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When life gives you lemons, make Lemonade Sorbet! Read all about our Screen Acting Certificate students’ triumphant recent online theatre performance, in which they showcased all they’ve learnt in their challenging first year of study.

Lemonade Sorbet

We knew this year’s Screen Acting Certificate students would have something special. Moving to a new city to kick-start a creative career in the midst of a pandemic takes courage, resourcefulness, persistence and, above all, a massive zest for life. Their triumphant final project proved they had all of that in pitchers. When life gave them lemons, they didn’t settle for making any old lemonade. They wrote, directed, starred in, promoted and presented Lemonade Sorbet, a tantalising online menu of 11 live performances which mixed the fizz of theatre with the sharpness of creative technology. 

Hundreds of viewers tuned into Lemonade Sorbet on the evening of the 7th of May to discover the up-and-coming international talents – many of whom will stay on at Catalyst for another two years to further hone their acting skills and earn a Bachelor qualification. And, wow, was the audience impressed with the diversity, range and creativity they were served. 

“It was a real trip,” says Merlina Scheffler, who opened the line-up with Manon Magnet in their striking performance Inside. “Collaborating on writing, directing and acting gave me more awareness and respect for the amount of work that happens behind the scenes.” The performance was the culmination of an intensive year of learning by doing. “Throughout this year, I have become more confident in myself and my body and I am aware of the amount of work and preparation that comes with becoming an actor – the process before you actually get a job.”

Laura Majid and Dagur Ingimarsson’s piece Broken World was stunningly visceral. Laura – who was also one of the witty Lemonade Sorbet presenters – describes her performance as “an emotionally, mentally and physically challenging journey projected through my vessel.” She says the “great learning experience and exciting collaboration” gave her “a much bigger understanding for filmmaking as a whole. I feel better equipped to work as an actor and even more curious to try other positions in the industry, such as screenwriting and directing.”

“You’re a team. You’re a little family working together...and it’s really fun and nice to solve problems together...That’s the key.”

At the end of the line-up, viewers were treated with a live Q&A session, where they were invited to ask the actors all of their burning questions. They touched on the highlights of the project and the challenge of being both in front of and behind the camera, as well as revealing the next steps they’ll be taking on their screen acting journey. 

Kristers Ozols, who performed brilliantly in The Boat and presented, closed up the show with a beautiful reflection on his experience: “You’re a team. You’re a little family working together...and it’s really fun and nice to solve problems together...That’s the key.”

Catalyst Berlin Screen Acting first years rose to the challenge of writing, directing & performing a tantalising online theatre show. Read our recap.

Screen Acting Certificate Students Stream Lemonade Sorbet Show

Lemonade Sorbet /// Screen Acting First-Years Write, Direct & Star in Online Show 

Creative Production MA alumnus Shehryar Ahmad, aka Outlier, explored the subconscious effects of ambient sound in his final project, titled ‘Study of Place: The Perception of Ambience.’ Dive into his practice-based research.

Did you know that musical memory is thought to be encoded differently from linguistic memory in the brain? For musicians and music lovers alike, it is perhaps not all that surprising. Music, like our strongest past experiences, can have a visceral quality that resonates in our ears long after the first fleeting moment of wonder. 

As Creative Production Masters alumnus Shehryar Ahmad, aka Outlier – whose captivating work you may have encountered at Eufonia Sound Circuits last year – posits in his final project, the same can be said for all sound. His research focused on the power of ambient sound in particular to induce sensory and contextual sensations in the listener. Posing the question, “What if everyday sounds all sounded like ambient: sonically pleasing, reverberated visions of themselves?” he set out to create an evocative sonic atmosphere by manipulating field recordings. The aim: to analyse how it might introspectively affect one’s peace of mind, mental wellbeing and imagination. 

Our MA programme – which can be studied for one year or two years part-time – is all about opening new frontiers in the exploration of your passions, whilst building and enhancing an artistic and creative industry profile. “I have always been interested in ambient sounds and the way that an ambient soundscape can drive a story,” Shehryar writes. “Certain sounds have always had an ability to remind me of past situations, environments, or more importantly, auras. It is this perceived sense of connection with sound and how much it affects us throughout our lives that drove me to this idea…this project combines the main element of my work with my favourite attribute of music, in a more research and exploration based manner than I have ever worked on.”

A massive congratulations to Shehryar for the completion of this truly fascinating and in-depth piece of practice-based artistic research, which he says could not have been possible without the opportunity to work as an intern at our neighbouring 4DSOUND venue, MONOM. Has your sense of curiosity been prickled? Read on for our summary of some of his project’s points of interest.

A Study of Place, by Shehryar Ahmad

Anyone who has ever found themselves transported to another dimension by music or sound can attest to the sense of place sonic immersion can create. Shehryar is careful to point out, however, the distinction between immersion and presence. He cites this paper, which defines immersion as what the technology delivers from an objective point of view, and presence as a human reaction to immersion. In other words, immersion is an experience in time, whereas presence is a state of mind.

Shehryar reflects that hearing plays a major role in spatial awareness. In fact, the auditory system provides information for a much larger spatial field than vision. Purposefully move sound through spatial and temporal dimensions, with a fine-tuned spatial acoustics setup such as MONOM’s, and a great level of immersion can be achieved. 

MONOM’s 4DSOUND system was installed in 2017, ten years after the 4DSOUND interdisciplinary project was founded by Dutch composer Paul Oomen. MONOM was established as an experimental performance venue and spatial sound studio in tandem with Budapest’s Spatial Sound Institute. Its system uses 48 omnidirectional speakers, suspended throughout the venue, extending to nine sub speakers submerged beneath an acoustically transparent floor. 

Shehryar explains that the size, shape and positioning of the sound source can be effectively perceived by the listener in such an environment. In fact, 4DSOUND makes it possible for sound to be designed as an object with individual dimensions and positions (pictured above). For musicians who want to explore the inner workings of their art form, this technology is absolute creative dynamite. That’s why – through workshops and other opportunities – Catalyst students regularly make the most of our connection and proximity to the impressive MONOM venue.

How did Shehryar use his internship to fuel his MA project? He composed a number of spatial etudes, pairing the 4DSOUND visualiser with a binaural head recording of sonic objects to create soundscapes in different environments. The first two etudes utilised field recordings of vehicles, for example passing cars and aeroplanes, stalling engines and truck horns. “The moving vehicles were all given spatial paths corresponding to their real life motions and behaviours,” he writes. “Many different car sounds were employed, with different speed at recording, and were consequently given paths with different speeds as shown in these etudes.” The other etudes were created from recordings of a subway train, acoustic spaces, collisions, crowds, birds and a lake. 

Shehryar held a physical installation of the study at MONOM, which opened further areas of enquiry based upon the reactions of the participants, many of whom had never experienced a virtual sound environment. He invited them to complete presence and immersion questionnaires to obtain subjective data for his study.

