Cambodian Film School sets up kids for life with Blackmagic Design

Cambodia’s Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE) Film School is using Blackmagic Design’s ATEM Mini live production switchers and Pocket Cinema Camera 6K cameras to train its students. The school is also using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

The school, which is part of the PSE Institute for Vocational Training in Phnom Penh, provides technical training in cinematography and post production and is part of the larger PSE school system that encompasses three Cambodian education centres. With more than 600 staff, PSE aims to help the poorest children in the country escape from poverty and learn skills by providing recognised bachelor’s degrees, leading them to have decent, well-paying jobs through end-to-end care. PSE has helped more than 12,000 children get out of poverty, and currently more than 6,000 beneficiaries are enrolled into PSE programs.

PSE Film School began in 2012 when the founders of the PSE system decided to build on Cambodia’s emerging film and TV industry. The centre began teaching all aspects of film, TV, advertising and drama, and has gradually grown to include streaming, event capture, documentary, social media, short film, and music video production.

“DaVinci Resolve is really useful because it has editing, sound, VFX and color grading included, which allows us to work with a complete workflow. The price is also really good, which is so important for schools like ours,” Sacre said. “And the students love it. The user interface is very easy to understand, and they know they are working on the same software that the biggest films are being made with.”

In late 2020, ATEM Mini switchers were introduced to train students on the basics of multicam shooting and live streaming. Pocket Cinema Camera 6Ks were added in soon after, giving students a full Blackmagic Design live production and post production workflow.

Sacre was also proud to say that since leaving, each of the school’s alumni has found a role in the film and AV markets in Cambodia.