KIGALI - Pixel Corps, a US-based digital media firm is set to open a media production school- the Africa Digital Multimedia Academy, next year.

This was revealed, yesterday, in a meeting that brought together stakeholders in ICT and media production companies at Telecom House, which aimed at discussing the way forward for the academy before it’s officially opened.

Speaking at the forum, Alex Lindsay the president and founder of Pixel corps, said that the academy will focus on quality video and film production, basic production skills like computer graphics, shooting/editing and audio lighting.

Several other aspects of digital media production such as podcast technology and online streaming video broadcast, binary skills such as rot scoping, match moving, distance learning, visual literacy will be a focus in the academy.

"We have been in some countries in Africa like Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania but we decided to establish this academy in Rwanda because of its focus on ICT infrastructural development like fibre optic cable and other commitments in ICT,” he said.

He added that his company has been specialising in computer graphics and video production for close to 30 years and has worked with the largest visual production companies in the US, such as Industrial Light and Magic and Lucas Film on the Box Office hit movie, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

He also noted that Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa where any person can put up a business and is assured of its safety.

"The academy will equip young people with skills and they will become valuable commodity, not only for Rwanda, but also the rest of the world,” Lindsay stressed.

He said that the criteria to select for the students who wish to enrol into the academy, the selection will base on basic computer skills, but those with the knowledge in Photoshop and graphic design, it will be easier for them because within the academy most of the production works will be done in High Definitions (HD).

According to Jerome Gasana the Director of Regional ICT training and Research Centre (RITC) and one of the planning team for the academy in Rwanda, the academy is very important and comes at a time when Rwanda is putting much emphasis on a rapid ICT infrastructural development.

"We hope when all goes well the academy will start in March next year,” he noted.

In May this year Alex Lindsay, entered into a partnership with the government to start one of the best media production academies in the region.
The centre, which will be housed at the Regional ICT Training Centre at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), will be a future training facility for content production.

The government will fully fund the academy while Pixel Corps will provide the required software.

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