“I was left to understand the ideal conditions to record through self study and practice.”

When MONOM added a binaural recording head (pictured below) and binaural headphones to their sonic repertoire for the purpose of live streaming, Shehryar knew he had to incorporate the technology into his project. Thanks to the hyper-flexible nature of our Masters programme, Shehryar was able to follow his intuition and explore a new dimension. 

“This was my first interaction with binaural audio,” he recalls. “My first response [was] being shocked at how the sound moved around my perceptual space while wearing normal stereo headphones.” After the scenes from his etudes were spatialised, he recorded them onto the binaural microphone first as separate files, before blending them together into one final composition. 

Shehryar notes that this was a rather challenging process, since recording binaural audio within a 4DSOUND system is not a common technique. “With a lack of descriptive material regarding this topic,” he explains, “I was left to understand the ideal conditions to record through self study and practice.” Once again, he invited participants of this work to complete questionnaires, in order to compare the immersion of the 4DSOUND installation and the binaural sound experiment.

“With different forms of composition and spatial design, it is possible for the immersive extent of the system to yet expand.”

Shehryar measured three values of immersion during his studies of the perceived effect of 4DSOUND and binaural sound: Spatial Presence, Experienced Realism and Involvement. What did his results on both fronts say about the participants’ perception of place in particular? 

“Comparing the results of the binaural experiment with the physical installation, there are definitely similarities in the trends,” he surmises, “as well as observations regarding the level of presence.” The 4DSOUND experiment yielded rather positive results for the application of 4DSOUND as a means of immersive spatial sound. “The system, coherently with my spatial design, proved to be very effective and applicable to sonic environment design. With different forms of composition and spatial design, it is possible for the immersive extent of the system to yet expand.” In comparison, the binaural presence data held slightly lower values, implying less immersive ability. Though he suggests that more accurately designed or mixed environments may bring about higher values.

“Being able to work entirely on one creative endeavour for an extended period of time was a new experience for me, and I am very pleased with the artistic end product.”

Over the course of the year-long project, Shehryar’s research evolved into a rewarding two-pronged artistic study on the many facets of sonic immersion. “I have been able to work consistently on this project,” he reflects, “and have explored and studied concepts I had never experienced prior to this course. My work at MONOM has provided me with the best possible opportunity to study spatial sound, and take this project in the right direction. Being able to work entirely on one creative endeavour for an extended period of time was also a new experience for me, and I am very pleased with the artistic end product. Exposure to new technology and my experiences composing and working on this project have been incredibly rewarding and further thought provoking.”

Want to go deeper into the topic? Contact us to request a copy of Shehryar Ahmad’s full MA paper.

Shehryar Ahmad aka Outlier researched binaural & spatial sound in his final Masters project, Study of Place: The Perception of Ambience. Read more.

Creative Music Production MA Alum Shehryar Ahmad Explores 4DSOUND

Perception of Ambience: A Look at Shehryar Ahmad’s Masters Project

As part of our recent series of Film Production BA workshops on the business of the cinema industry, filmmaker Carman Ho joined tutor Jon-Carlos Evans and his students for a live Q&A. Read our round-up.  

Filmmaker Carman Ho on the Importance of Chemistry on Set

Honesty, vulnerability, interaction, disconnection and grief. If you are inspired to research any of these ineffable concepts, film is arguably the best medium in which to do it. A visualisation of the visceral, it has the power to draw in the spectator like no other, to stir deep emotion at the very moment it is experienced. It is precisely these five concepts that drive Canadian filmmaker and photographer Carman Ho’s fascinating work. Her award-winning short film, Undertow, is just one example – an incredibly moving portrayal of a couple’s mounting struggle with depression. 

Exhausted and depressed, Lydia finds it more and more difficult to find reasons to get through each day even with the patience and support of her girlfriend, Emily. Seeing how much Emily is struggling for her, she makes a devastating choice.

Undertow was created as part of the Cinegate Short Film Slam.

Cast: Simone Geißler, Stephanie Marin

Director/Writer: Carman Ho
Cinematographer: Diego Gardo
Producer: Rike Lange
1st AD: Maria M. Burghi
Set Manager: Martin Herrmann
Editor/Gaffer: Felix Jentzsch
Script/Continuity: Patricia Gusovius
1st AC: Jens Schiweck
2nd AC: Dorothea Pilz
Best boy: Alfred Vidal
Lighting Assistant: Juan Sebastian Jimenez Ramirez
Dolly/Grip: Haroun Ricardo
Sound Recordist: Ludwig Bestehorn
Boom Operator: Gero Renner
Hair/MUA: Makeup by O Berlin - Paphawarin Rattanapuree
Costume/Set Design: Simone Wildt
Set Design: Hendrik Apfel
Costume/Set Design Assistant: Tamar Taibo Palomares
Composer: Martina Colli
Sound Mixer: Valentin Finke
Set Assistant: Fabian Zantz
BTS: Thomas Bonjernoor
Set Photography: Roy Stoltz
Color Grader: Delfina Mayer
Film Poster: MoralCloud Chen

Undertow - A Short Film

“We live in a world where we’re connected in so many ways...but at the same time we’re disconnected,” Carman told our Film Production BA students in a recent internal online Q&A session. “For me, it’s interesting to explore the different ways of disconnection and the relationships between different people… Mental health is very important because we don’t talk about it enough, and it’s always shown in a negative way.”

Hosted by tutor Jon-Carlos Evans, the session was part of ‘The Biz’, a series of 12 workshops which introduced our students to the wider business of the cinema industry, emerging and ancillary technologies, and the peripheral worlds of new media and video art – all the while initiating invaluable professional connections.

Jon-Carlos once told us that he “worked in almost every position on the film set, in order to become a more understanding, creative and diplomatic creator.” Carman took a similar path, cutting her teeth in lighting and assistant direction. During the session, she was kind enough to share a great deal of the wisdom she’s acquired over the past several years on set: advice on finding inspiration, working within creative and financial limitations, building a network, negotiating collaborations, setting boundaries, seeking feedback and more. She also talked about her creative process and personal inspirations.

“It’s important to have chemistry. You could work with the best, but if you don’t connect, it’s not a fun time at all.”

Touching on one of our favourite topics at Catalyst, collaboration, Carman said, “It’s important to have chemistry. You could work with the best, but if you don’t connect, it’s not a fun time at all. The most important thing is having a good atmosphere, building a team that you trust and understanding each other’s skills.” 

Carman spoke about one topic most fledgling creative professionals struggle with: payment versus exposure. “Figure out your boundaries,” she suggested. “In the beginning, doing a lot of projects helps you figure out what you’re interested in, or to build connections. But before you take on a project, you should consider what it gives you. Will it enhance your career, help you to build connections or to try something new, or earn you money?”

