for Integrated Incubator research program

Brad is currently taking applications for the Integrated Incubator research program he is running again early in 2024 as part of his PhD research.

The Integrated Incubator research program rapidly trains and upskills people in media creation skills and technologies and empowers them with the skills to work with VR, MR, mocap, virtual production, and AI to create their own content.

“The skillsets I teach during the program are the same ones I used during the fellowship,” Brad said.

Participation is free and open to anyone who is interested in being trained in specialist skills across motion capture, virtual reality and virtual filmmaking.

Sharing research findings

Brad will present his research on industry-university collaboration for responsive and timely training in emerging technologies at SIGGRAPH, in Sydney, this December.

The invitation to SIGGRAPH puts Brad’s research on the stage of the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience, showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques.

Brad encouraged those interested in sharing their experience or learning more about his work in emerging media technologies to get in touch.

“I love collaborating with people who have a different perspective,” he said.

“I am always looking for people who want to learn, and people who want to explore new concepts.

“I’m excited to explore all of the innovative and creative ideas that people are passionate about, and I’m always open to helping people find an immersive and technology enhanced way to bring their vision to life.”

For more information about the Integrated Incubator program, or to discuss your creative digital potential contact Brad Nisbet via email.