SUP!, A Great Space To Get More Post-Production Knowledge
I believe you, like me, have had a lot of Production assignment after joining Newhouse, especially if you are a TRF or BDJ student. These works require not only good content, but also good post-production skills in some cases. When I was having a lot of trouble in this part, my Professor Shaina Holmes invited me to join her post-production interest group for SU students, SUP!. After Joining SUP!, I felt like I had opened a brand new door to post-production skills. Next, I would like to briefly introduce SUP! and talk about how I felt after my participation.
What is SUP! Group?
SUP! (Syracuse University Post-Production Group) is an interest group of post-production that provides mentorship, promotes professional networking, share industry experiences, and proposes ideas on how to grow each member’s skill set based on their interests. You can get to know knowledge of every area of post-production including visual effects, animation, motion graphics, color, post supervision, sound mixing, game design, digital painting and beyond. All kinds of topics in post-production could be discussed. Every week SUP! has a theme about post-production, with several key speakers (usually students or alumni) leading the topic and encouraging discussion. We meet every Tuesday at 8:00 pm EST on Zoom. Before the pandemic, we used to have in-person meetings, but now everything moves online.
Who created it?
Professor Shaina Holmes created the SUP! group in SU after she had already created the Park Post group at Ithaca College. She is the founder and CEO of the company called Flying Turtle Post, and she teaches visual effects and post-production to undergraduate and graduate students, including Visual Effects for Live-Action, Post-Production Practices, Animation for Film and TV and Visual Effects Analysis. She created these student-led groups to provide mentorship, promote professional networking, share industry experiences and propose ideas on how to grow each member’s skill set based on their interests.
What events have we held?
- Peer-led skill-based demos:
This kind of event is the most common activity we hold. Usually, we have two or more students as the leader of the meeting, and they introduce or show some interesting or new techniques in post-production. The main goal is to let people know more about the latest technical knowledge through the demonstration. For example, recently we discussed some Obscure Features in Adobe Premiere, a Reflection in VFX, obscure apps in Adobe Cloud, etc.
- Creative critiques:
Every day there are many topics in the industry. Sometimes it’s a blockbuster movie, sometimes it’s a new technology trend that could disrupt the way of the future. To keep sensitive to the latest information of the industry, we often develop creative critiques as a subject to jointly analyze and express our feelings. At the Oscars this year, for example, we talked about two big movies. We’ve also discussed how 5G might affect our future.
- Feedback on work
Usually, as the final weeks of the semester approach, we hold a meeting for giving feedback on work. If you want to get any suggestions and feedback from other members and people in the industry, this would be a great chance of showing that before your final screening. Showing a reel is also a good way of networking and helping people remember you.
- Q&A with top industry professionals
SUP! group also offers opportunities to speaking with industry professionals directly. Professor Holmes always invites some of our alumni in the different positions in the industry: engineer, PA, colorist, editor, etc. We discuss the various job duties, professional workflow, as well as events that actually happen in the industry.
What did I gain from the group?
As I mentioned before, I entered SUP! with the feeling of worry and uncertainty of post-production. Although I always tell people that I have a huge enthusiasm for animation, when I really started to do my animation, I got stuck and realized that I have many shortcomings in the technique of things. When I attended the first meeting, I saw for the first time that so many students were interested in post-production and actively discussed topics related to film and post-production. In the following activities, I gradually got involved in it and learned a lot that I had neglected or totally unexpected before. Everyone is good at something and will share novel information. Gradually, I learned more about the technology and the industry.
What’s more, it provides me with a good channel to connect with people with growing interests in post-production to the industry itself. In SUP!, everyone I met was very nice and willing to share and discuss it without reservation. We are a think-tank of like-minded individuals, so we have something in common and are willing to help each other out with projects. I also got to know some people who have already worked and are accomplished in the industry. In the competitive, fast-paced industry of visual effects, internships and entry-level level positions are scarce. Therefore, it is a great thing to get in touch with these industry people, listening to their valuable experience and building a network with them.
How to join the group?
Membership is free and open to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and their contacts at SU. And you could click and sign up at this website so that you will get notification about the group meeting every Tuesday!
https://syracuse.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a339a72c63819598bb50c99d&id=7a12e7eeaa
If you, like me, want to learn more about post-production techniques and meet more interesting and like-minded post-production people, come and join SUP! It would be a good choice for you.
More about Professor Holmes and Flying Turtle Post：
https://newhouse.syr.edu/people/shaina-holmes
https://www.flyingturtlepost.com/mentorship