Above: Still from 'Love Lucy', writted directed and edited by Carman Ho. "After the death of her childhood friend, Lucy, Tess visits Lucy's grandfather to get closure but he has alzheimer's and confuses her with Lucy."

When Jon-Carlos asked Carman what inspired her to become a filmmaker, she said that she was most influenced by storytelling and the process of translating it to the screen. “The thing with humans is that we’ve been telling stories since the beginning of time,” she explained. “The cave people painted on the walls, a lot of indiginous people passed on stories orally. For me, I really liked this idea of passing on stories. It just felt natural to kind of combine the visual aspect and the oral aspect.” 

“Think about what exactly you are trying to tell and whether it will connect with someone.”

Carman also finds a great deal of inspiration in the work of other filmmakers. Pablo Larrain and Chloe Zhao were two names that came to mind. “When it’s possible, it’s important to attend film festivals because you see all these fresh voices from all over the world,” she advised. She also stressed the importance of finding stories that you want to tell. “A lot of filmmakers forget about that,” she continued, “they get distracted by tech… Think about what exactly you are trying to tell and whether it will connect with someone.”

Read all about our Film Production BA students' Q&A session on the business of the cinema industry with Berlin-based filmmaker Carman Ho.

Filmmaker Carman Ho's Industry Advice to New Filmmakers

The Biz /// Filmmaker Carman Ho Shares Her Film Industry Advice in Q&A

Jason Achilles recently met our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students in a stellar online guest session. Read all about his collaboration with NASA on the sound for the Perseverance rover, his creative process as a producer and his advice to emerging artists.

Got ambition? As our latest guest, Los Angeles producer, composer and recording artist Jason Achilles, taught us, the sky is no longer the limit. His creative rocket fuel literally took his sound engineering to another planet: Mars. Through pure curiosity, the “armchair space enthusiast” landed himself the dream gig of helping NASA design a microphone setup for the Perseverance rover. It all began with one question: “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could hear what it sounds like on Mars?”

NASA Sound Engineer Jason Achilles Talks Field Recording on Mars

Jason started out at the very bottom, as a studio intern. Though he rubbed shoulders with celebrities, he lacked the required flair for window cleaning and coffee making to keep the job for long. Through a different kind of perseverance – the one all sound engineers must have in bucket loads – he went on to do his own thing, playing in rock bands and opening his own recording studio. Aside from his recent space mission as an independent consultant for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he’s just finished producing Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed’s solo album. Nevertheless, he’s now moving his focus to his own music, using his fine-tuned studio setup to live stream his performances. Jason’s unconventional career path proves that passion, above all, is paramount to success. As he quipped to our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students, “There’s so much more to making music than making music.”

They were thrilled to have a couple of hours of Jason’s time, when he joined them and tutor Ciaran O’Shea for an intimate online guest session. Ciaran’s wealth of experience in studios around the world, including LA, meant that the pair had plenty to chat about. In fact, Jason’s journey couldn’t be more aligned with Ciaran’s personal motto: “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll land among stars.” 

Full 16-minute audio captured on Sol 16 by the DPA 4006 capsule onboard the Mars Perseverance rover, released by NASA/JPL on Mar. 17, 2021. Audio has been processed to filter out electrical interference caused by various internal systems, while preserving clarity of the actual sounds being captured through the Martian atmosphere. 

Audio processing by Zandef Deksit Inc. / Mike Houge & Jason Achilles Mezilis on March 17th, 2021. 

Microphone is integrated with the Entry, Descent, and Landing Camera (EDLCAM) system, under direction of David Gruel, NASA/JPL.

Sounds of Perseverance Mars Rover Driving – processed audio (full) by Jason Achilles

But what exactly goes into landing a microphone on Mars? As it turns out, Perseverance has two: one for making scientific observations, and the other for the most far-out field recording ever attempted by humans. “The one that I worked on is associated with the landing system,” Jason told us, “which was honestly just there to pair with the video because they felt it would be cool…I think it’s fucking cool.” After a month and a half on the red planet, the microphone is still working, beaming back some increasingly interesting sounds. The sample above, which Jason calls his Martian mix, was processed on iZotope by his team to remove the mechanical pumping sound of the rover as it drives around. He hinted that the next recording to be released by NASA is going to be especially interesting to musicians. 

Atmosphere is something we artists are forever trying to generate, though we doubt many have ever had to think about it quite as literally as Jason. “The atmospheric properties definitely affect things,” he said, referring to the project. “There are only a few places outside of this world in which you can capture any sound at all. Mars has about one percent of Earth’s atmosphere, about the same atmospheric pressure as if you were 100,000 feet in the air on Earth, so sound does travel. You also have to consider the chemical composition of that atmosphere.”

 “Normally when you’re doing field recording, you want to hear everything but the wind. In this case, there’s nothing else to hear.”

Jason opted for DPA’s 4006 condenser microphone, for which he initially designed a containing metal box to shield it from the Martian wind. However, he and the team ultimately decided against using it. “The wind was probably the only sound on Mars so we didn’t want to negate it completely,” he said. “Normally when you’re doing field recording, you want to hear everything but the wind. In this case, there’s nothing else to hear.” 

Another concern was building a setup which could withstand the vacuum on the Perseverance’s six-month journey through space. “When you fly materials into deep space, or into a vacuum, they start to kind of evaporate,” Jason explained. “Small air particles that are microscopically captured inside materials... the vacuum will draw those out over that time and these materials get leached out of these things. That’s why, for example, every circuit board that gets printed and put onto a spacecraft has to be coated with epoxy to make sure everything’s glued in there… we had to be cautious to not include any materials that could lead to outgassing.” 

Of course, it wasn’t all space talk. There was plenty of nerding out about the studio space too. Jason praised Catalyst for giving students a chance to play with some of the best equipment in the industry, an opportunity he never had as an intern. Referring to our Trident console (pictured below in all its glory), he joked, “If you’re not in there every day working on that thing, you’re fired! That is a beautiful console and the fact that you guys have access to it is incredible. It’s an amazing console. I would marry that thing.”

Jason prefers to work with a fully analog setup. He and Ciaran shared their love-hate relationship with the time-consuming process of manually splicing and editing recording tape. Comparing the ‘old way’ to working in digital is analogous to the difference between using a typewriter and a word processor. Get it wrong and the results are irreversible (see ‘California Dreamin’’ by The Mamas & The Papas, the solo of which is in a different key). Still, it’s precisely this tangibility that keeps Jason coming back. 

“The thing about the analog world that I would say is really good,” he shared, “is that it makes you think about the process. It really makes you consider your edits. I would say that when you do something it becomes more purposeful, and more purposeful decisions make for better music. That’s not to say you can’t make purposeful decisions in the digital world, but analog forces you to...Even if it takes longer and causes you anguish, anything that creates that situation where you ultimately know you’re going to create a better product, at the end of the day, you should be doing.”

Trailer for the 90-minute documentary TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC. The film profiles the extraordinary life and legendary work of music producer/recording engineer Tom Dowd. Historical footage, vintage photographs and interviews with a who’s who list of musical giants from the worlds of jazz, soul and classic rock shine a spotlight on the brilliance of Tom Dowd, whose creative spirit and passion for innovative technology helped shape the course of modern music.

Director/Producer: Mark Moormann
Producers: Scott L. Gordon, Mark Hunt
Executive Producer: Juan Carlos Lopez
Associate Producers: James Kirk, Wendy Perkins, Lawrence Saichek
Consulting Producer: Jonathan Dana
Producer’s Representative: Jeff Dowd
Legal Representation: Mark Litwak
Rights & Clearances: Larry Yelen
Stock Photo Research: Kati Meister
Director of Photography: Patrick Longman
Cinematographers: Mark Moormann, Andres Sanchez
Steadicam Operator: Carl Perkins
Assistant Cameramen: Rich Briglia, Camillo Jarquin, Sean Gilbert, Gabe Napolitano, Roberto Ballesteros
Still Photographer: Terry Townsend
Gaffer: Dan Tobias
Electricians: Jim Pescrille, Brian Earl
Key Grip: Scott L. Gordon
Grips: Chris Gordon, Richard Samuels, Joe Kimble, David Winters
Crane Operator: John Leeward
Set Decoration: Lewis Zucker
Graphic Design: Janet Santelices
Assistant to the Director: David Chaskes
Production Coordinator: Gabby Crohn
Hair & Make-up: Bea Diaz
Artist Coordinator: Keith Schantz
Sound Recordists: Dean Gudmundson, John Austin
Additional Sound Recording: Rob Freeman, Scott L. Gordon, Mike Barnitt
Boom Operator: Todd Reckson
Editors: Tino Wohlwend, Mark Moormann
Editorial Consultant: David Caploe
Post-Production Assistant: David Chaskes
Additional Editing: David Chaskes, Dan Morando, Mark Hunt, Nigel Galt
Assistant Editor: Klaus Wehlisch
Sound Re-recording Mixer: Lenny Rabinowitz
Production Associates: Bryan Monroe, Rozanne Sonnenborn

TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC Trailer In HD

On the topic of the ‘old way’ of doing things, Ciaran spoke about one of his favourite producers, Tom Dowd, who went from engineering the atomic bomb to engineering Ray Charles’ music. “As much as you don’t imagine that his past would affect his music,” Jason commented, it definitely affected his decision-making process.”

"You’re Willy Wonka, you’re the one drawing all the crazy colours that no one else understands, but at the end of the day, you’re making this tasty candy for people to listen to."

NASA Sound Engineer Jason Achilles Shares His Approach to Studio Gear

Ciaran couldn’t end the session without asking about Jason’s creative approach. One of the most important insights he shared was knowing the “character” of your gear. “Every compressor has a character to it, every preamp has a character to it,” he advised, “and you select what you want to use based on the personality of that thing...Think of the character, don’t think of EQs... Think of silky or woody... stupid words we come up with to describe sound that mean nothing to anybody but us. But think about it, that’s your skill. You’re Willy Wonka, you’re the one drawing all the crazy colours that no one else understands, but at the end of the day you’re making this tasty candy for people to listen to… You do, of course, have to understand the technical aspects of these things, but you shouldn’t think about them like that.”

Jason Achilles - "Stratus" [LIVE IN STUDIO]

“Your whole school has been designed to give everybody a safe space to record in and try out ideas”

Jason’s parting advice to our students was to get out in front of a crowd as much as possible. “Your whole school has been designed to give everybody a safe space to record in and try out ideas,” he told them, “but I can’t encourage you guys enough to create stuff and throw it in front of a hostile crowd…because that’s how you develop. Get in the studio and then get out of the studio and put it in front of people. Don’t be afraid. Maybe it will get torn to pieces...But that’s the best thing you can do.” He recalled a gig in London where he and his band unexpectedly ended up playing to a bunch of unruly Oasis fans, which pushed them to try even harder with their set. “At the end of the day, you shouldn’t give a shit about people’s opinion,” he continued, “but you should give a shit about whether it’s affecting people. Even if you’re pissing them off, you’re doing something right. If you’re getting no reaction, that’s a problem. Go back and fix things.” 

Jason urged our students to make use of everything available to them at Catalyst while they have the chance: “Get in the studio, make stuff, even if it sucks.”

The rock artist who put a microphone on Mars shared his creative rocketfuel with our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students.

Interview With Mars Perseverance Sound Engineer Jason Achilles

Producer & Rock ‘N’ Roll Artist Jason Achilles on Sending a Microphone to Mars

As part of our recent series of Film Production BA workshops on the business of the cinema industry, cinematographer Kevin Klein joined tutor Jon-Carlos Evans and his students for a live Q&A. Read our round-up.  

Cinematographer Kevin Klein's Advice to Fledgling Filmmakers

“I have been many places – but it's never enough. Let's go somewhere together.” Cinematographer Kevin Klein’s website about text perfectly captures the spirit of filmmaking. Not only does it say so much with so few words, but it alludes to three of the fundamental cornerstones of the art form, all of which fuel our creative courses at Catalyst: knowledge, curiosity and collaboration. The final, unmentioned, cornerstone? Vision – the vision of the individual creator.

A selection of moments throughout my film life.

Music by Kites Sail High
Sound Design by Kevin Klein, Tobias Feltes
Edited by Kevin Klein

Kevin Klein - Cinematographer - Reel 2020

Kevin’s vision led him from California to Berlin, where his knock-on-doors initiative saw him quickly climb the ranks from graduate filmmaker to director of photography. Now he works between the commercial and indie worlds as a renowned freelance cinematographer. His portfolio sits visually delicious ads for mega brands such as Nike and Audi beside beautifully thought-provoking documentaries like What Difference Does It Make?, a film exploring the process of making music. 

What Difference Does It Make? | TRAILER | A Film About Making Music

Recently, our Film Production BA students were lucky enough to spend a couple of hours soaking up Kevin’s wisdom, in an internal online Q&A session hosted by tutor Jon-Carlos Evans. It was part of ‘The Biz’, a programme of 12 workshops which introduced our students to the wider business of the cinema industry, emerging and ancillary technologies, and the peripheral worlds of new media and video art – all the while initiating invaluable professional connections.

During the session, Jon-Carlos asked Kevin a broad range of questions about his career progression and network development, his experience of straddling both the commercial and indie worlds, and his creative process behind a couple of his inspiring recent projects. We loved his advice to our fledgling filmmakers on starting a freelance career in Berlin.

“The oldest cliche is kind of true: it is about who you know.”

“The oldest cliche is kind of true: it is about who you know,” he said. “But that shouldn’t be something that scares you. It’s just how people work. It’s about communication. It’s about trust. That’s really it. Just imagine being on a project and you need someone that you trust. You’re going to go for someone, most likely, that you’ve worked with before, that you know is capable and trustworthy, that’s going to show up, and you know what to expect.” 

We have to agree! It’s exactly the reason we consistently see student collaborators at Catalyst working together on professional projects after graduation. Though that’s not to say that it’s impossible to get on a film set with people you don’t know. Kevin reassured our students that everybody starts somewhere. 

 “Work towards getting that confidence to make decisions for yourself and to think ahead.”

“My biggest advice is that if you show up on set,” he continued, “just learn how to be aware, and work towards getting that confidence to make decisions for yourself and to think ahead. Try not be the person that has to only be told what to do and waits around.” He cautioned that the right attitude is a fine balance between showing initiative and knowing when to step back. Another fantastic piece of advice: always keep your call sheets! He described the call sheet as a “golden document” full of contacts you can harness in the future.

When Jon-Carlos opened up the session for our students to ask their own questions, they covered everything from technical advice to personal inspirations to technological advancements. Kevin’s answer to Zac Yeates’ question on how he aims to move the audience with his work particularly stood out.

“What I’m searching for is really an honesty in what I’m doing,” Kevin explained. “I want people to feel that there’s an intimacy and a connection with the people that I shoot. I’m looking for a beautiful middle point between having something that’s planned and something that’s very raw, unexpected and vulnerable... It’s about setting the stage...I want people to feel that there is love behind that image...there is a kind of magic happening on that film.”

Read all about our Film Production BA students' Q&A session on the business of the cinema industry with Berlin-based filmmaker Kevin Klein.

Cinematographer Kevin Klein's Industry Advice to New Filmmakers

The Biz /// Cinematographer Kevin Klein Shares His Film Industry Advice in Q&A

Creative Production MA alumnus Ole-Jacob Sand, aka VIBKO, focused on the creative potential of live performance in his final project, titled ‘Making Music in Time,’ which he completed in January. Read on for a deep dive into his practice-based research.

How can real-time performance be used to form a basis for producing electronic dance music? As innovation in hardware and software exponentially expands the possibilities of performance, it’s a question that many the electronic music aficionado could spend their career pouring over. Creative Production MA alumnus Ole-Jacob Sand, aka VIBKO, dedicated a full year to deep dive into the topic, a practical and theoretical exploration which resulted in a fascinating final paper and a masterful collection of accompanying musical pieces. 

As an electronic musician, Ole-Jacob specialises in playing and improvising on hardware instruments. His recordings mostly stem from sessions of improvisation and live looping. His Masters project was inspired by this long-time interest in electronic live sets, whereby, for example, drum machines, synthesizers and samplers are used as instruments in order to create a dynamic musical piece on the fly. But, for Ole-Jacob, the spontaneity didn’t end at the booth!

The project itself also evolved on the fly, thanks to the hyper-flexible nature of our Masters programme. The course, which can be studied for a year or two years part-time, encourages students to celebrate, explore, develop, innovate and magnify their capabilities, from whatever angle they personally approach the music industry. Over four modules, Ole-Jacob followed his intuition to make a wide range of investigations around the broad topic of live performance. 

A huge congratulations to him on his stellar piece of practice-based artistic research, which raises questions on performance techniques, workflow and the results obtained from a performance-based method. Read on to find out more.

VIBKO - 3 tracks live set in the studio. Pulsar 23, Easel Command, Digitakt, Digitone, Continuum

Above: A studio performance from Ole-Jacob's final project portfolio

Ole-Jacob began by focusing on the live-performance process itself, considering the influence of such factors as decision making and technique, and created an initial collection of original works and performances. In the second module, he zoomed out to examine the wider context, discussing what it means to play music, particularly in the context of EDM. As a result of this enquiry, the project evolved to focus mainly on the performance aspect. By imposing creative limitations in the third module, Ole-Jacob dived into the potential of experimentation, creating and documenting five etudes.

He writes: “This led to an expanded musical vocabulary, new performance techniques, insight regarding the dynamic between control and risk in performance, a more developed musical style, as well as intuitive and tactile knowledge... Furthermore, it developed a better understanding regarding the use of musical parameters to create narrative meaning.” 

Finally, Ole-Jacob refined his investigation, discussing his creative process behind two further performances: at the About Blank nightclub and in the studio. In fact, his detailed breakdown and analysis of all of his performances comprised the majority of his paper. What struck us was how instrumental – pun intended – taking the time to reflect on setups, achievements, issues and solutions can be to the progression and success of an artist.

What constitutes an improvised performance? And, moreover, what qualifies as an improvisation or a performance? This was one of the most important considerations of Ole-Jacob’s project. 

He refers to his own live performances which, although incorporating prepared material, are never precomposed – an approach he compares to conventional jazz music. He asks to what extent can a live set be called a performance if the pre-preparation of elements – for example launching clips in Ableton Live – rules out any risk. He argues that only “controlled chaos” – an interplay of experimentation, chance and intuition – leads to innovation.

“It has been my discovery through working on this project,” he writes, “that some of the most interesting musical moments occur when I get myself ‘into trouble’; when situations occur that have to be solved in order to not end up with terrible sounding musical results. In other words, when there is risk involved and things get out of control, meaning I have to work to not lose control completely.”

Ole-Jacob cited several improvisational elements that drive his live performance: real time playing/programming, tone colour, dynamic shape, effects, texture and dynamics.

The whole purpose of practice-based research is to embark on an intensive odyssey of creative discovery. The bonus: getting a prestigious qualification at the finale! For Ole-Jacob, that process resulted in him gaining a great deal of technical skill and insight, a better understanding of his aesthetic choices, and an in-depth reflection on the broader topic of performance and improvisation – all of which are sure to propel him in his artistic career.

“Commiting to a project over a long time,” he concludes, “gave me consistency in my artistic process and allowed me to dive deep into the topic.” We can’t wait to see where his intuition leads him next.

Want to go deeper into the topic? Contact us to request a copy of Ole-Jacob Sand’s full MA paper.

Follow Ole-Jacob on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Ole-Jacob Sand, aka VIBKO, focused on the creative potential of live performance in his final MA project, titled Making Music in Time. Read more.

Creative Music Production MA Alum VIBKO Researches Live Performance

Making Music in Time: A Look at VIBKO’s Masters Project

We're back with Season 2 of CAP Selects: a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering  Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a  seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only  prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two  tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work. Listen to and read about our season-two selections below.

'Bouchées de Matières' by Parallel Processing

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Bouchées de Matières' was created by second-year student @parallel_processing.

"I want to create music to be used combined with other forms of art like video ( movies, artistic video, animations..), art installation or performances. The vision for my album was to use the primary art form, Earth and its elements, to push my sound design abilities.
I picked seven elements for the seven tracks of the album: Air, water, fire, earth, glass, wood and metal. Each track is being produced using almost only sounds from the associated element.

Making art, using “art”. 

My concept is also to use elements in a way (mostly destructive in my case) that the original sound is hardly recognisable, and make something that sounds like my art, using any sound sources.
                    
This album project was a very interesting exercise to push further my emerging artistic universe. I decided to use limitations to create a frame of work and explore new sound design techniques. Choosing my seven elements, and working with samples brought a whole new way of generating sound, and a lot of unpredictability which is also part of my artistic universe."

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Albums S2 | Bouchées de Matières by Parallel Processing by Etikett Radio

"I want to create music to be used combined with other forms of art  like video ( movies, artistic video, animations..), art installation or  performances. The vision for my album was to use the primary art form,  Earth and its elements, to push my sound design abilities.
I picked  seven elements for the seven tracks of the album: Air, water, fire,  earth, glass, wood and metal. Each track is being produced using almost  only sounds from the associated element.

My  concept is also to use elements in a way (mostly destructive in my  case) that the original sound is hardly recognisable, and make something  that sounds like my art, using any sound sources.

This album  project was a very interesting exercise to push further my emerging  artistic universe. I decided to use limitations to create a frame of  work and explore new sound design techniques. Choosing my seven  elements, and working with samples brought a whole new way of generating  sound, and a lot of unpredictability which is also part of my artistic  universe."

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Kiwuzzi' is an eponymous album created by second-year student Luca Wenzel, aka Kiwuzzi

“The idea behind this album is to create a product, a rap album that goes from my typical production sound, and something more trap. Even in the lyrics I tried to change a lot from song to song, there are sad songs, and careless/funny songs. This is something that I really have difficulty with, I always tend to write in sad moments of my life, and the vibe and lyrics I record are really often sad. With this album it is different. In fact, for one of the two collaborations for example, I decided to go really soft and not deep with lyrics. But you can also listen to more trap sonority and sound in other songs. That’s how I can reinforce my artistic universe.”

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Albums S2 | Kiwuzzi by Etikett Radio

“The idea behind this album is to create a product, a rap album that goes from my typical production sound, and something more trap. Even in the lyrics I tried to change a lot from song to song, there are sad songs, and careless/funny songs. This is something that I really have difficulty with, I always tend to write in sad moments of my life, and the vibe and lyrics I record are really often sad. With this album it is different. In fact, for one of the two collaborations for example, I decided to go really soft and not deep with lyrics. But you can also listen to more trap sonority and sound in other songs. That’s how I can reinforce my artistic universe.”

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Black Turns Blue' was created by second-year student Tomas Altamirano, aka Micelio.

"I wanted to create a concept album, but I also wanted the individual pieces to be able to stand on their own. I envisioned something obscure and dark, but not haunting. I portrayed fragility and playfulness. I achieved this by being very free in terms of song structure and instrumentation. 

The Story:
A being will be born from the depths of the ocean, the voice of the mother will be present before its own. After the being is born, the voice of the mother will carry on as they surface and set sail looking for something...

This story was for me, and my collaborators. It is not necessarily intended for the listener to follow, but more for us to hold on to something."

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Albums S2 | Black Turns Blue by Micelio by Etikett Radio

"I wanted to create a concept album, but I also wanted the individual pieces to be able to stand on their own. I envisioned something obscure and dark, but not haunting. I portrayed fragility and playfulness. I achieved this by being very free in terms of song structure and instrumentation. 

A being will be born from the depths of the ocean, the voice of the mother will be present before its own. After the being is born, the voice of the mother will carry on as they surface and set sail looking for something...

This story was for me, and my collaborators. It is not necessarily intended for the listener to follow, but more for us to hold on to something.

Special thanks to Artur Pasco for the drums."

'Visor Från Hammarkullen' by Matias Santos

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Visor Från Hammarkullen' was created by second-year student Matias Santos @sol-a-mente.

"What I mostly want to express are stories, even though they are written both from a first and a third person’s perspective, they’re a combination of stories from my family and friends. But it’s all written in a way where it could be about anyone.

This idea comes from when my father told me his story and when I said that it was such an impressive and unique story he replied that it wasn’t unique at all, that most immigrants had to live through what he lived through to survive. And that became a main pillar of my album. While most songs are about love stories, I wanted to write them from a perspective of a second-generation immigrant."

Follow Matias Santos:
https://www.instagram.com/santosmatias
https://www.facebook.com/matiassantoscortes 
https://vimeo.com/user94590245

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Albums S2 | Visor Från Hammarkullen by Matias Santos by Etikett Radio

"What I mostly want to express are stories, even though they are written both from a first and a third person’s perspective, they’re a combination of stories from my family and friends. But it’s all written in a way where it could be about anyone.

This idea comes from when my father told me his story and when I said that it was such an impressive and unique story he replied that it wasn’t unique at all, that most immigrants had to live through what he lived through to survive. And that became a main pillar of my album. While most songs are about love stories, I wanted to write them from a perspective of a second-generation immigrant."

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Stranding' was created by second-year student @atlasglaas

"My vision was quite simple: dark, dreary, and drowned in mystery. I am naturally a 'night owl.' I value anonymity. I much prefer the comfort of darkness then the sunlight of daytime. My goal was to simply express these emotions without any grand ulterior motive. For the production phase of this album, I wanted to create a sound world drowned in darkness, decay, with a tendency toward the claustrophobic. To accomplish this, I relied heavily upon the scientific concept of Psychoacoustics and its effects on the perception of sound. The study of psychoacoustics has been an immense influence on my production, and my general view of sound design. Oscillator phasing techniques, feedback, microtonal tuning methods (such as just intonation) and careful navigation and exploitation frequency masking, all played a big role when considering how I wanted to layer my sounds. "

Follow Atlas Glaas:
https://www.instagram.com/atlasglaas 
https://atlasglaas.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/atlasglaas 

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: https://catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Albums S2 | Stranding by Atlas Glaas by Etikett Radio

"My vision was quite simple: dark, dreary, and drowned in mystery. I am naturally a “night owl.” I value anonymity. I much prefer the comfort of darkness then the sunlight of daytime. My goal was to simply express these emotions without any grand ulterior motive.

For the production phase of this album, I wanted to create a sound world drowned in darkness, decay, with a tendency toward the claustrophobic. To accomplish this, I relied heavily upon the scientific concept of Psychoacoustics and its effects on the perception of sound. The study of psychoacoustics has been an immense influence on my production, and my general view of sound design. Oscillator phasing techniques, feedback, microtonal tuning methods (such as just intonation) and careful navigation and exploitation frequency masking, all played a big role when considering how I wanted to layer my sounds." 

A new season of showcase albums by our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students. Listen to our track of the week.

Albums by Berlin's Emerging Artists

CAP Selects S2: Listen to Our Student Albums of the Week

We're back with Season 2 of CAP Selects: a series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering  Bachelor students. The original singles were created from scratch by students from  both our one-year Certificate and three-year Bachelor courses. Listen to and read about our tracks of the week below.

'S'Élève (air)' by Parallel Processing & Duhne

Parallel Processing & Duhne - S'Élève (air) by Etikett Radio

CAP Selects: Albums is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our second-year Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering Bachelor students. The task for the assignment is to write a seven-track album towards a creative vision from scratch. The only prerequisite: two of the tracks should be collaborations and another two tracks should be covers or reinterpretations of original work.

'Black Turns Blue' was created by second-year student Tomas Altamirano, aka Micelio.

"I wanted to create a concept album, but I also wanted the individual pieces to be able to stand on their own. I envisioned something obscure and dark, but not haunting. I portrayed fragility and playfulness. I achieved this by being very free in terms of song structure and instrumentation. 

The Story:
A being will be born from the depths of the ocean, the voice of the mother will be present before its own. After the being is born, the voice of the mother will carry on as they surface and set sail looking for something...

This story was for me, and my collaborators. It is not necessarily intended for the listener to follow, but more for us to hold on to something.

Special thanks to Artur Pasco for the drums"

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-albums-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

Micelio, Duhne - The Betrayal Of A Maiden by Etikett Radio

CAP Selects is a weekly series dedicated to showcasing the outstanding work of our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students. The original singles featured were created from scratch by students from both our one-year Certificate and three-year Bachelor courses.

'Daydreaming' was created by @imendezmusic

Follow Ivan Mendez:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4fIyPBFiF9MZ7AOBM9Cy5m
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imendezmusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imendezmusic

Head to the blog for more albums of the week: catalyst-berlin.com/stories/cap-selects-singles-s2

Find out more about our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering courses at catalyst-berlin.com

CAP Selects: Singles S2 | Daydreaming by Ivan Mendez by Etikett Radio

A new season of showcase singles by our Creative Audio Production & Sound Engineering students. Listen to our track of the week.

Singles by Berlin's Emerging Artists

CAP Selects S2: Listen to Our Student Singles of the Week

As part of our NoBerlinale student festival, film director Craig Murray gave a guest session on practical FX for narrative, music, commercial and experimental videos. Find out what fuels his creativity.

As our Film Production students learn from year one in their ‘Microfilm’ assignments, short films are like elevator pitches. You only have a few minutes to ‘sell’ your creative vision, so that the viewer craves to see more after the ride is over. In the case of music videos and commercials, making an impression is more important than ever. In the oversaturated media environment, it’s easy to miss a good artist or product. Connect a compelling visual narrative and you can not only garner attention, but create a sensation. Add hand-crafted visual effects to the picture, and you've got a sure-fire explosion.

Selected work 2008 - 2020

Short form is where film director Craig Murray is in his element. Check out his wow-worthy Vimeo showcase (above), and you’ll get lost in visceral FX-infused music videos, atmospheric analog camera experiments, beautifully macabre hand-drawn pencil animations, and more. His original approach has seen him work with the likes of the post-rock/metal bands Mogwai and Alcest, as well as high-calibre companies like Samsung. Not relying on computer-generated special effects, he works with real elements in order to encourage a greater potential for connection. The visceral, emotive and otherworldly result could galvanise anyone out of content fatigue.

Hosted by our Visual Effects lead Matthieu Schmit, Craig graced our NoBerlinale programme with a guest session on practical FX for narrative, music, commercial and experimental videos. Our NoBerlinale festival was our response to the cancellation of this year's Berlinale in February. With the help of our film team, events and student experience lead Hannah Deans filled our students’ calendars with an exciting line-up of alternative events, from guest sessions to remote filmmaking to exclusive screenings.

Taken away by Craig’s exceptional art, after the session, we asked him what catalyses his creativity. Here’s what he told us.

“If it doesn’t work with their music, it generally doesn’t go in, even though it’s always for another band or client."

“Probably the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor…I build and initially edit most of my films listening to them. If it doesn’t work with their music, it generally doesn’t go in, even though it’s always for another band or client. I guess it creates another layer and tone for me? I also don’t have a dream to work with them. They already have a long-time collaboration with a person who does their live 16mm projections. But perhaps that’s also because in some way I already do work with them.”

As part of Catalyst Berlin's NoBerlinale, short film director and FX artist Craig Murray gave our students a window into his wildly creative world.

A Guest Session on Practical FX With Film Director Craig Murray

Short Film & Practical FX Sensation Craig Murray Shares What Fuels His Creativity

Third-year Film Production student Jayden Bailey talks about his short film ‘Not Olives,’ which was selected for Portugal’s FEST New Directors Film Festival in 2020. 

“Within two weeks of being gifted the olives, I had shot the film.” Sometimes life drops ideas into your lap without you having to lift a finger. For Film Production student Jayden Bailey, the creative serendipity started with the taste of an olive and ended in a witty short film starring said olives, which was subsequently selected for FEST 2020. What’s not to o-love?

For Business Inquiries (EU): jaydenbaileyjab@gmail.com

Logline: Roommates set out for a jar of very special olives, meanwhile their apartment is robbed.

Specifications: Shot on Sony A7s

Featuring || Adam Donald as Thomas, Samantha Lee-Kroll as Marie

Director / Writer / Editor / Sound Design || Jayden Bailey
Producer / Sound Recordist || Agostina Cerdan Niell
Director of Photography || Sidney Mandros
AC / Assistant Editor || Dico Baskoro
AD / Catering / Special Effects / Grip || Matthias Neumeister
Grip || Zac Yeates

Not Olives (2020)

“Not Olives was inspired by the real, on-screen, jar of olives that was gifted to me!” says Jayden, who is now in his final year of the Bachelor course. “I was down in the south of Germany for another film project and, following the shoot's wrap, we went to a friend's cocktail bar. I got to know the owner and I told him he had great olives, which he served with his drinks. Olives at this point were just a hated food of mine, but his olives were a sure winner! Then he surprised me and gave me a whole jar as a gift. As the conversations around me returned back to German, I was left daydreaming... this led me to a film idea, and then the very next day I told him I would make a film about a childish man being picky about a jar of olives. The childish character Thomas, went on to share the same name as the real 'non-childish' bar owner!” 

Screen Acting programme lead Adam Donald and Samantha Lee-Kroll play two spatting roommates who set out for a jar of very special olives. Their relatable dynamic immediately sucks you into the narrative, which wraps humour, tension and surprise into a delectable four and a half minutes. Jayden’s storytelling is as moreish as said olives. That’s why we’re thrilled to hear that he’s planning on upping the game with his next film, which is currently in post-production. Scroll down to find out how you can get involved!

"Little did I know that this would start a chain of unrelated events that gave me many film opportunities."

“FEST 2020 was my first selected short film,” he continues. “I remember it being one of the highlights for me during the COVID lockdown of last year. I was unable to attend the Portugal film festival, which was a real shame, but that's when I decided on the next best thing. I'll direct and write an even better film and go again in the next edition. Little did I know that this would start a chain of unrelated events that gave me many film opportunities. Fast forward to now and my latest film is being edited. It's a story of three friends on a camping trip. The night takes a big turn when the fire starts to spit out memories of the past.” We can’t wait to see it.

Want to get involved in the post-production of the film – editing, music, colour etc.? Don’t be shy! Jayden invites you to contact him at jaydenbaileyjab@gmail.com.

Third-year Film Production student Jayden Bailey talks about his short film ‘Not Olives,’ which was selected for FEST Film Festival in 2020. 

Filmmaker Jayden Bailey on His FEST 2020 Selected Film ‘Not Olives’

Ableton recently launched its latest software, Live 11. Music producer, composer and synthesist Stefan Knauthe gives his perspective on the new release. Stefan is a senior Catalyst music tutor  and tech, as well an Ableton Certified Trainer since 2012.

It has been said that the 2001 inception of Ableton Live was a new milestone in electronic music history, along with such inventions as the analog synthesizer and digital sampler. Even in its early days, Ableton Live changed our perception of how music can be made and performed –serving as both instrument and workstation. “I’ve used Live since version 3, which I bought in 2004,” Catalyst Music veteran and Ableton Certified Trainer Stefan Knauthe recalls. “It could only handle audio signals, but was capable of stretching in real time, which was an outstanding feature.”

Ableton Live 11: What’s new?

The same 20 years that advanced Nokia bricks into slick iPhones turned Ableton Live into a cult tool for musicians. Released in February, the latest version, Live 11, introduces even more exciting features – including recording and comping, linked-track editing, MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and new devices and sounds – which promise to further open up expressive and experimental potential. 

How does the software measure up for a seasoned electronic music production expert? Following the launch, we asked Stefan – synth nerd, recording studio enthusiast, music tech and short course tutor – for his reflections. 

My career as a Certified Trainer is closely connected to Catalyst (formerly known as dBs Berlin). I met the school founder David Puttick for the first time in autumn 2011. That's when it was decided that I should become responsible for installing the recording gear in the Funkhaus. David wanted the school to be an Ableton-certified training centre and, as I was already a Live user, we agreed that I should apply in summer 2012. Coincidentally, there was a certification event already planned for October 2012. I was invited to that and became an Ableton Certified Trainer. The opening of dBs, however, was postponed to September 2013, but I was able to start working for other institutions, both inside and outside of Berlin.

“Live is the quickest way to lay down a musical idea, and deep enough to heavily process sounds.”

These days, I use Live 11 mainly as a studio tool. It serves as my recording device, but also as a mixing and audio-processing tool. I don't use the internal sound generating possibilities that much, because I mostly generate sound with my hardware and modular synth equipment. The only exception are the granular synthesis options that Max for Live offers. Live – even though it has become quite feature loaded in the past – is still the quickest way to lay down a musical idea, and is then deep enough to heavily process sounds. The internal plugins are of good quality, even though I use third-party plugins a lot. 

Ableton Live 11: MPE

In Live 11, the new features that most interest me are a little hidden; it's more about smaller workflow improvements. I like the way they redesigned the clip view, integrated new MIDI editing features like MPE, and redesigned some devices in a useful way. The new version is super stable on my computers; even in the beta testing phase I had only a few crashes. Another important point is that the quality of Ableton’s sound content has become much better over the last years. I don't use third-party material a lot, but I have noticed that in the past that was a weak point. And of course – very important for me – all these weird Max for Live sound mangeling devices are super important for my work, also as a trigger for new ideas and as a source of inspiration.

Catalyst music tech and short course tutor Stefan Knauthe gives his expert reflections on the latest Ableton release.

Ableton Certified Trainer Stefan Knauthe Reacts to Live 11 Release

Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Halla recently inspired our student community with a guest session on feminist film theory, as part of our very own noBerlinale festival. Find out more about her vision.

At Catalyst, we believe disappointment is synonymous with innovation. That’s why, when the 2021 Berlinale Festival was cancelled, our events and student experience lead Hannah Deans didn’t settle for a sinking feeling. She and the film team pulled out all the stops to provide an equally enriching and even more engaging online programme of exclusive screenings, remote filmmaking, project presentations, guest sessions, film reviews, and more, to our Film Production students. To top it off, there was even a Zoom screening and awards party!

Trailer MENARCA dir. Lilla Halla

Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Halla inspired our Film Production students with a guest session on feminist film theory, as part of our noBerlinale festival.

Read all about it

Lemonade Sorbet /// Screen Acting First-Years Write, Direct & Star in Online Show

Perception of Ambience: A Look at Shehryar Ahmad’s Masters Project

The Biz /// Filmmaker Carman Ho Shares Her Film Industry Advice in Q&A

Producer & Rock ‘N’ Roll Artist Jason Achilles on Sending a Microphone to Mars

The Biz /// Cinematographer Kevin Klein Shares His Film Industry Advice in Q&A

Making Music in Time: A Look at VIBKO’s Masters Project

CAP Selects S2: Listen to Our Student Albums of the Week

CAP Selects S2: Listen to Our Student Singles of the Week

Short Film & Practical FX Sensation Craig Murray Shares What Fuels His Creativity

Filmmaker Jayden Bailey on His FEST 2020 Selected Film ‘Not Olives’

Ableton Certified Trainer Stefan Knauthe Reacts to Live 11 Release

'Menarca' Filmmaker & Catalyst NoBerlinale Guest Lillah Halla on Feeding the Power of Imagination

Female Firestarters: Cecilie Sadolin Shares Her Journey in Audio Production Since Graduating

Female Firestarters: Audio Production Alumna Akila Shares Her Advice to Aspiring Artists

Binge-Worthy Extras For Our Visual Effects Students

Amplify Berlin Mentor Afriqua Shares What Catalyses His Creativity

Tatsuya Takahashi: We Interview the Brains Behind KORG’s Most Legendary Designs

Meet Our Roster of Specialist Guest Visual Effects Tutors

Amplify Berlin Mentor Phase Fatale Shares What Fuels His Creativity

Soft Crash Collaborate With VFX Tutor Imaginaria & Students on a Fact Mag Live Set